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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Pressure treated Poles

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  • From: Art Petrzelka <art AT complum.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Pressure treated Poles
  • Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 19:00:07 -0000

On Fri, 2004-01-16 at 18:23, Allan Balliett wrote:
> Errol - Thanks. Unfortunately, the gypsy sawmills have disappared
> from around here and locust or osage poles or posts have become
> difficult to find in this area. Hence, the need to compromise.

I'd avoid any pressure treated wood. The old stuff was arsenic. I can't
imagine how that ever got approved for use over creosote. Although
creosote is still available and natural, it isn't approved for organic
use. The new stuff can be a copper/quaternary ammonia mixture, among
other things. Copper is regulated in the organic program. I wouldn't
expect any treated post to be approved for organic use.

Treated posts are not allowable for use in any livestock operation,
organic or otherwise, where the livestock has access to it. Ruminants
tend to chew on it.

>From a practical viewpoint, you might as well use plywood. It should
last as long as the new pressure treated stuff. I haven't heard of any
pressure treated posts lasting more than 10 years, except for creosote.

The best fenceposts, in order of life are Osage orange (hedge), burr
oak, black locust, creosote, white oak, Eastern red cedar, red mulberry.
Avoid red oak, white mulberry, white cedar, honey locust, cottonwood,
maple, elm, .... A lot of farmers, not certified organic, soak them in
oil before planting them.

Notes: black locust have thorns under an inch. Honey locust can be used
to make the "crown of thorns" for Lent. If the mulberry tree is long
enough for fenceposts, it's a white mulberry. Most red mulberry forks
after about 6 feet. Eastern red cedar is good post material if the outer
whitewood is stripped. The red core is the long-lasting stuff.

I wish creosote was allowed more. Banning it spread a lot of arsenic
around the country. In my clay, the creosote isn't going anywhere. But I
can see that it would be a problem in wet, sandy areas.

There is a fencepost yard in Kansas that sells hedge posts in different
lengths.

Check with a pallet company, if there are local ones. They use a lot of
utility grade white oak. Red elm would also make a good sill. It is
sometimes known as slippery elm. It's usually better wood than fencepost
grade.

If you are just making a fence, consider a concrete corner post, or
fence braces and anchors for the corners. If all else fails, try sinking
a Schedule 40 iron water pipe for a corner post.
--
Art Petrzelka
Amana, Iowa, USA





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