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Old 22-03-2011, 03:33 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Malcolm Malcolm is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2008
Posts: 82
Default It is safe to use old decking to make veg planters?

On 21/03/2011 16:32, Bean wrote:
Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.
And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?

Many thanks for any advice on this.

Bean




Line the sides with plastic sheet

Malcolm