Hey everyone! I'm looking to build an elevated garden bed and was considering using treated lumber, but I'm a bit worried about health risks. I know cedar is super pricey, so would using treated wood pose any danger to my health, like poisoning? Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
I’ve been using pressure-treated lumber for my garden beds for five seasons now, and I’m still alive and kicking! As long as the wood is modern treated lumber, it’s generally considered safe. Older treated wood was problematic because of arsenic, but that’s a thing of the past. Don't stress too much about it!
I totally get your worry about treated lumber! I had the same concern before I started my garden. I came across a study that confirmed it's safe to use pressure-treated wood for garden beds. Plus, cedar can be ridiculously expensive! If you're interested, I can share the link to the study I found!
So, you’re in Canada, right? Good news! Since 2003, pressure-treated lumber in North America is treated with alkaline copper instead of arsenic, which means it’s much safer for garden use. It’s highly unlikely that any harmful chemicals will leach into your plants in amounts that could hurt you. If you’re still worried, you could line the bed with plastic to be extra cautious, but most folks don’t find it necessary with new lumber. Just make sure it’s not old stuff from the bad old days!