On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:47:04 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

Do all wood preservatives damage plants?
And what about (oil) paint?

The "expert" at my local Builders' Provider
asserts that all preservatives are bad for plants ...

I used to use Cuprinol water-based products both on my own fences and
my parents' and used a sprayer to apply them (a proper mains one, not
the battery operated ones you can get now which, in my opinion, are
rubbish). Invariably plants got sprayed, in some cases fairly heavily,
but never seemed to suffer as a result.

Having replaced my fences with heavier, pressure treated ones, I now
use an oil-based treatment every 4 years - again sprayed on but during
the winter. Herbaceous borders simply get covered with a sheet of
polythene and shrubs get wrapped as I have found that the oil based
stuff can damage them.