From: archiel@sun_archielcom (Archie Lachner)
Subject: Re: pressure treated lumber
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 01:02:23 GMT
Organization: mentor
Keywords: 
Followup-To: 

In article <1992Aug12.135658.4534@Arco.COM>, dprjdg@inetg1.ARCO.COM (John Grasham) writes:
|> >(George Vandenberghe) writes:
|> >|> Is it dangerous to use pressure treated lumber (lumber treated with
|> >|> copper arsenate) in a raised garden bed.  I plan on growing lettuce
|> >|> in the bed and use the 4x4 sections for borders and walls.
|> >|> 
|> >|> 
|> >
|> >It is at least strongly suspected that such lumber treatments leach into
|> the >soil
|> >and are absorbed by plants in the vicinity.  Lumber treated with chromium,
|> >copper,
|> >and arsenic (usually marked with the letters "CCA") is probably not the
|> best
|> >thing to use around plants that you intend to eat.
|> >
|> >This subject was covered at some length in a recent issue of Organic
|> Gardening.
|> >I don't remember the issue, but perhaps someone else who reads this will
|> be >able
|> >to provide more information.  The article contained a recipe for a
|> homemade >wood
|> >preservative developed by the US Forestry Service that is non-toxic.  Use
|> of
|> >lumber treated with borax derivatives was also mentioned as a non-toxic
|> >alternative to CCA-treated lumber.
|> >-- 
|> >Archie Lachner
|> 
|> I read this article in Organic Gardening with some alarm until I realized
|> that virtually every piece of "evidence" they sited was anecdotal.  The
|> "hard" numbers from actual scientific studies that supported the safety
|> of the treated lumber were denounced because they came from the EPA.  This
|> reaction is typical of O.G.'s philosophy.  I am a subscriber of the
|> magazine because it has great articles about vegetable gardening, but I
|> try
|> to take what it says about environmental issues with a grain of
|> (non-arsenic)
|> salt.
|> 
|> John G. 

I tend to agree with your view of O.G. environmental positions.  They have a very
large soap box.

I have some treated lumber around a rose bed that is 3 feet or so away from my
vegetable beds.  I have also edged our front lawn with treated 2x4's, and I
compost the clippings from mowing and use the result in the vegetable garden.
I have no real intentions of removing either of these, but I must admit I have
given it some thought.  If I had it to do over again, I'd probably use cedar
and apply the USFS concoction.

Anyway, given that there appear to be viable alternatives, I can't advocate use
of the stuff around vegetables.  I hope the views you and I have provided help
the original poster to make a more informed choice.

Incidently, my raised beds are of the borderless type.  The sides are just sloped;
the beds are simply long flat mounds of soil.  This arrangement has proved
helpful, since I don't have to worry about the border material when I till.  With
the dense clay soil in our parts, tilling is necessary before almost every new
planting, even after years of adding compoast and other organic material.  This
might be another thing to consider when planning a raised-bed garden.
-- 
Archie Lachner
Mentor Graphics Corporation
Wilsonville, Oregon
archie_lachner@mentorg.com
Newsgroups: rec.gardens