Pressure treated lumber is used for fence posts garden beds decking playground equipment and many other structures that are either partially below ground or have significant exposure to the elements.
Treated lumber for raised garden bed.
Cca treated wood has been restricted since 2004 to foundation construction only.
If you already have raised beds made of treated wood you needn t panic.
Why would it not be safe.
Homeowners ask if it is safe to use treated lumber for garden beds.
The concern is that the chemicals that are used to treat the lumber can leach into the soil.
Cca treated wood should not be used for garden beds says the vermont department of health.
With this in mind here are a few common faqs regarding wood used for raised garden beds.
Can you use treated wood for raised beds.
From what i ve seen the consensus is that the chemicals do leach out of the wood into the soil and are uptaken by the plants in very small amounts.
In 2003 the environmental protection agency epa banned the use of lumber with added chromate copper arsenate cca due to the copper and arsenic content.
Yes you can use treated lumber for your raised vegetable garden beds.
The safety of pressure treated lumber for raised bed gardens has been examined by several researchers.
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.