Raised Bed Garden. What Lumber?

[OldGuy43]

For a variety of reasons I've decided that a raised bed garden is the best option for me. I was at Lowe's with the lumber on the cart when it suddenly struck me. Was treated lumber a good idea for a garden? After all, you have to use coated fasteners because modern treated lumber will corrode steel nails. Is this really something that I want to grow veggies in?

I put the boards back on the shelf and came home. I tried Goggle, but found a multitude of conflicting answers. Yes, no, yes, but paint the interior every two years, line it with plastic or weed control fabric... The list was endless.

Now I'm really confused. I'd really prefer to use treated lumber, but I just don't know if it's a good idea, so I'm here to use the accumulated wisdom of y'all.

In the end I'll make my own decision, but any and all opinions will be welcome and appreciated.

 

[nachoqtpie]

We used treated lumber. We didn't really know any different until we had cut them, nailed them together, and put dirt in them.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

We have two large raised beds made with very old railroad ties but two smaller ones made from regular 2x10 regular pine and stacked two up. We saw some kits at a nursery last month with some made of hemlock. We were also afraid of the treated wood even though it isn't as bad as it once was. Of course the railroad ties have been treated.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Our terraced raised beds are just run of the mill (litterally, pine from the mill) 2x10's. Most are on their second year in the life of a raised bed and most were repurposed from something else to begin with. No painting, no plastic lining, etc. We figure they should last us 4-5 years and by then, we may want to do things differently and if not, we will just replace them.

Best of luck with your new garden!

 

[The Mama Chicken]

We use untreated wood for our beds and just paint it with a water based paint. My husband works construction and has seen the MSDS for treated wood, he won't let me use it for the beds. The chemicals they use these days ARE safer than they used to be but still dangerous.

ETA- He used plain cedar fence boards to make the kids' raised beds this year.

 

[ducks4you]

This article should help.
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6985

 

[wsmoak]

Given the vast array of things there are to worry about in this life... treated lumber isn't high on my list. There was some hysteria a while back about it contaminating the soil, countered with some articles about the chemicals not going very far sideways into the bed, but mostly down, and very small amounts at that. Makes sense to me.

I'd bet that you'll get far less chemical contamination on a vegetable grown in a pressure treated raised bed than one from the grocery store!

I have some treated wood beds, some made out of odds and ends of untreated hardwood and pine. So far, we're all still alive.

-Wendy

 

[Collector]

I wouldnt hesitate using the red pressure treated wood The chemicals used for the treating are supposed to be non toxic. The green board I would not use, it is treated with arsenic. There is also retaining wall blocks but way more spendy. 16 years ago I built a raised bed out of Cherry tone landscape timbers, It is starting to show some rot on the ends But hey 16 yrs seems pretty good to me. They are also way cheap to buy $2.99 per 8footer at our local Home depot. I built ours 4x8'x 1 foot high and it takes 12 timbers to make one. I think that is what I am going to rebuild ours out of in a year or two.
Good luck what ever you decide.

 

[OldGuy43]

I just found some stuff called Trex;

http://www.trex.com/

It's made out of recycled stuff, but the cost is really prohibitive. I can't afford to be that green.