RE: [CH] ... raised bed question

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	> I had intended to do a few raised beds as my FIL does and now am
afraid
	> about all the comments about arsnic with pressure treated lumber.
He has
	>used 2x10's without and problems.  Is there enough arsnic in the
wood that
	> would really be harmful?  Would it depend on the size of the bed,
how water
	> seeps through and flushes out impurities, etc.?  What about
polyuerthane
	> (sp?) on the wood rather than paint?

	   Just a few thoughts, based on personal experience.   (If I err,
I'm sure to be politely corrected).
	I have never known anybody to suffer problems from using PT lumber,
then again, I don't know everybody.
	I used a hand saw to cut the timbers, so arsenic dust was not a
problem.  Power saws throw a lot of dust up, so you may want to use a dust
mask for that.  I built my frame in July when landscape timbers went on
sale.  The lumber yard had stacked them outside for who knows how long
(hence the sale price, and the need to check each timber for warping).  Then
it sat exposed to the elements for 9 months before I planted my chiles,
tomatos and herbs.  Seems to me that if arsenic leaches out into the soil
that easily, it should leach out through normal exposure to the elements.  I
am not worried about my frame.  If you are concerned, by all means paint it.

	   Polyurethane (varnish, I presume) should work just fine, as long
as you cover all surfaces.  This would be impossible for me to do, without
dis-assembling the frame.
	   Good luck.  Your chiles will love the way the soil drains from a
raised bed. (Water from the soil, that is.)

	Scott... KCK... originaly from Syracuse, NY

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