Caring for your Cedar Planter

Wipe out any leftover soil or plant fragments. Mix one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water in the spray bottle, and soak all surfaces of the planter. Scrub the planter clean with the plastic dish scrubber and air-dry.

Brush all surfaces of the planter with nontoxic, plant-safe waterproofing liquid. Redwood and cedar planters can tolerate harsh weather without warping or splitting, but they look new longer if waterproofed. Let the planter dry thoroughly.

Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the planter if it does not have them already. Three or four 1/4-inch-diameter holes or one or two larger holes drain excess water out of a medium-sized wood planter.

Line the entire planter with a sheet of plastic, trimming it so that it reaches but does not go over the rim. Staple the plastic all the way around the rim. Using a screwdriver or sharp stick, poke through the drilled drainage holes to let excess water drain out of the plastic liner.

Place a sheet of plastic or metal screen cloth over the entire bottom of the pot to keep drainage holes open. Alternatively, put shards of broken flowerpot or other pottery over the holes.

Seat your planter on commercially available planter feet, flat stones or other objects that elevate the wood off the deck, porch rail or ground surface. Water draining from planters needs to evaporate to prevent rotting of the planter bottom and the surface on which it sits.