PSA: I stopped using treated wood for my raised beds after a soil test

For a long time, I built all my garden boxes with that green pressure-treated lumber from the big box store, thinking it would last forever. Last spring, I did a soil test on my 3-year-old bed and the copper levels were way higher than they should be for growing food. I switched to using plain cedar for the new ones, even though it costs about 30% more. Has anyone else found a good, safe wood that holds up well?

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jamesm486mo ago

Yeah, I had the same scare a few years back. I use untreated hemlock now for my boxes, it's cheaper than cedar where I live and seems to hold up just fine if you keep it off the wet ground. That soil test result is what pushed me to make the switch too, it's just not worth the risk. I get about five good years out of the hemlock before it starts to go.

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cooper.phoenix6mo ago

Oh wow, that's actually really good to know. I used to just grab whatever wood was cheapest for my garden beds, but hearing about your soil test makes me rethink that. Five years from hemlock sounds totally reasonable to me.

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ellis.mia6mo ago

But five years is pretty decent, right?

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