What Wood To Use For Raised Beds

When you're spending hours every week nurturing, weeding, and hand pest-controlling your organic garden, the concluding thing that you need is for your raised garden bed frame to leach heavy metals into the soil. Just that'south exactly what happens when you use pressure-treated wood. What are the alternatives?

The best option to extend the life of wooden raised beds is to select thicker hardwood similar cedar, redwood, and cypress. 2 inches will last a lot longer than 1 inch, and adding a plastic lining will assistance too. If you're in a moisture climate, then treat with beeswax, tung oil, Eco Forest Treatment, or LifeTime Wood Treatment.

Contents

0.1 Is Information technology Safe To Employ Pressure-Treated Forest For Raised Garden Beds?

1 half dozen All-time Non-Toxic Wood Treatments for Raised Garden Beds
- i.one 1. Hardwoods Similar Redwood, Cypress & Cedar
- 1.2 2. Landscape Fabric/Plastic Tarp
- 1.3 3. Tung Oil
- ane.4 four. Beeswax
- 1.5 5. Eco Wood Treatment
- 1.6 6. LifeTime Forest Treatment
2 Wooden Garden Beds FAQs
- ii.1 How Long Will an Untreated Wood Garden Bed Last?
- 2.two Does the Blazon of Wood Matter?
- 2.3 Does My Zone Change How Long Wood Lasts in Soil?
- 2.iv Can I Pigment My Raised Garden Bed?
- 2.5 What Are Some Alternatives To Wood Treatments For Raised Garden Beds?

Is It Prophylactic To Use Force per unit area-Treated Wood For Raised Garden Beds?

Studies have shown that the chemicals used to force per unit area-care for wood leach into the soil. The most toxic leak is from CCA, which leaches arsenic. ACQ leaches copper and CBA leaches copper boron azole, both of which are less toxic than CCA to humans merely should non be used around ponds or aquatic life. Since the EPA restricted the utilise of CCA in 2004, you're unlikely to purchase CCA from a lumberyard, simply CCA is commonly institute in recycled materials. If you're planning to upcycle an old fence or deck, double-check the origin to brand certain it was not force per unit area-treated.

Force per unit area-treated wood should not be used for vegetable gardening or effectually aquatic life. If you need to utilize it for vegetable gardening, so line the forest with plastic sheeting, plant vegetables 12 inches away from the forest, and peel root crops before eating (roots absorb more copper than other plant parts, only nearly of information technology is stored near the peel).

You lot cannot utilise pressure level-treated forest of any kind in certified organic gardens. For the home grower, certification doesn't matter as much, but it'southward notwithstanding adept to follow equally many organic guidelines as you tin.

6 Best Non-Toxic Forest Treatments for Raised Garden Beds

The skilful news is that you lot don't need pressure-treated woods to extend the life of your raised garden beds. There'south many eco-friendly methods to choose from.

ane. Hardwoods Like Redwood, Cypress & Cedar

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While non actually a wood handling, it pays to invest a bit more money in FSC hardwoods like redwood, cypress, and cedar. These woods are naturally rot-resistant and will terminal much longer than cheaper softwoods similar pine. As they rot, they'll rot from the inside out, then your structure will remain in improve status for longer.

Also, the thicker the wood, the longer it will resist rot. If y'all can, go with a 2×4 rather than 1×6.

ii. Mural Cloth/Plastic Tarp

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The biggest cause of rot in wood raised garden beds is from beingness pressed up against perpetually moist soil. By stapling either landscape material or plastic tarp against the forest on the inside, y'all'll prevent some of the moisture from reaching the wood. If you're in a relatively dry out climate, this might exist all yous need.

Landscape fabric volition allow more moisture to pass through than plastic will. If you lot need to cover the lesser, like with an elevated raised garden planter, then employ landscape cloth over chicken wire to ensure adequate drainage.

3. Tung Oil

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Derived from the tung oil tree, tung oil creates a h2o-resistant coating for wood and is often used on wooden boats. While all parts of the tung-oil tree are toxic, the actual oil is not (it doesn't incorporate the toxin albumin) and is approved past the FDA for use on surfaces that come into contact with food. It dries faster and darkens less than linseed oil, and creates a difficult stop.

4. Beeswax

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Yes, you read that right, beeswax. For millennia, people have used beeswax to waterproof everything from waterproof shoes to cutting boards to food wraps. Waterproofing the wood will keep information technology from absorbing water and thus from rotting.

