Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

I am getting ready to build some new raised bed boxes that will be 12" deep. I am considering making these out of a treated lumber, since cedar and redwood are so expensive and other lumber degrades so quickly(my experience). In the past treated lumber had arsenic in and there were warnings against using it around food gardens, but arsenic is no longer used in this lumber. I am also thinking to line these treated wood boxes with builder's plastic and then fill them with the Mittleider 'soil' mixture of sawdust and sand. Opinions? Suggestions? Thank you!

Debbie & Group:

Twelve inches deep is overkill, but you can certainly do it if you like. Eight inches deep is adequate.

Treated 2 X 8 lumber is what I have used for many years, with no known problems.

I would not recommend using builder's plastic (or anything else) to line them. Paining with a good exterior acrylic paint is helpful in preserving them and making them look more attractive. Certainly do NOT put anything on the BOTTOM against the ground - other than the recommended application of Pre-Plant mix.

Jim Kennard

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