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You need to do some serious research. You canNOT use pressure treated lumber in a garden! It's full of chemicals that will leach into the plants growing in the garden! Google is your friend! There's tons of raised bed gardening on Pinterest as well.
Quote:
“Pressure-treated lumber uses CCA (chromated copper arsenate) or ACA (ammoniacal copper arsenate) as a preservative. However, studies done by Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service showed insignificant movement of these compounds into surrounding soil. Pressure-treated lumber has no proven effect on plant growth or food safety.”
Quote:
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.Mar 20, 2013
CCA lumber is no longer sold on the shelves of lumber supply houses. In order to buy it, it has to be special ordered, and is only allowed to be used as a direct burial product.
You need to do some serious research. You canNOT use pressure treated lumber in a garden! It's full of chemicals that will leach into the plants growing in the garden! Google is your friend! There's tons of raised bed gardening on Pinterest as well.
You can use pressure treated wood. Any leaching that might happen is not enough to be a concern. If you are concerned just cover the ground and wood with heavy plastic. No problems. Pressure treated wood is different now.
If using PT wood just make sure you get the one that is "ground contact" or it can rot away. You can also use cedarwood or redwood.
You need to do some serious research. You canNOT use pressure treated lumber in a garden! It's full of chemicals that will leach into the plants growing in the garden! Google is your friend! There's tons of raised bed gardening on Pinterest as well.
CCA lumber is no longer sold on the shelves of lumber supply houses. In order to buy it, it has to be special ordered, and is only allowed to be used as a direct burial product.
Come to my local Lowe's! There's treated lumber available for sale on the racks and it's green! It's not kiln dried lumber. It is chemically treated lumber.
You can use pressure treated wood. Any leaching that might happen is not enough to be a concern. If you are concerned just cover the ground and wood with heavy plastic. No problems. Pressure treated wood is different now.
If using PT wood just make sure you get the one that is "ground contact" or it can rot away. You can also use cedarwood or redwood.
You do NOT want to use any wood that has been treated with any chemicals! If you're growing food that children are going to eat, think about that! Who wants to feed elementary school children food they knowingly grew with tainted wood and soil?
Come to my local Lowe's! There's treated lumber available for sale on the racks and it's green! It's not kiln dried lumber. It is chemically treated lumber.
You are correct, and if you would take the time to read the label on that wood, you would see it is ACA treated, NOT CCA treated. Copper Sulphate, not Arsenic. Did you even read the link I posted!?
You are correct, and if you would take the time to read the label on that wood, you would see it is ACA treated, NOT CCA treated. Copper Sulphate, not Arsenic. Did you even read the link I posted!?
I never said anything about ACA or CCA treated. Most people just don't want to use anything treated with chemicals where they're growing food. Many parents would also be very upset by this.
I never said anything about ACA or CCA treated. Most people just don't want to use anything treated with chemicals where they're growing food. Many parents would also be very upset by this.
So line them with plastic. No leaching of anything. Problem solved.
I use plain 2"x12"x8 ft pine boards. They are good for about 5-6 years, longer if I protect them with landscape fabrics.
For a 4'x8' bed I buy three 8' board and asked them to cut one of them into a 4' long section. They are 12 inches high Aicu holds more soil than many "kits" for sale at 6" or lower.
I just found out about a small university grant that will provide funding to school gardens. Application due in 2 weeks! My principal is very excited and suddenly I've been appointed chair of the garden club.
The school is brand new and the yard right now is a giant pile of red clay dirt and construction debris. I thought we could estimate costs for 4x8 box beds and build as many as the grant allows. (assume we will get some donations from Home Depot, and parents, etc, and counting on parents to do the labor as enthusiasm for this new school is high)
4x8 is easy to reach across and uses standard size lumber. 1x6 screwed together?? untreated Landscape timbers are about $3 each but won't last more than a few years here in NC. Pressure treated? Cinder blocks? Or something else?
How deep do we need to dig out the red clay to put in some better soil/peat moss? line the hole with weed blocker (newspapers?) How much dirt?
I have many other projects on deck right now so I'm hoping someone on this forum will be able to toss a quick estimate at me so I can talk to the principal again on Monday. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
don't spend on lumber etc, I would use the fund and have Home Depot/Lowes deliver concrete blocks, they are easy to assemble in rectangles. 16x8x8(LxWxH) block cost $1.50 here, these raised beds are one time and will last forever....also ask local garden companies to deliver dirt/compost/straw for the bed...
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It's full of chemicals that will leach into the plants growing in the garden! Google is your friend! There's tons of raised bed gardening on Pinterest as well.