To employ beeswax, yous'll need to combine beeswax with walnut oil and wood charcoal. Keeping Backyard Bees has an excellent recipe.

5. Eco Wood Treatment

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Dissimilar the above, Eco Wood Treatment is a specific brand that's made from a found and minerals. Information technology comes in a 2oz box of powder that you mix with water before applying. It'southward rubber for plants and pets, and it claims that you lot only demand to apply it once to provide protection from sunday and water.

6. LifeTime Woods Treatment

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Another specific brand production, LifeTime Woods Handling is a not-toxic powder that will also age the wood gorgeously dark. The wood colour will shift nether the first treatment, and then continue to darken or silver under the sun.

Wooden Garden Beds FAQs

How Long Will an Untreated Woods Garden Bed Last?

How long an untreated forest garden bed will last volition depend on the type of wood, the thickness of the wood, and your climate. In relatively dry climates with cedar planks, untreated woods can terminal up to 10 years (sometimes fifty-fifty longer). In moisture climates like Oregon and British Columbia, even with cedar planks, they may simply last 2 to v years.

Does the Type of Wood Matter?

Yep, the type of wood will change how long it'll concluding without treatment. Hardwood like cedar, redwood, and cypress is more expensive but are more than rot-resistant than cheaper softwoods like pine. The thickness of wood will as well affect how long it lasts, with a 2-inch thick lath lasting years longer than a ane-inch board.

Read our nine Best Wood Options for Raised Garden Beds in our detailed article.

Does My Zone Modify How Long Wood Lasts in Soil?

Humidity is the biggest cistron for how long untreated wood will terminal in moist soil. High humidity (especially paired with a lot of pelting) will rot untreated wood faster (2 to 5 years) than in dry areas (10 years).

If you're in a zone where the temperature frequently rises and falls below freezing temperatures, both untreated and treated wood won't concluding as long. Wood swells and shrinks depending on the humidity, and humidity rises when it's warmer and falls when it'south colder. Rapid fluctuations can crusade structural bug that weaken the woods.

Can I Paint My Raised Garden Bed?

Yes, you can paint raised garden beds, although many people prefer their natural wood appearance. Select a non-toxic h2o-based paint and avoid painting inside the bed where the soil touches or employ a plastic liner to keep the soil off the paint. Continue in mind that paint (even non-toxic paint) increases the hazard of chemicals leaching into the soil, so you may wish to avoid the risk and leave your raised garden beds au natural, particularly if you're growing vegetables and/or an organic garden.

What Are Some Alternatives To Woods Treatments For Raised Garden Beds?

If y'all're looking for long-lasting raised garden beds without the use of wood treatments, skip the woods and try these alternatives:

Stone, Brick, Or Concrete. Stone and brick are very attractive and durable options for raised beds, while physical slabs tin be cheaper just still durable. Although they're more expensive than wood, you can salve coin by upcycling. Stone will likewise help rut garden beds in the spring and late fall, while also holding heat during the night.

Galvanized Steel Metal. Coming into faddy as a raised bed selection, quality galvanized steel garden beds are an splendid and safety choice for moisture and humid climates. The zinc coating volition keep information technology from rusting, and there's no leaching of toxic metals. You can even get them at dissimilar heights so yous can actually garden while standing up. They're also easy to assemble.

Mound soil. If the only reason you're building a raised garden bed is because of weeds or crummy soil, then you lot can do the aforementioned by merely mounding new soil and compost without a border. The pattern will become more flexible, and as a bonus for all of y'all gardeners suffering from slug and snail attacks, in that location'south no border at that place to become a habitat.

Avoid using:

Railroad ties. They're treated with the carcinogenic creosote. If you don't want treated wood in your garden, you definitely practice not want railroad ties.
Unknown origin recycled/reclaimed wood. Yes, it seems sustainable to upcycle former wood, but a lot of sometime wood is pressure treated with CCA. If you know the origin and y'all know it's untreated, then utilise it. But if you don't know, stay on the cautious side.
Used machine tires. Another trendy upcycling project, used motorcar tires incorporate a host of heavy metals that they then leach into the soil. They're also combustible and very hard to put out once they're on fire (i reason they make a terrible mulch!).

Jamie

Jamie is the founder of The Backyard Pros. When he was 15 years old he started working at a garden centre helping people buy plants, gardening products, and lawn care products. He has real manor feel and he is a home possessor. Jamie loves backyard projects, refinishing furniture, and enjoys sharing his knowledge online.