Hey everyone! I've got some pressure treated wood left over from building my deck, and I'm considering using it for new raised garden beds. I've only ever used cedar before, and I've always steered clear of pressure treated wood because of safety concerns. However, it seems wasteful to throw away perfectly good wood when I could use it instead. I've heard that modern pressure treated wood is safer than what was used in the past, but I'm still a bit uneasy about it. What are your thoughts on using this type of wood for raised beds? Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
Just to give you some context, back in 2003 the EPA and lumber industry stopped using CCA-treated wood for most residential stuff, so it should be a lot safer now. That said, I recently went with cedar myself for my garden beds, and while it wasn't the cheapest option, I trust it more. But if you're looking to save money, modern pressure treated wood is definitely safer than it used to be!
Yeah, sounds like modern pressure treated wood is okay for raised beds. Just keep in mind that copper can be toxic to plants if taken up in large amounts, but generally, they say plants would suffer long before we eat them. If you're still worried, lining the inside of the beds with plastic is also an option to prevent contact with the soil.
If your pressure treated wood is less than 20 years old, it's likely safe to use. The older treatments used arsenic, but now they use copper-based preservatives. There's been a lot of research on this, and studies show minimal leaching into the soil. For more info, check out this Oregon State article if you're interested: [OSU Extension Service](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/soil-compost/pressure-treated-wood-raised-bed-construction-willamette-valley).
That article was really helpful! My wood is brand new and meant for ground contact, so I feel better about using it now.