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A raised bed garden WWYD
After writing this, I looked back and this got a little long, so I apologize in advance. So here goes....
DH and I were trying to plan out my brand new garden this weekend. We've decided on two 4'x8' raised beds. We priced out 2 inch thick cedar and realized rather quickly that dropping $1200 on the lumber alone was not in our budget. We then priced out 2 inch thick pine and then 1 inch thick cedar. Our local lumber yard is clearancing out the cedar, so the once inch thick cedar would be around the same price as the two inch thick pine.
Everything was going well until DH started researching alternatives to the pricey 2 inch thick cedar. He has come to the conclusion that pressure treated lumber is safe. While I realize that the PT lumber doesn't contain arsenic anymore, I'm not convinced that it is completely safe. I want to do an organic garden and I'm a 'less is more' kind of person. DH doesn't get my desire to do an organic garden at all and is pi$$ed that I am considering an alternative to the PT lumber. He feels like the PT lumber is the most economical b/c it is not going to rot as quickly as the pine and it is also cheap. He feels like I don't value his time b/c if we use the pine it is going to rot quickly or if we use the one inch thick cedar the wood is going to warp and so either way, he's going to have to re-build the beds in a few years. I'm really frustrated. So, those that have raised beds....WWYD? PT lumber, two inch thick pine or one inch thick cedar?
Re: A raised bed garden WWYD
Have you considered a composite? I haven't priced cedar, but it is going to last a lot longer than pine and doesn't have the chemical issues of PT lumber.
Like you, I personally did not want to use PT lumber for my beds where I'll be growing food. I considered the composite but could not find the sizes I wanted in a color that I wanted. In the end, I went with 2 inch thick untreated pine wood. I painted the exterior of the boards to help them hold up a little better. (Did not paint the part that touches the soil/plants.) It's been a year and they still look new. My understanding is that with the 2" thick pine, they will probably rot in 7 to 10 years, which was long enough for me. It's a personal choice though.
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I actually made some 4x8 beds a few months ago and this is what I did.
1. I used bought two 1" x 12' x 6" cedar, one 8' 2x4 of kiln dried pine (not pressure treated)
2. cut 4' off of each 12' board (each board makes one front and a side)
3. Cut the 2x4 into 6" pieces to make the corners for strength. Screwed them all together (deck screws so they dont rust) and then put my remaining 4' 2x4 piece in the middle to add more strength.
That was it, granted we both work in construction so this took us like 45 minutes...I can email you the plans I drew up if you would like just let me know:)
how long are you planning to be in your house? If it's under 10 years, I say go with the untreated pine like pp suggested. If it's over 10 years, then I'd do cedar or composite (which isn't cheap either).
I don't really see the point in doing organic gardening and using pressure treated lumber.
The point is, 1200 vs 250 bucks. If I had to spent that much money on a garden bed, why bother?
Because you like gardening? Because you have ethical issues with chemicals leaching into the soil (hence the organic gardening)? Because your edible garden is apart of your broader landscape design & other options look better?
For some, gardening isn't about saving money. I have no idea if OP is in this category or not, but there are LOTS of reasons to avoid pressure treated lumber in the garden.
Mmk but not everyone who gardens does so because they live in total fear of omgchemicals. Not everyone who gardens does so because they want strictly organic produce. As you said, sometimes its because we like gardening, because gardening is a nice landscape option, and because some people are budget conscious.
Recently manufactured pressure treated lumber no longer contains arsenic, as CCA was banned years ago. Even when it did contain arsenic, sources disagreed on its safety. A quick google search will find you numerous reliable sources like Ag extensions, public health departments and so on that say the risk of CCA wood in raised beds is small, if you take precautions like using moisture liners, planting vegetables 15 inches away from the wood, and rinsing root vegetables.
All of which is a moot point, since CCA isn't produced anymore anyway.
Its a personal choice. Some people here use it, some do not. Some PP provided good information in favor of or against using PT lumber or ideas to negate its potential risk.