PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER AS BORDER ???????????????????

HI:

I need to replace the border of my veggie garden. I was wondering if it was Ok to use the pressure treated lumber for this .

Is there any danger of the chemicals they use leaching into the soil and then into the veggies?????


Thanx Laska1

Laska1

Lots of differing reports out there.

The old railroad ties with creosote were bad smelling and gave off nasty fumes.

The more recent green treated stuff with the arsenic salts as a preservative were reorted to leach some into the soil, but the actual effect of the leaching has differing reports. Most agreed, however, that touching the stuff with out gloves, or inhaling the sawdust, was not a good thing.

The more recent stuff with the copper salts is reported (or reputed) to be safer.

Most of what I've read stated that the leaching is worse in the first year or two, but that the chemicals leached into the soil did not travel very far from the boards, and were not drawn up into the plants in significant levels.

Several state university extension departments have done testing on that subject and have information available. You might try your local extension office for more recent testing info. Following is also a link to extension offices all over the country.

http://roundrobin2001.0catch.com/extensions.html

Good luck.

dgwm

THANX

I SAW SOME FENCE POSTS AT HOME DEPOT THAT, IF LAID ON THEIR SIDE AND STACKED TWO HIGH WOULD BE PERFECT.

I GUESS I'LL ASK THEM WHAT TTYPE OF PRESERVATIVE IS USED AND TAKE IT FORM THERE.

THANX
LASKA1

You can get similar things untreated from lumber yards. I 'paint' my raised bed boards (pine) with a turpentine/paraffin/linseed oil mixture.

I calculated that using cinder blocks--concrete blocks cost just slightly more than using landscape timbers. Which it takes 2 to 3 timbers to get the beds deep as concrete blocks.

My landscape timbers have never shown any effect on my plants.

This year I have chosen to make two 80 foot long grow beds out of concrete blocks cause even the landscape timbers rot quickly. These concrete beds will last me the rest of my life and i never have to replace it.

The price differance between timbers and concrete blocks was this
For a 40 foot bed ( not counting the ends)
20 timbers plus the spike nails to lay them was $80. Stacking the timbers two high.
60 concrete blocks (8x8x16 inches) was $90 . (estimated $1.50 per block)
both give same depth for bed. both same length bed, ONE last a life time.

Pressure treated lumber is just that: lumber treated with chemicals to ward off the elements. If you want chemicals slowly and eventually leaching into your food, then go ahead. I am recommending NOT using pressure treated anything around food. :)

I wish I could agree about state cooperative extension offices, but they really vary state to state. Every time I ask for fertilizer or pest control here in VA I'm recommended products that are effective short-term but potentially dangerous to honeybees, pets, and people. Even the "master gardeners" seem to think Sevin is the only possibility for pest control, and they never tell folks to spray after the bees have gone home for the night. It's really irresponsible, and I'm really getting tired of it. I know this is the vegetable forum, not the organic forum, but I do think the extension offices should be at least *somewhat* educated on both conventional and organic methods, so we know there's a choice.

Cinder blocks are a great idea.

I just went through this decision 1 month ago. I went with untreated cedar...won't last as long but no possibility of unknown chemicals in my veggies.

I think you'll be happy you did. I'm about to make the same choice. From what I read, the treated lumber eventually affects the ph of your soil.

I looked into this issue when we put up our deck, as I planned to do some planting around the perimeter... As has been said, reports on leaching and toxicity varied widely, but the studies I saw all seemed to agree that sealing the lumber would prevent any problems... So I slapped a couple of coats of polyurethane stain on the posts before they went into the ground.

With regard to cinder blocks, I've been looking at them also as a less expensive alternative to a low stacked stone wall... I like the idea of getting the ones with openings and setting them upright so I can use them as planting pockets. I also like the idea that I could use concrete stains to make them a more attractive color.

Interesting thread considering that I'm planning to put in a terraced veggie garden.. Where is everyone looking at the cinder blocks? HD & Lowes or garden centers?

I bought my cinders from local building supply. I just called around and got cheapest price.
HD was not the cheapest.

good to know.. thanks.