Hi Larry – Yes, the wood sealer on the outside is just fine for plants. I would avoid it on the inside if you can, though it will mean the boxes will rot faster. As far as what crops to grow, try strawberries, lettuce, radish, beets, patio or dwarf tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, and various herbs. All will do well with a 10-12″ deep planter. Happy growing!

I’d opt for the self-watering one in a hot location.

If the bed is made of rot-resistant woods like cedar, redwood, or locust, you do not need to line it. Same goes if it is made of another rot-resistant material. If it is pine or another soft wood, I suggest lining it with landscape fabric which is more porous than plastic which will not drain.

I recommend mixing a high-quality organic potting soil (Baccto or Espoma are two of my favorite brands) with compost, half and half. If you don’t have compost of your own, you can purchase bagged compost or use leaf compost if it’s available in your community. Hope this helps!

You can put the soil directly into the box. Or you can line it with landscape fabric or plastic with holes punched into it.

Fabric raised beds are great, but you do have to water them more frequently than wooden or metal raised beds. Here is more info on fabric raised beds if you’d like to look into them a bit more: https://farm-kits.com/fabric-raised-beds/