I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber around
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical will
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause cancer. I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

Plastic wood is safer and better. Or brick or cinder block =


Andy N wrote:
=

I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber aro=
und
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical wil=
l
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause canc=
er. I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

-- =

J Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/reference.html

This has been discussed a lot. Searching the google archives will produce
lots of opinions.
http://groups.google.com/

Bob

"Andy N" wrote in message
news:gki_9.93150$rM2.45429@rwcrnsc53...
I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber around
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical will
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause cancer.
I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

Thank you for the posts, I'll have to scratch my head now before deciding!

I did some research on this a while back after I put treated wood around my
garden. Basically the arsenic that is used to treat the wood does leach out
into the soil but it's a real small amount that isn't likely to hurt you.
It also doesn't go very far like maybe 12 inches - of course if you till it
and move the soil around then that becomes irrelevant. The vegtables can
and will take in the arsenic - but again it's real small amounts. If you
are going to use the treated wood (which I wouldn't ever again) you should
put up a plastic liner between the soil and the wood. Stone, plastic,
non-tread wood, etc. are much better choices.




"Andy N" wrote in message
news:gki_9.93150$rM2.45429@rwcrnsc53...
I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber around
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical will
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause cancer.
I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

Try a paraffin wax-based preservative. Probably you could make your own
by dissolving a box of canning wax into a gallon of mineral spirits.

Jeremy Elkins wrote:

I did some research on this a while back after I put treated wood around my
garden. Basically the arsenic that is used to treat the wood does leach out
into the soil but it's a real small amount that isn't likely to hurt you.
It also doesn't go very far like maybe 12 inches - of course if you till it
and move the soil around then that becomes irrelevant. The vegtables can
and will take in the arsenic - but again it's real small amounts. If you
are going to use the treated wood (which I wouldn't ever again) you should
put up a plastic liner between the soil and the wood. Stone, plastic,
non-tread wood, etc. are much better choices.

"Andy N" wrote in message
news:gki_9.93150$rM2.45429@rwcrnsc53..
I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber around
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical will
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause cancer.
I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

Seems to me that during my last trip to Home Depot I saw a notice on the treated
lumber that it no longer contains the toxins that once were present. Might be
worthwhile to check it out.

Harlan

Andy N wrote:

I am making a new garden and was planning to put treated 4X4 lumber around
the perimeter. Someone mentioned not to use it because the chemical will
leach into the soil and contaminate the vegetables which may cause cancer. I
would appreciate your opinions on this matter. Thanks

Thanks for the info regarding the new chemical used for the treated lumber.
I'll have to check that out. Fortunately a Home Depot opened in our area a
few weeks ago. One never knows what is healthy or unhealthy anymore anyway
with all the modified gene pool for the grains and animals being promoted by
the Ag. Industry and immediately used by most progressive farmers.
I don't want to use concrete blocks because of scratching up the lawnmower
while mowing around that new garden.

I faced the same question when it came time to build my raised beds.
The conclusion I came to was, here I am doing my best to garden
organically, not using pesticides or artificial fertilizers, yet I
was considering surrounding my plants with chemically treated lumber?
Even if it was trace amounts of arsenic, why take that chance? I bit
the bullet and spent the extra dough on redwood, which is naturally
rot resistent and beautiful to boot. I'm very glad I went the way I
did. But only you can make that decision for yourself.

Good luck.

-Fleemo

"Fleemo" wrote in message
om...
I faced the same question when it came time to build my raised beds.
The conclusion I came to was, here I am doing my best to garden
organically, not using pesticides or artificial fertilizers, yet I
was considering surrounding my plants with chemically treated lumber?
Even if it was trace amounts of arsenic, why take that chance? I bit
the bullet and spent the extra dough on redwood, which is naturally
rot resistent and beautiful to boot. I'm very glad I went the way I
did. But only you can make that decision for yourself.

I came to exactly the same conclusion. I ended-up using cedar and so making
the raised beds cost about twice what treated pine would have. But I just
couldn't see worrying about arsenic in food I was raising.

I thought I'd heard that the treated pine is being phased out because of the
contamination risks. Not being used for playground equipment anymore, etc.

This product is being phased out of the industry. I wouldn't use it. Cedar, if
oiled and taken care of will last 15 years or more.


On 11 Feb 2003 00:33:09 -0800, (Fleemo) wrote:

I faced the same question when it came time to build my raised beds.
The conclusion I came to was, here I am doing my best to garden
organically, not using pesticides or artificial fertilizers, yet I
was considering surrounding my plants with chemically treated lumber?
Even if it was trace amounts of arsenic, why take that chance? I bit
the bullet and spent the extra dough on redwood, which is naturally
rot resistent and beautiful to boot. I'm very glad I went the way I
did. But only you can make that decision for yourself.

Good luck.

-Fleemo