[Market-farming] wood for raised bed info
TxBeeFarmer
TxBeeFarmer at HotPop.com
Thu Oct 4 17:57:49 EDT 2007
Ok, for what it's worth, here's what I've learned about wood preservatives
and pressure treated wood relating to beekeeping. Pressure treated wood
changed formulations a few years ago. It used to be quite toxic, but now
the industry uses a copper based compound. Copper is very non toxic to
animals, but is very toxic to water plants. It shouldn't bother veggies at
all. You can get FDA approved food grade wood treatments, meaning food can
be in contact with it for extended periods with no problems, if you wish.
One is copper quinolate, water based. I've found it at large beekeeping
supply stores like Mann Lake. Another is copper napthenate, mix it alcohol.
This you can found at Lowe's or Home Depot, used for treating wood that
comes into contact with the soil. Another option is pressure treated wood
using silica, as in glass. It makes the wood inorganic and is harmless to
animal and plant life. It's only been available a couple of years, so you
may have to hunt for it.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
TxBeeFarmer
West Texas Zone 7b
More information about the Market-farming
mailing list