I bought some pressure treated 2x12's to make some raised bed boxes for a vegetable garden. Now I'm thinking maybe it's not a good idea to use pressure treated lumber for a vegetable garden. If that's the case, can I line the interior with something or do I need to use something else like untreated lumber or cinder blocks? Hope not, untreated lumber will decay and the cinder blocks would not pass the visually appealing test from my wife!

pressure treated lumber has a bunch of nasty chemicals-- you should try getting untreated cedar. not as easy to find but its out there.

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Modern treated wood is better than the old stuff, and the amount of leaching is a topic of endless debate. If you're concerned, you could always go with a composite decking material (big $$). If you want cedar, fence boards are usually easy to find - you'd just need more of them.

somehow I doubt you bought any of the old style chromated copper arsenate, also known as CCA, treated lumber from a local lumber yard or box store, been off of the consumer market for years now.

looking around at easy raised bed gardens I found this--
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I have used landscaping brick, with tapered sides to allow for drainage, my property is sloped slightly away from the house. In heavy rain the gaps between the bricks lets excessive water flow out. Disadvantage is you lose some soil thru the gaps. Also I use the row method if you have a slope in your yard make sure the water can drain.

Barley wrote:I'm thinking maybe it's not a good idea to use pressure treated lumber for a vegetable garden.

You're absolutely right! It''s horrible. The worse move you ever made in your life!!!! What are you, goofy?

Don't wait - hurry up! Load it up tonight in the truck! Tomorrow, first ting in the morning, head on down here. 90/94 into downtown. I-55 south to exit #287. Turn left heading south. Go 1 mile and call me from the Cadillac dealership. Hudson 3 two seven hundred. I'm right around the corner. I'll be there in a minute.

GaryCinChicago wrote:

Barley wrote:I'm thinking maybe it's not a good idea to use pressure treated lumber for a vegetable garden.

You're absolutely right! It''s horrible. The worse move you ever made in your life!!!! What are you, goofy?

Don't wait - hurry up! Load it up tonight in the truck! Tomorrow, first ting in the morning, head on down here. 90/94 into downtown. I-55 south to exit #287. Turn left heading south. Go 1 mile and call me from the Cadillac dealership. Hudson 3 two seven hundred. I'm right around the corner. I'll be there in a minute.

Is that your way of saying you want my pressure treated 2x12's? If so, I'll make you a deal. You can come up to WI and show me how to properly compost my horse manure, and you can have them. I'll even feed you a hot meal with some beer. Deal?

Barley wrote:

GaryCinChicago wrote:

Barley wrote:I'm thinking maybe it's not a good idea to use pressure treated lumber for a vegetable garden.

You're absolutely right! It''s horrible. The worse move you ever made in your life!!!! What are you, goofy?

Don't wait - hurry up! Load it up tonight in the truck! Tomorrow, first ting in the morning, head on down here. 90/94 into downtown. I-55 south to exit #287. Turn left heading south. Go 1 mile and call me from the Cadillac dealership. Hudson 3 two seven hundred. I'm right around the corner. I'll be there in a minute.

Is that your way of saying you want my pressure treated 2x12's? If so, I'll make you a deal. You can come up to WI and show me how to properly compost my horse manure, and you can have them. I'll even feed you a hot meal with some beer. Deal?

Man, that's sounds like a sucker bet.
Properly composting horse sh*t / road apples is easy - just leave it be, for a year or more.
THEN it becomes manure!

But this all will depend on the beer!
Ya hey der, Stevens Point makes a good beer, by golly, doncha know!

Your garden won't be certified organic, so don't plan on selling veggies at the farmers market with the USDA 100% ORGANIC label. Other than that, I'm with Gary in that I don't see any real danger whatsoever with it. If you're still worried, you could always line the box, but I wouldn't.

I saw them use a special glass infused wood to build a raised bed garden on Ask This Old House. Supposed to be very durable and safe. I am guessing it would be expensive, but never priced it out.

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