Pressure Treated Lumber For Raised Beds
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Wood treated with chromated copper arsenate or cca can leach toxic arsenic into soil.
Pressure treated lumber for raised beds. There are several different alternatives to using pressure treated lumber to build raised beds. Concerns have focused on the leaching of arsenic from pressure treated wood into the soil contaminating plants and people. 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. While there is scientific consensus that it is safe to use for garden and vegetable beds the information below explains what chemicals are used in viance ground contact treated wood for residential use and the results of numerous scientific studies.
Certain woods such as cedar black locust redwood and cypress are naturally less prone to rot due to the oils in the wood. The safety of pressure treated wood for garden beds depends on what preservative was used to treat the wood. 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. 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.
Yes you can use pressure treated lumber for your raised garden beds homeowners ask if it is safe to use treated lumber for garden vegetable beds. However i haven t seen any research that suggests the level of the chemicals is significant enough to be of concern for human health. If you want to use a pressure treated wood for your raised beds look for lumber with a label stating it was treated with acq alkaline copper quat. However while treated lumber will hold up better over time it can also leach harmful chemicals into your soil.