When building a veggie garden is it okay to use treated lumber?

Question

My neighbor says to use railroad ties but those might not fit with our look in the backyard. I was thinking more along the lines of some 2x6's that are pre-treated to prevent rotting. Will this affect the chemicals that enter the soil? Are they dangerous? Does anyone have any good links to help with the building and prep work for a new veggie garden?

I'm think of making four 4x4 squares for the garden. Any tips would be great.

Answer 1

untreated wood will rot, but treated lumber is treated with questionable chemicals--it used to be arsenic, don't know what it is now. RR ties are treated with creosote and they are nasty. If you can find a product called Cuprinol that contains copper napthinate (my spelling may be off), you can use it to treat your own lumber. It is safe for use around plants. I've used it for treating bee hives, and for benches for plants in greenhouses, but it's been a looong time and the product may not be available any longer.

Answer 2

It's best NOT to use treated lumber for a vegetable garden. Treated lumber used to be treated with things you do not want in your food. However the chemicals used to treat lumber have changes somewhat. Check this link:
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/lumber.html#what

It's not a bad idea to think organically for a veggie garden. Here a link to lasagna gardening which helps make a really simple approach to gardening: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx

and square foot gardening is another easy approach: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878573410/bookstorenow57-20
This approach gets the most out of every inch and makes planting and harvesting very easy and fun.

Answer 3

I would not use pressure treated lumber because it contains arsenic. Arsenic has been found in the soil of childrens' playgrounds that have pressure treated wood.

I would use concrete pavers or perhaps plastic fence material (comes 4"x1"x8')

Answer 4

I wouldn't. Pressure treated lumber has lots of nasty chemicals in it that could leach into the soil.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, they are dangerous. The treatment will leach into the soil and it's poisonous. And un-treated RR ties often bring termites. I like this site for planning advice:
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/yates/MG7.4.01.htm

Answer 6

No, avoid that if you can. The chemicals can seep out into the soil, and then be absorbed into your plants. Untreated is best for something that you are going to consume.

Answer 7

You better use treated or they will rot on you.