I've noticed that many garden beds in my community garden have what seems to be treated lumber used as borders. I'm curious about whether this is generally accepted in organic gardening practices. Can anyone shed some light on the safety of using treated lumber for this purpose, or should I stick to naturally resistant materials?
2 Answers
Yeah, I agree with that. Treated lumber can introduce extra copper and antifungal agents, which could harm soil health. Natural woods are definitely the way to go for organic gardening. Stick with cedar or even larch if you can find it; just make sure it’s really rot-resistant. Avoiding chemicals is key!
Most organic gardeners probably wouldn't consider treated lumber safe since it's often not approved in certified organic operations. Instead, you might want to look into options like naturally rot-resistant woods such as cedar or black locust. There are also some organic-permitted painted steel frames available, which could be a good alternative.