Galvanized Steel for Raised Vegetable Garden...is it safe? - Ask Extension
Is it safe to use galvanized steel to build a raised vegetable garden? Also, I had planned to use treated lumber on the outside of the planter but n...
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Galvanized Steel for Raised Vegetable Garden...is it safe? #324102
Asked May 22, 2016, 9:35 PM EDT
Is it safe to use galvanized steel to build a raised vegetable garden? Also, I had planned to use treated lumber on the outside of the planter but not touching the actual vegetable soil. Would this be okay? If not, do you have other suggestions for 4 x 8 raised garden beds that will not rot rapidly and is not excessively expensive?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Baraga County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello
There is no definitive research on the effects of using galvanized steel to grow vegetables. That being said, to galvanize the steel they use zinc to coat it. The zinc, if not corroded with acidic (food) or heated, will likely remain in place. If some zinc does enter the soil, it should only be in small quantities, and plants make use of zinc as a micronutrient.
As long as the treated wood is not in contact with the soil that you are growing your vegetables in, there should be no leaching of the chemicals into the soil where the vegetables are growing.
Other options for raised beds include hardwood which you might get rough sawn from a sawmill (depending upon the aesthetic quality you are looking for) or cedar from a local sawmill or neighbor (who might provide a better price than a box store).
There is no definitive research on the effects of using galvanized steel to grow vegetables. That being said, to galvanize the steel they use zinc to coat it. The zinc, if not corroded with acidic (food) or heated, will likely remain in place. If some zinc does enter the soil, it should only be in small quantities, and plants make use of zinc as a micronutrient.
As long as the treated wood is not in contact with the soil that you are growing your vegetables in, there should be no leaching of the chemicals into the soil where the vegetables are growing.
Other options for raised beds include hardwood which you might get rough sawn from a sawmill (depending upon the aesthetic quality you are looking for) or cedar from a local sawmill or neighbor (who might provide a better price than a box store).
