Can treated lumber be used for a raised bed vegetable garden? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Can treated lumber be used for a raised bed vegetable garden?

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:19:23 PM EDT

So the wife wants me to set up a quick & low cost raised bed vegetable garden, using these blocks: 7.5 in. x 7.5 in. x 5.5 in. Tan Brown Planter Wall Block

I was just going to use some 2 x 6 pine & have to replace them every few years, but then I came across this article on treated lumber: Is Treated Lumber Safe for Building Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens?

Also according to The National Gardening Association:

There\’s still a lot of controvery about using treated wood for vegetable gardens. There was a time when pressure treated lumber contained arsenic (CCA) and was not considered safe for use in raised vegetable gardens because the arsenic leached out into the soil. The newest method for treating wood is Micronized Copper Quaternary (MCQ).

It is chemically different than the old CCA treatments. It is made of tiny (micro) particles of copper. These particles are forced into the wood cells or pores during the pressure cycle. Once in, they stay in, also forming a barrier keeping in the quaternary. The leaching of chemicals out of MCQ is practically non-existent and using the treated lumber for a vegetable bed is safe because the chemicals do not leach out into the soil.

View Quote

So, is this true? Can I use MCQ treated lumber, without any issues?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:22:32 PM EDT

[#1]

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Yes you can. PT isnt as bad as it once was...

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:27:07 PM EDT

[#2]

I sure hope so! I just added another one this year.

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Posted: 5/17/2018 4:30:03 PM EDT

[#3]

I'm sure it's alright, but I build all of mine out of rough sawn oak or maple, whatever the mill has. I've never been a big fan of eating things from a PT raised bed.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:40:51 PM EDT

[#4]

Why take the risk?

I won’t burn it in the wood burner, and I won’t do raised beds for food crops out of it, flowers sure go for it, just sayin.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:48:49 PM EDT

[#5]

This will surprise you but most treated lumber will have a MSDS from the manufacturer. Go find it and read what it says.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:49:44 PM EDT

[#6]

OP, do you know why MCQ replaced the arsenic stuff?

For decades, they said that the arsenic stuff didn't leach out of the wood, so it was safe for playgrounds, etc.. After all that time, someone came along and did some actual testing, and whadayaknow.... it leached out significantly.

So, while I'm not jumping to "yay" or "nay", I will say that you shouldn't assume that it won't leach just because the industry tells you so.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:50:07 PM EDT

[#7]

I personally wouldn't. I would go cedar or some other material entirely.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:55:57 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
I personally wouldn't. I would go cedar or some other material entirely.

View Quote

My larger planter box is made out of cedar planks, get them free from the hot tub manufactor about 1/2 hour away. most pieces are 2-3 feet long, tongue and groove cuts already, makes easy assembly, lol.

Posted: 5/17/2018 4:58:37 PM EDT

[#9]

I have four 4x12 raised beds built with pressure treated lumber that we have been eating a lot of vegetables out of for the last four years. So far no one has died.

Posted: 5/17/2018 5:12:21 PM EDT

[#10]

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All Cedar and a couple of rough cut lumber and 4x4s.

The bottom 2 rows are pure decoration to make the box look right. lol.

This years creation, the pic I posted above is from last year and we learned it was too shallow for certain veggies. So I made a deeper one for carrots and whatever else the lil lady put in there. I just build em, i dont plant em....lol.

Posted: 5/17/2018 5:59:41 PM EDT

[#11]

I'd probably line it with some heavy plastic.

Posted: 5/17/2018 11:29:57 PM EDT

[#12]

Lowes is now selling Cedar in a 2x4. I used those same blocks recently, and made a 4x8 bed using the cedar. I have the top piece sticking up past the edge of the block, since the block and lumber dimensions don't jive, but other than that it worked like a champ. I would rather err on the side of caution, and not use a treated board.

Posted: 5/18/2018 11:19:18 PM EDT

[#13]

I would not chance it. I used cedar to make mine.

Posted: 5/19/2018 2:10:48 PM EDT

[#14]

I built two beds out of those exact same blocks this year. If you're worried about treated lumber, staple some plastic to the inside of the beds. I wouldn't worry too much about it, the plants aren't in contact with the wood.

Posted: 5/19/2018 4:54:52 PM EDT

[#15]

Absolutely no effect in our raised garden.

Posted: 5/20/2018 11:16:39 AM EDT

[#16]

When we had our raised garden at our last house, we used PT lumber. When we moved, I tore it down and reused the lumber for something else.

I read a report years ago about using creosote-soaked RR ties for a raised garden. Zero leaching.

If it concerns, it's easy to line the lumber with black plastic prior to filling it.

Posted: 5/20/2018 12:22:18 PM EDT

[#17]

It seems like everything we use now is considered unhealthy tomorrow. Why chance it? Use cedar or some other wood that is naturally resistance to water and rot. A simple solution is not to build a raised bed to begin with.

Posted: 5/22/2018 9:50:10 PM EDT

[#18]

Railroad ties treated with creosote do not appear to pose any health problems because most of the creosote has leached away. There is some controversy about using treated landscape timbers, but studies have shown that any compounds that leach out are well within safe levels established by the EPA, both in growing media and in harvested produce. If you are concerned about using treated timbers, line the inside of the bed walls with polyethylene, roofing felt or similar materials to form a protective barrier.

That is from the below
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/files/2010/10/E-560_raised_bed_garden.pdf

Also found this:
Yes, it is safe. Research by Texas A&M has shown that treated lumber is safe for raised bed vegetable gardens. The newer treated lumber should be even safer since it does not contain any arsenic.

From here
https://ask.extension.org/questions/200698

Posted: 5/24/2018 9:34:20 AM EDT

[#19]

I have been wanting to build some out of cross ties. my reasoning is they are pretty cheap, and will last about forever. I was planning to put heavy plastic on the inside to keep moisture down, and have them last longer.

lumber would be a lot easier to use however.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Can treated lumber be used for a raised bed vegetable garden?

Outdoors » Homestead, Farm & Garden

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