Is Treated Wood Safe For Garden Boxes

Is pressure treated lumber safe for a garden.

Is treated wood safe for garden boxes. Over years the industry in cooperation with government recommendations. Yes the new pressure treated wood is safe for use for raised garden frames. The safety of pressure treated lumber for raised bed gardens has been examined by several researchers. This deep penetration of the preservatives is what keeps the pressure treated wood from rotting longer than lumber treated with a topical sealant.

With a few precautions. He stated in a bulletin titled treated wood in raised bed gardening scientific evidence and data have shown that using pressure treated wood for raised bed or box gardening is safe to adults and children in terms of the plants grown and used in these containers he further explains all chemicals in consumer products have a toxicity. That is good to know that the closer the plants are to the wood the more chemicals are absorbed. In fact most of the wood i use is reclaimed and i m guessing at least half of the treated lumber i get is more than 20 years old.

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. From what i ve seen the consensus is that the chemicals do leach out of the wood into the soil and are uptaken by the plants in very small amounts. What i can say is that i would much rather eat food from my own garden grown with acq or ca pressure treated wood over anything i d get in the grocery store. I have been wanting to make some garden boxes for my apartment but i didn t know if i could use treated lumber for my boxes.

In the 20th century and into the 21st wood was treated by a chemical mix of arsenic chromium and copper. Wife wants me to build a vertical planter that will go along the side of the house where there s plenty of sun. Top your bed with boards of untreated lumber to make a flat top to sit on and to avoid contact with the wood particularly if you have cca treated wood in your garden. Many new gardeners and even experienced ones turn to treated lumber when sourcing materials for raised beds due to its added protection against moisture and the associated rot and bug damage.

However while treated lumber will hold up better over time it can also leach harmful chemicals into your soil. Thanks for the great info. Even though the new pressure treated woods are considered safe wolmanized outdoor according to its web site does not recommend using pressure treated wood where the. Knowing that pressure treated wood can be used is a huge relief.

Up until 2003 the most common preservative used for pressure treated wood was chromated copper arsenate cca a compound using arsenic as its primary rot protectant.