Cedar Experiment, Week Four

This is the fourth installment of me answering the question: do cedar beds really inhibit the growth of vegetable seedlings?  This experiment looks to see if cedar beds lined with cardboard will help veggies grow bigger and faster.

I've been doing research on companies that install raised garden beds and have found that several companies offer both hemlock and cedar beds.  The cedar beds come at a premium; no doubt because the cedar beds are thought to last longer in wet weather and the wood is more expensive.  No one has mentioned on their site that cedar can inhibit growth.  The extension service from Washington State University does not bleive cedar inhibits seedling growth per se, but they do mention that cedar can kill off beneficial soil fungi.

Here are images from the cardboard lined cedar bed:

And the unlined cedar bed:

The differences are becoming clearer.  The bed lined with cardboard has marked larger bean plants and more sprouted carrots.  On the other hand, the unlined beets are fairing better than their lined friends.  Only time which box has the largest overall yield.