Pressure treated lumber - basics and beyond - Use Pressure treated wood for raised garden beds

With the recession in full swing home gardening is making a comeback. Vegetable lovers with diminished means are finding that a little more green in the pocket is worth a bit of toil in the soil. A good choice for many backyard growers is a raised garden bed. The perfect building material for raised beds is pressure treated lumber. It’s economical, easy to work and safe to use in gardening applications. The new micronized copper formulations, including ProWood Micro CA, use a treatment process that has earned Environmentally Preferred Product status from Scientific Certification Systems. This new formulation also has a lighter, fresher appearance compared to other formulations and is less corrosive to fasteners.

According to Becky Wern, Master Gardener with the Duvall County
Agricultural Extension Service and the University of Florida, today's pressure treated lumber "is safe to use around children and animals and for gardens with edibles."

Don’t burn or compost pressure treated wood. Once you’re finished building the bed, your pressure treated wood scraps and sawdust can be land-filled along with ordinary household trash.

Comments for Use Pressure treated wood for raised garden beds

Sunday, September 13, 2009 by shommestaad:: I don't think pressure treated wood is a good idea for garden beds considering that it is recommended to used gloves when handling the wood and masks when cutting it. Cedar is fairly similar in price and has equal resistance to rot as pressure treated wood.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 by Dick Gauthier:: Thank you for your comment. The use of a dust mask and gloves is a common safety precaution advised for working with any type of lumber, treated or not. In general, cedar is much more expensive than pressure treated lumber. The leading formulation — micronized copper azole — of pressure treated lumber, such as ProWood Micro, is backed by a limited lifetime warranty. The vast majority of cedar decking carries no warranty.
Friday, November 20, 2009 by bev:: Thanks. I've been trying to figure out if I could use pressure treated wood for my edible garden. Does this wood contain any arsenic? It doesn't appear so but I just want to make sure. Also do I have to let it sit out for a period before adding dirt? If so, how long?
Friday, November 20, 2009 by Dick Gauthier:: The use of chromated copper arsentate to treat lumber used in residential applications was phased out at the end of 2003. There is no need to let the wood dry out before you add dirt. If you plan to paint, stain or seal the wood wait a few months so it's nice and dry.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 by bev:: This is great news. I look forward to starting my project with my friend Brent in a couple of days. Any advice on using linseed oil to seal the outside of the wood?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by Dick Gauthier:: Linseed oil is fine but there are other products that may produce better water repellency. Check with your lumber dealer for his recommendation. Cabot and Wolman both make good coatings for this use. Stay away from film forming coatings like solid color stains or paints.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by B Straube:: I've been doing a lot of research on the use of MCA treaded lumber for raised bed vegetable gardens. I've seen opinions on both sides of the fence. Of course, the manufacturers say it is safe. They want to sell their product. Can anyone offer a link to a neutral and reputable source on this topic that would convince me that it is OK to use for a vegatable garden?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by Dick Gauthier:: B Straub: Thanks for your inquiry. You’re right. We make ProWood Micro, we want to sell a lot of it and we think it is perfectly safe to use for its intended purposes. But our high opinion of its safety is backed up by ample scientific evidence, as published by independent third party testing agencies. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a third-party certification and standards development company, has awarded MicroPro® (the chemical formulation used in ProWood Micro) its second Environmentally Preferable certification under SCS’s Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) program, based on Life-Cycle Assessment. This latest certification is for the MicroPro Treated Wood Process using micronized copper and azole to pressure treat wood products. This is the first treated wood process of its kind to receive this certification. Here’s a quotation directly from the SCS report on MicroPro: Largely Eliminates Copper Releases — Wood products treated with the MicroPro process result in the release of up to 95% less copper into aquatic and terrestrial environments when compared to standard treated wood products. The very small amount released bonds readily to organic matter in the soil and becomes biologically inactive, thus effectively eliminating eco-toxic impacts.