Quote:
Originally Posted by whoose
How to Construct a Raised Bed with Low Tunnel
Pressure treated wood is treated with an arsenic-like compound in most cases.
The some questions to consider:
- How much leeches into the ground?
- How much leeches into your plants?
- How much longer does treated wood last than regular lumber?
- How long does it take for the chemical to break down in the environment?
For question that you will have to consider, see the following:
Pressure treated lumber and raised beds http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=treated+wood
Treated lumber?http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=treated+wood
|
Great subject. Nice job.
There are many people recycling materials to use as raised beds. Pressure treated lumber made after 2004 no longer contains arsenic as a preservative, so unless someone is recycling old, there should be that much of a concern ... besides, I had read a study from back in the day - and the average person got more arsenic in their system from eating Rice than from anything else ... I didn't save the sources from the references, but I am sure anyone concerned can re-Google the info.
Newer treated lumber uses more copper type compounds, which (who knows) seem to be safer.
People can save a lot of money by drilling their own holes and cutting their own wood to size. Building a few beds from scratch instead of buying "kits" even pays for the cost of the tools that you can use for 'whatever; around your home for other projects.