Pressure Treated Wood For Garden

Raised vegetable bed with treated wood.
Pressure treated wood for garden. The problems with treated wood garden safety arose when it was found that some of the chemicals leached into the garden soil after a year or two. 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. 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. For a control i sent soil from a bed that s never been in contact with pressure treated wood.
Joe mabel wikimedia commons there is a long standing controversy in the field of organic gardening. Is pressure treated lumber safe for a garden. I took three samples at various distances from the wood immediately adjacent several inches away and in the middle of the bed. Can pressure treated wood be used as part of an organic vegetable garden.
Wood that is pressure treated can last many years when in contact with concrete and dirt where other wood would begin to rot. Here s what i know. Ground contact lumber can be used for raised garden beds for ornamental plants. Pressure treated decking boards can extend the longevity of wooden walkways freshwater docks accessibility ramps and other outdoor structures that are exposed to the elements.
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. Over years the industry in cooperation with government recommendations. Lamiot wikimedia commons pressured treated. Find pressure treated lumber at lowe s today.
With a few precautions. Image credit if you re like me you ve wished you could use reclaimed pressure treated lumber for a garden bed to grow food in. Only the soil very close to the treated wood shows a higher than background level of arsenic. Yes the new pressure treated wood is safe for use for raised garden frames.
Decks and fences are the most common uses for treated wood but it is ideal for a variety of applications. 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. Pressure treating wood saturates wood under pressure with a chemical preservative.