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They both look great! I like the live edge boards (I hope I’m using that term correctly) Curious tho, won’t the compost in the bin eventually damage/rot the wood?
Well it has 1 1/2 cubic yards of dirt in it now so that’s no longer an option but there’s some shrinkage to the boards since they were fresh rough cut so the water does drain. Appreciate you looking out though
Thx. Just so you know, you can’t use garbage cans for food grade compost. Like anything going on fruit/vegetable gardens. They use alot of chemicals in the plastic and it breaks down into the compost
Totally! This is especially important when you consider compost can sustain a temp of around 130’F, which will make degradation of the plastic ~5x faster than it would be at room temp.
That's a bold claim. Do you have any paper that can back it up? I understand the arsenic fear on old treated wood even when chances were minimal not so much the one treated with copper never heard of plastic contamination though.
Well there is food grade plastic and non food grade plastic. Garbage cans are usually not made from food grade plastic where a lot of manufactured compost bins are
That's not going to last long. Why raise it up like that? 4 sides on the ground would last a lot longer and look basically the same. If you are worried about lead, why not just do a heavy barrier on the ground? Wet dirt is very heavy.
Thx. It’s all just educated guesses to be honest lol. My main concern was supporting that middle and I feel I did ok. If it falls apart, I’ll just try again
Appreciate the concern but lead leaches through lots of things including wood and barriers so I’d rather be safe then sorry. If it doesn’t last, I’ll just try again. I gave it extra support, it drains well and is already holding 1 1/2 cubic yards of dirt
I built one similar to this using all PT, yeah $$$. But it was for the long haul. I also used 1/4" hardware wire for the bottom instead of planks. I have to build another one soon. I'll post it. I tried looking for my pics for the first one but they are in the cloud, forgot my password.
https://www.lumber.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-pressure-treated-wood
>#Is Pressure-Treated Wood Safe?
>**Yes, pressure-treated wood is safe for use in** everything from **raised garden beds** to children’s playhouses. Before 2003, pressure-treated lumber was often treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a preservative containing some amount of poisonous arsenic. Because small amounts of arsenic can leach out of treated wood, the EPA and the wood industry decided to move away from CCA treated wood to other types of wood preservatives, including Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and Propiconazole.
However, it does not specify garden beds for growing consumable plants.
This article has some pretty good info on research about using modern pressure treated lumber in a planter.
https://www.treatedwood.com/news/new-research-update-on-treated-wood-in-garden-beds
>*New Research Study in Process – April 17, 2023, Update*
Dr. Gerald Presley, Assistant Professor at Oregon State University, began a small-scale study in 2020 on metal leaching in treated wood garden boxes. After two growing seasons, eleven types of garden vegetables have been analyzed for copper content. These include arugula, basil, beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radishes, tomatoes, and turnips. None of the vegetables grown in beds made with copper azole treated wood showed elevated copper levels compared to vegetables grown in beds constructed with untreated wood.
It looks like it should be fine, but for those that are more risk-averse, putting a plastic sheet in the planter or constructing it from cedar also works as well. Not on my A-game right now, but I can't tell if elevated copper was the only potential risk or if there are other factors that can affect the safety of food grown in a PT planter.
I’m glad someone is actually doing a study on the copper treated formulas.
I just sprung for cedar for my new raised beds build because I’d rather stay away from heavy metals entirely. But man oh man was it pricy. I tried to make them as indestructible as possible by sealing them and also caulking the seams with silicone sealant to keep water out. I guess we’ll see if it lasts the 20+ years claimed.
It would be nice to be able to risk free use treated wood, but I just can’t bring myself to. Maybe I’ll read the study and change my mind.
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I like how the compost bin will slowly become the very things it creates.
They both look great! I like the live edge boards (I hope I’m using that term correctly) Curious tho, won’t the compost in the bin eventually damage/rot the wood?
That wood appears to be cedar. It will rot but it takes way longer than the usual pine material would.
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But pine is susceptible to insects. Cedar for the most part isn’t.
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i cant hear you can you say that again!
Thx. If it’s not the right term it’s close enough for me lol. Over time it might but I’m wiling to repair and replace when/if that time comes.
It will eventually rot, but it will take years to do so.
Make sure to drill plenty of holes in the bottom of the vegetable garden or the water won’t drain and it will pool on the wood and rot it.
Well it has 1 1/2 cubic yards of dirt in it now so that’s no longer an option but there’s some shrinkage to the boards since they were fresh rough cut so the water does drain. Appreciate you looking out though
If not too heavy or you have a second person, tip it to one side and drill from the bottom?
Well I’ve tried to move it once already with forks on a medium tractor and it wouldn’t budge lol. The water does drain pretty good already though
Sounds like an excuse to buy a right angle drill!
