Untreated Wood For Garden Beds
Wood composite products.
Untreated wood for garden beds. 4 more ways to keep your raised garden bed from rotting. I built my very first raised garden beds using wood reclaimed from pallets. The durability of untreated wood used for raised beds largely depends on the type of wood used. They worked a treat at first but after two years the.
The first 2 methods are useful if you have already built a raised garden bed out of wood. A redwood raised garden bed however can last up to 20 years. Another alternative is to use a longer lasting untreated wood as mentioned earlier. Yes untreated wood will decompose over time but because it is untreated you reduce the risk of potential toxins moving from your wooden beds into that organic veggie garden you re starting to keep your family fed well.
This type of treated wood was banned years ago for household use. I also use some pressure treated wood for various garden structures including large raised beds. A cedar frame can last up to 10 years but one made of douglas fir may last only 5 to 7 years. Untreated soft wood like pine planks or heat treated pallet wood only lasts 3 5 years outdoors.
You can read more about it below. The wood that people worry about leaching chemicals into the soil is cca chromated copper arsenate pressure treated wood or old railway ties. Untreated lumber such as pine is the least durable and is not recommended. These materials will generally last 10 to 20 years in a raised bed garden.
It s time to get into some methods you can use to keep your raised garden bed from rotting.