Is Home Depot Pressure Treated Lumber Safe for Vegetable Gardens
Pressure treated lumber is popularly used in outdoor constructions. However, when it comes to vegetable gardens, many people wonder if the wood, primarily treated with chemicals, is safe to use.
What is Pressure Treated Lumber?
Pressure treated lumber is wood that has been treated with chemicals to make it resistant to moisture, rot, and insects. It is usually treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), which includes arsenic and other chemicals.
Is Pressure Treated Lumber from Home Depot Safe?
Yes, pressure treated lumber from Home Depot is safe for vegetable gardens. Home Depot stops the use of CCA-treated lumber and instead has begun using wood that is pressure-treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) or copper azole (CA). Although both ACQ and CA can still leach, they are not as hazardous to humans as CCA.
Additional Safety Precautions
In addition to using pressure treated lumber from Home Depot, there are some other safety precautions that you should consider when constructing your vegetable garden with this material:
- Paint: Be sure to paint you pressure treated lumber with a nontoxic garden paint or sealant.
- Contact: Be sure there is no direct contact between the treated lumber and the edible plant’s roots, leaves and fruits.
- DIY Material: If you are making your own garden beds with treated lumber, be sure to line the interior with a material, such as untreated wood, plastic or metal.
Overall, pressure treated lumber from Home Depot is safe to use for vegetable gardens, as long as additional safety precautions are taken into account.
