GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

17-03-2005, 06:40 PM

In article says...
I just got off the phone with a very helpful young man at my local Home
Depot. I was gathering info from him on the prices of redwood, cedar and
composite planking that I want to make grow boxes from. When I mentioned
to him that I was going to make grow boxes he suggested that I use
treated lumber, quickly adding, as if he anticipated my protest, there
is no longer any arsenic used in the treating process and nothing is
used that would be harmful.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this. I'm still a bit hesitant about
using treated lumber for grow boxes for vegetables but it would sure
save a lot of money if I could.

I made my first two 2x8x1 boxes out of that Home Depot treated lumber.
So far, after 3 years, the boxes are still structurally sound and I
didn't have to do any maintenance on them. I definitely wouldn't grow
veggies or edibles in these boxes. Those boxes are for wildflowers.

Those 8' 1x6 planks of treated lumber aren't cheap though. In my area
they're like $8 each or $1/lf. In my experience, Home Depot's lumber is
expensive. For $1/lf I can buy 1x12 untreated quality pine boards from a
lumber yard but then the wood needs to be painted with a durable paint.
Three years ago I used 9 of those 1x6 Home Depot treated 1x6 planks for
each box plus a bunch of treated 2x2s and 1x2s for framing. Each box
cost me about $100 if I recall correctly. I've since thought of ways to
cost reduce this.

As someone else pointed out, you can get a 4x8 sheet of birch plywood
(3/4") for around $30 (in my area). That stuff is pretty excellent wood
and even cheaper than pine boards but you'll need to either paint it or
treat it yourself to keep it from succumbing to moisture.