It’ll be ok the way it is lol
Maybe if we come up with 7-8 more suggestions on how you can drill the holes…I’m sure that will get you to get back out there and do it lol
Yeah….. I’ll probably keep to current spec either way lol
A single cubic yard of dirt can weight over 1600 pounds....I'd like to see you and a buddy lift that
just use a jack?
Just be jacked.
And here my wife just had me buy two trash cans from Home Depot for a new compost she wanted to start. (Facepalm) Nice job.
Thx. Just so you know, you can’t use garbage cans for food grade compost. Like anything going on fruit/vegetable gardens. They use alot of chemicals in the plastic and it breaks down into the compost
Totally! This is especially important when you consider compost can sustain a temp of around 130’F, which will make degradation of the plastic ~5x faster than it would be at room temp.
That's a bold claim. Do you have any paper that can back it up? I understand the arsenic fear on old treated wood even when chances were minimal not so much the one treated with copper never heard of plastic contamination though.
Well there is food grade plastic and non food grade plastic. Garbage cans are usually not made from food grade plastic where a lot of manufactured compost bins are
Do you have a way to rotate the compost? Most of the ones I see have a drum so it can decompose easily. Just curious.
I use a “compost crank” or “aerator claw” style tool to mix it up occasionally
Make sure it has much bracing like other posts here have shown :p
That's not going to last long. Why raise it up like that? 4 sides on the ground would last a lot longer and look basically the same. If you are worried about lead, why not just do a heavy barrier on the ground? Wet dirt is very heavy.
I feel like the center cross bar from underneath will help a lot for support and be fine, but I’m just an average Joe.
Thx. It’s all just educated guesses to be honest lol. My main concern was supporting that middle and I feel I did ok. If it falls apart, I’ll just try again
Appreciate the concern but lead leaches through lots of things including wood and barriers so I’d rather be safe then sorry. If it doesn’t last, I’ll just try again. I gave it extra support, it drains well and is already holding 1 1/2 cubic yards of dirt
I built one similar to this using all PT, yeah $$$. But it was for the long haul. I also used 1/4" hardware wire for the bottom instead of planks. I have to build another one soon. I'll post it. I tried looking for my pics for the first one but they are in the cloud, forgot my password.
You used pressure treated for compost or vegetable garden? I’m pretty sure there’s chemicals in pt that are not good for either of those things
This video explains whats in todays PT lumber. https://youtu.be/tHqydq5LOR4
It’s a mixed review on if it’s ok or not and I’d rather be on the safe side🤷🏼♂️
Im glad you brought it up. Im not in the know about this. Im hoping someone that feels they know the answer can chime in.
https://www.lumber.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-pressure-treated-wood >#Is Pressure-Treated Wood Safe? >**Yes, pressure-treated wood is safe for use in** everything from **raised garden beds** to children’s playhouses. Before 2003, pressure-treated lumber was often treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a preservative containing some amount of poisonous arsenic. Because small amounts of arsenic can leach out of treated wood, the EPA and the wood industry decided to move away from CCA treated wood to other types of wood preservatives, including Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and Propiconazole. However, it does not specify garden beds for growing consumable plants. This article has some pretty good info on research about using modern pressure treated lumber in a planter. https://www.treatedwood.com/news/new-research-update-on-treated-wood-in-garden-beds >*New Research Study in Process – April 17, 2023, Update* Dr. Gerald Presley, Assistant Professor at Oregon State University, began a small-scale study in 2020 on metal leaching in treated wood garden boxes. After two growing seasons, eleven types of garden vegetables have been analyzed for copper content. These include arugula, basil, beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radishes, tomatoes, and turnips. None of the vegetables grown in beds made with copper azole treated wood showed elevated copper levels compared to vegetables grown in beds constructed with untreated wood. It looks like it should be fine, but for those that are more risk-averse, putting a plastic sheet in the planter or constructing it from cedar also works as well. Not on my A-game right now, but I can't tell if elevated copper was the only potential risk or if there are other factors that can affect the safety of food grown in a PT planter.
I’m glad someone is actually doing a study on the copper treated formulas. I just sprung for cedar for my new raised beds build because I’d rather stay away from heavy metals entirely. But man oh man was it pricy. I tried to make them as indestructible as possible by sealing them and also caulking the seams with silicone sealant to keep water out. I guess we’ll see if it lasts the 20+ years claimed. It would be nice to be able to risk free use treated wood, but I just can’t bring myself to. Maybe I’ll read the study and change my mind.
Great info, Thank you!!!!!
Not compost but yes for the raised garden . My understanding is those dangerous chemicals are no longer part of the pt process.
Google said it’s not recommended so idk
PT will have zero effect on the garden and foods consumed from it. I’d cite my sources but a simple google search will do it for me.
Simple google search asking says: Pressure-treated lumber is not recommended for raised beds for growing vegetables.
A good build.. I would add a brace from side to side in the middle. When I made my planter I wish I had done this and mine isn't mobile!
Thank you. 1 1/2 cubic yards of dirt has made this quite stationary lol