The wood that people worry about leaching chemicals into the soil is cca chromated copper arsenate pressure treated wood or old railway ties.
Untreated wood for garden beds.
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.
Using pallets for raised garden beds.
They worked a treat at first but after two years the.
Wood composite products.
4 more ways to keep your raised garden bed from rotting.
These materials will generally last 10 to 20 years in a raised bed garden.
It was a nightmare getting the planks off undamaged but we got there eventually.
The durability of untreated wood used for raised beds largely depends on the type of wood used.
A redwood raised garden bed however can last up to 20 years.
Wooden planters built out of untreated wood will probably last much longer than you think.
A cedar frame can last up to 10 years but one made of douglas fir may last only 5 to 7 years.
Another alternative is to use a longer lasting untreated wood as mentioned earlier.
Untreated lumber such as pine is the least durable and is not recommended.
I also use some pressure treated wood for various garden structures including large raised beds.
Untreated soft wood like pine planks or heat treated pallet wood only lasts 3 5 years outdoors.
You can read more about it below.
I built my very first raised garden beds using wood reclaimed from pallets.