Treated Wood For Raised Bed Garden
I am concerned about using pressure treated wood around my veggies because of the arsenic.
Treated wood for raised bed garden. But i fear attracting termites with untreated wood. Years ago many folks including several national magazines and agencies suggested that it was possible for small amounts of chemicals to leach into the soil from treated wood when that wood. Pressure treated lumber is used for fence posts garden beds decking playground equipment and many other structures that are either partially below ground or have significant exposure to the elements. Best wood to make raised garden beds redwood expensive but long lasting redwood raised garden bed.
This publication from pennsylvania state university does a good job describing the risks of using both cca treated wood as well as acq treated wood. Concerns have focused on the leaching of arsenic from pressure treated wood. Lamiot wikimedia commons pressured treated. Current treatments such as alkaline copper quaternary acq are deemed low risk by the epa and designated safe for use around humans pets plants and vegetables.
Wood that isn t pressure treated tends to rot fairly quickly in contact with the soil. Of course the primary concern with using pressure treated wood in raised bed gardens has been with the arsenic in cca chromated copper arsenate treated wood. Compared to untreated wood pressure treated lumber lasts longer and is available at a comparable cost. This deep penetration of the preservatives is what keeps the pressure treated wood from rotting longer than lumber treated with a topical sealant.
Stephen in huntingdon valley pais the new pressure treated nature wood safe to use as a framing material for a raised bed vegetable garden. And to answer the question yes my raised garden bed frames are built using treated lumber but i m not concerned about it not even a little bit. Gardeners have used pressure treated wood for decades in raised beds and as posts but on december 31 2003 the environmental protection agency epa banned the sale of lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate cca for residential use. Safe practices for working with treated wood recommend treated wood not be used where it may come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water or a component of food animal feed or beehives.
Can pressure treated wood be used as part of an organic vegetable garden. The main reason is that redwood is naturally rot resistant. For proper drainage the plastic material should not be used underneath the raised bed garden. Creosote treated wood is not a good option for vegetable raised beds.
Redwood has been known to last for up to 20 years. Raised vegetable bed with treated wood. Hence you can use redwood without having to treat it or apply any finish. I want to build some cold frames but am confused about what type of wood to use.