To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Treated wood stakes...
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:28:47 -0700 (PDT)
Mr. Angermayer,
I appreciate your reply - Thank you for showing the other side of the coin.
--- On Sat, 3/20/10, Mark Angermayer <hangermayer@isp.com> wrote:
From: Mark Angermayer <hangermayer@isp.com> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Treated wood stakes... To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 6:24 PM
Anne,
In the interest of diversity, I'll offer the following opinion.
I wouldn't be concerned with treated poles. They used copper chromium arsenate (CCA) for about 60 years. I've sawn tons of it (literally). The big concern was the arsenic (which is obviously a poison). There was a particular concern about exposure to children from playground equip. For all practical purposes, they quit making it for homeowners and schools. This was done in 2003, so it would be very unlikely a big box store would have the old stuff anymore. Even if you did have the old CCA, I wouldn't be concerned about the amount of arsenic leach in the soil. People still put tons of arsenic on their soil to kill crab grass and don't think a thing about it. Mono sodium methanearsenate is the active ingredient in many homeowner formulations of crab grass killer.
Either way, the new treated lumber doesn't contain arsenic any more. The new chemicals look pretty tame: copper, borate, cyproconazole, propiconazole. I wouldn't judge a chemical's safety based on an organic certifying organization. They will not allow any synthetic chemicals, regardless of safety. Of the above, copper and borate don't need much explanation. The other two are fungicides used as crop protectants. Cyproconazole is used on soybeans. I spray propiconazole on my stone fruit.
I am just wondering whether the treated poles used for staking trees is a bad idea to use for fruit trees? I have bought them from Lowes and Home Depot. I am not sure exactly what they are treated with or why, but I have used them up until now with flowering trees and am now thinking twice before I plant my little orchard.
Does anyone have information or opinions on the use of these "treated" poles?
Thanks in advance for any information...
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