old deck material to make raised veg beds

[devidmike]

I keep hearing its good to use this or that for raised gardens. since its always good to reuse and recycle. how safe would it be to use old decking lumber to build the side walls? We have a small deck by an above ground pool, unfortunately time was made it very unstable and we have no choice to tear it down. the wood is grey and is 5 to 8 years old. and the perfect length already. Think that's long enough for chemicals to leach out already? the wood has a little give but I can reinforce. I figure that's the cheapest way we can do it to be ready for next years planting. what you think.. good or bad idea?

[helpneeded]

Sounds like a good idea to me... Although I would first wash down the lumber you have just to be sure then coat them with something to prevent water damage or termites... Check whats safe. A raised garden is nice because you can use both the native soil and if its bad you can get your own topsoil

Great idea and hope you have a great harvest.. let me know how it turns out

[pushkins]

I agree, any re use of material is ideal, you didn't mention if the wood is treated or not, ACQ or ACC, either will not need further treatment for wood rot but if it's standard grade wood then your probably best using a landscape fabric as a liner against the wood. Make sure you use galvanized bolts, screws or nails.

[ibondsmith]

I use redwood for my raised beds and do not treat it with anything. I do not want to take a chance that ANY chemicals will get into my food, even ones that people say are "safe" or that supposedly leach out of the wood after a time. To me its just not worth it to save a few bucks - penny wise and pound foolish as my mother always says. Unless you can be sure that your decking material was not treated, use it for a new deck or a tree house instead of risking the contamination of your food.

If you pick the lumber yourself for your raised beds, you can buy "common" redwood (cheaper than "heart") but still get good pieces. Look for the boards that are almost if not entirely red in color. This is the heart of the tree and is much more resistant to water and bug damage than the light tan colored outer portions of the tree. Go to your local lumber yard or warehouse supply store (e.g. Lowes or HD) and look and the common redwood, you will see what I am talking about. If you pick good common pieces you will not break the bank and your beds will last for around 7 years before the boards need replacing.

[angdeer]

Are you crazy? You don't use treated wood where you will have food. Guess your not going organic just cause your trying to be green!

[joecarpenter]

old deck material for raised beds

From what I've been told, ACQ is non toxic but it will eat nails if it is installed before the chemicals have had a chance to dry completely. This was a serious problem when it first came out as a replacement for CCAC. No one knew about this side effect. As for the CCAC, the big fuss was about the arsenic content. I've been told that the arsenic will leach out in the first two years making the ground toxic. I don't know if the ground stays toxic or if it will dilute over time with rain and sun but if you are unsure take a sample to your county agent (call first, they may not offer this service) but if you are going to build in a different area at the very least you may want to seal the wood before you use it. Ask your local paint supplier for a recommendation and be sure to tell them that it will need to be rated for ground contact.