Copper Azole Treated Wood Vegetable Garden

Soil experts disagree on using copper treated wood products in a vegetable garden.

Copper azole treated wood vegetable garden.

Some see no serious risk for humans in using them in a vegetable garden the amount of copper released being minimal and copper being considered essentially nontoxic unless present at extremely high levels. In a 2014 study wood research scientists love gardner and morrell at oregon state university found that in growing radishes carrots and potatoes in a copper azole treated douglas fir planter the copper levels were not higher in roots or tubers of radishes carrots or potatoes compared to beds constructed from untreated wood. The copper works to deter insects while the. Wood that isn t pressure treated tends to rot fairly quickly in contact with the soil.

Lamiot wikimedia commons pressured treated. Sally brown a research assistant professor of soils at the university of washington knows her way around both food and metals. Here s what i know. Copper azole treatments contain copper boric acid and tebuconazole type b does not contain boric acid.

Ca is a water based preservative that can be cleaned and painted. Raised vegetable bed with treated wood. It is widely used throughout the united states and canada. Copper azole and alkaline copper quaternary treatments both contain a fungicide.

Joe mabel wikimedia commons there is a long standing controversy in the field of organic gardening. In a 2014 study wood research scientists love gardner and morrell at oregon state university found that in growing radishes carrots and potatoes in a copper azole treated douglas fir planter the copper levels were not higher in roots or tubers of radishes carrots or potatoes compared to beds constructed from untreated wood. Type a contains copper boric acid and tebuconazole while type b only contains copper and tebuconazole. Copper azole is a water based wood preservative that prevents fungal decay and insect attack.

Studies have shown that arsenic from wood treated with cca leaches into the soil and that copper although much less toxic leaches from acq and copper boron azole cba a variant of ca b. Copper azole ca. Copper azole and alkaline copper quaternary contain fungicide and copper but not arsenic. And micronized copper quaternary or mcq.

Manufacturers of pressure treated wood with micronized copper quaternary claim that their lumber won t leach any copper into the soil and therefore it s safe for all uses including making garden beds. Alkaline copper quaternary or aca. The copper deters insects and the fungicide prevents soil rotting the lumber.