Eco-Friendly Timber bought for Vegy Plot

Posted on 01. Apr, 2007 by Tracey in Grow Veg, My Veg Plot

I have bought 14 x 3 Meter lengths of 6×1 – Ecowood pressure treated brown timber which was delivered today by the local timber supplier.

This will make up 3 plots which will be approx 5 foot by 4 foot. Each plot will be 12 inches deep.

Stakes will be made from 2×2 timber and each stake will be 24 inches in length so that 12 inches will be in the ground to support the plot and 12 inches above the ground so I can drill the planks into them. Each plot will have 6 stakes (1 in each corner and 1 on either side of plot).

The timber is eco-friendly tanilised which means that during the tanilising process it was made durable and strong by using non-toxic water bourne materials.

Normal trade tanilised timber should not be used for vegetable plots as the heavy metals and chemicals used in this tanilising process may leach into the soil then into crops, which is not good.

After looking into this topic more on the internet, a Guardian article caught my eye because apprently CCA-treated with copper chrome arsenate (CCA) timber was banned for domestic use (by EU directive) in June 2004.

The timber I have bought is – Tanalised E pressure treated timber impregnated with tanalith E, a waterborne product based on copper triazole technology. Copper is derived from recycled sources and triazoles are organic biodegradable biocides, commonly used to protect many of the food crops we eat. For more information click on this link.