re: Raised Bed Garden

quote:

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He strongly advised not to use any kind of treated wood for borders as rain and watering can leach toxic chemicals into your vegetables through the soil.

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So I went through that debate in my head before I built my garden. I did a lot of research on the issue. New treatments don't use arsenic and leaching, which has shown to be small, is confined to the first inch or so away from the board. I also design a lot of bioretention stormwater systems, and I know from monitoring that most of the pollutants are stored in the root structure of the plants. So basically, just don't plant carrots and potatoes and the like right next the board.

In the end I went with treated lumber. My lumber cost $16 total for an 8x4x2 garden. I went raised as the soil in my backyard is absolute crap. Also went raised because I rent and I want to be able to take it with me when I leave.