I just realized that the landscape timbers I used around my garden beds 10 years ago may have had arsenic?

Question

I wonder if it has all leached out yet? I live in north Texas we get a good rain now and again. As of today I have my tomatoe plants and squash plants surrounded by the same wood.

Byron, you got me thinkin' now! It was an old issue of Organic Mag that I read that in. 36 inches huh?

Answer 1

My feeling about PT lumber

1. It was discontinued in my lumber yard circa Sept 2001 It was on 20-20 that this stuff has been discontinued

As far as being in playground equipment, Myself and 12 other local carpenters went to a town meeting and asked them not to use PT lumber on our local playground, but the yuppies knew better, $80,000 wasted.

2. The replacement treated lumber has exactly the same installation instructions, IE Google, breathing protections, change clothes, wash etc. ad nausium

3. Organic gardening Mag. claims that Arsenic migrates 36" horizontally in veggie garden

3. Some thoughts to consider
A. Phosphate P Atomic weight 30.9737
B. Potassium K Atomic weight 39.0983
C. Calcium CA Atomic weight 40.078
D Arsenic AS Atomic weight 74.9216

If fertilizer has to be applied within 6" of a plant, In my mind it means that it will not migrate 36"
How does a heavy metal at almost 2x the atomic weight migrate 36"?????

If AS is applied under pressure, how is it released with no pressure ???

Which plant uptakes what metal under what conditions and how much?

I am aware that tomatoes will uptake aluminum IF the soil pH is around 5.5

I am not a scientist but this el crapo don't add

Answer 2

If you use new landscape timbers they don't have arsenic in them. They have some kind of salt I think. Personally I like railroad ties better that have been treated with creoscote. The last a lot longer than the landscaping timbers, even the used railroad ties do. But it doesn't cost much more to buy a new railroad timber than it does to buy a used one. Another good option is to use locust lumber. It is very good at resisting rotting and doesn't even need to be treated. My grandpa put alot of locust fence posts up around our farm and they last about 40 years or so before finally rotting.

Answer 3

I doubt it's leached out. It stays in there a long time.

take out the timbers and replace them with concrete blocks. no poison issues there.

Answer 4

delishes