Q: I am considering using some 2x6 inch material for a small raised bed for strawberries. My first thought was to consider pressure treated lumber, but I have read conflicting articles on the the safety of this product, with the chemicals possibly reaching the plants. Others claim this doesn't happen and the
lumber is safe. I would appreciate your opinion on this matter. A: The safety of pressure treated lumber for raised bed gardens has been examined by several researchers. From what I've seen, the consensus is that the chemicals do leach out of the wood into the soil and are uptaken by the plants in very small amounts. However, I haven't seen any research that suggests the level of the chemicals is significant enough to be of concern for human
health. Of course, the primary concern with using pressure treated wood in raised-bed gardens has been with the arsenic in CCA- (chromated copper arsenate) treated wood. This publication from Pennsylvania State University does a good job describing the risks of using both CCA-treated wood as well as ACQ-treated wood: Environmental Soil Issues: Garden Use of Treated Lumber. With
regards to CCA, they state, "Although the plant and human health risks from garden uses of CCA-treated lumber appear to be extremely small, there are steps gardeners can take to further reduce any such risks." One of the steps they recommend is to use wood treated with ACQ - "This is an alternative wood-treatment chemical that contains no arsenic, chromium, or any other chemical considered toxic by the EPA." If you are shopping for treated lumber nowadays, I don't think you'll find
CCA-treated material in the home centers anyway since its use was restricted by the EPA in 2004. It will be more likely be ACQ or some other chemical. Lists materials needed to
build a cloche, then provides step-by-step instructions for building. Includes color photographs with close-up inserts to show the building process. Want to learn more? Take our online class! Have you ever... Sam Angima | Aug 2008 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level) Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Gardening Techniques Was this page helpful?Welcome to the Microgreens Grow Along workshop hosted by Oregon State University Extension and Food Hero. This is a bilingual (English & Spanish) online workshop for beginners. Follow the daily lessons and in two weeks you'll be enjoying tasty
microgreens. Brooke Edmunds, Joyce Senior Angulo | Project Peer reviewed (Gray level) GROWINGGROWING is a joint publication by Linn and Benton County OSU Extension services, and is published by the Albany Democrat Herald. GROWING is published every other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November). Newsletter Pruning with the Pros - Tools of the TradeA selection of tools that are needed for proper tree pruning in the landscape. With Oregon State University Extension’s Nicole Sanchez and certified arborists John Bellon and Tom Ford. Feb 2022 | Video Pruning with the Pros - IntroductionIn an ideal world, trees have been well pruned since planting, and only occasional maintenance pruning is needed. In reality, we often inherit mature trees in need of corrective pruning in order to serve their best function ... Feb 2022 | Video Pruning with the prosThis video series covers a variety of pruning challenges associated with older trees and mature landscapes. Pruning of mature trees that have not seen ideal care in the past can present unique challenges. In these clips, tree ... Nicole Sanchez | Feb 2022 | Collection
Some garden myths and what science has to sayFrom the myth of collapsing root balls to the myth of compost tea - learn the facts about a range of tips you may have heard through the years about healthy soil, pretty mulch, and more. Feb 2014 | Article  Have a question? Ask an Expert!Ask an Expert is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening. Can you make a raised garden bed with treated lumber?A cost-saving alternative to Cedar, treated-wood products work very well when constructing raised bed gardens. Raised beds offer many benefits and advantages for gardeners: Improved drainage. Easier to improve soil quality.
What kind of wood should I use for a raised garden bed?In most cases, cedar is the best wood to use for garden beds because cedar is naturally rot resistant. Western red cedar is commonly used, but white cedar, yellow cedar and juniper are also high-quality choices for outdoor construction projects.
Should you use treated wood for raised beds?Even though the new pressure-treated woods are considered safe, Wolmanized Outdoor, according to its Web site, does not recommend using pressure-treated wood where the preservatives may become a component of food. Its recommendation is to use an impervious liner between the wood and the soil.
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Can you use pressure treated lumber for raised garden beds
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