Raised Bed Trellis

I have put in a 4x4 raised bed for vegetables and bought untreated lumber to use for the actual box that will make soil contact. I have a wooden swingset that has been dismantled and is now stacked in my yard. I would really like to find some way to recycle part of it if I can. It is treated lumber, so I know that I shouldn't use it for making the actual bed that I'm growing the vegetables in, but I am considering taking wire and building a frame to go at the back of the bed to let cucumbers or beans climb on. If it doesn't make contact with soil in the raised bed, is there a problem with using treated lumber for the frame for the vines to climb? Also, if the treated lumber makes contact on the ground outside of the raised bed, is this a problem?

Thanks.

That whole treated vs. untreated wood thing being safe for veggies went away about 5 years ago when they banned arsenic and arsenic-like substances in treated wood.

Untreated wood will last 1-2 years before the termites get to it.

I have 2 beds out of untreated wood and they're already falling apart. The treated wood beds are in great shape still.

I don't think you'll have a problem using the swingset wood for a frame work. You might use a woven mesh or netting material strung in the frame for the vines to grow on. I would avoid a wire fencing type material as the metal will fry the vine tendrils in the summer heat.

podster...Hadn't thought of the wiring getting hot. Thanks.

feldon... So would you use the treated wood for your next veggie bed? In this case, this swingset is actually older than 5 years (or right about that age), so I guess theoretically, it could still be an issue, but hopefully not if I only use if for the trellis. I am planning to put some additional beds in the fall, so I am still gathering information for the future.

Thanks!

All but 2 of my vegetable beds are treated lumber. I just don't have the money to buy new 6 garden beds (~$40/ea) every 2 years.

I agree. Just had been told that using treated lumber wasn't a good idea. I will definitely go that route next time around. Live and learn.

It also depends what your definition of safe is. Are you 100% organic? If so, then the copper and other products used to make the current ACQ (?) pressure treated wood might still bother you. Safety is all by degree.