are landscape ties toxic?

Are most landscape ties toxic, or are they usually okay for using in gardens? If some are toxic, can anone recommend a place to purchase landscape ties that are okay and don't leech toxic chemicals?

thanks
Doug

 

Good question. I can't address where one would go to purchase untreated lumber ties so I will have to leave that to someone else to give advice, but treated lumber has been in the news in the United States lately:

Safety concerns cut down treated lumber used by millions from the USA Today, Dec 29 '03

Here's a link from the Canadian Cancer Society:

Pressure-treated lumber and cancer risk

and the Canadian CCA Consumer Awareness Program:

Safe Handling Information for CCA Preserved Wood

 

Here's a new article on treated lumber from Science News Online:

Danger on Deck?

From the article:

 

I've heard of a product that can be used for treating lumber. It's supposed to be some type of organic/natural recipe. Apparently some people I used to know were licensing the product and making landscape products from pine. If I find any info on this I'll post it here.

In the meantime, maybe allen blocks are a better route for building raised beds. Too bad they cost so much in comparison.

 

Why go with treated landscape ties? There life expectancy is around 3 to 10 years depending on size and Quality.

There are 2 alternatives that come to mind if you don't mind a little extra work. The first being untreated fence posts. The kind that are round with a pointy end, a little extra work cutting but the price is a little cheaper,so it balances out, also they are usually a little better quality than landsape ties.

The second is to contact the smaller millls in your area and use either 8*8 untreated pine or cedar. This is usually rough cut.

The life expectancing is the same or better that the toxic stuff, based on the gardens
I've done in the lowermainland and else where in the province.

If you cannot find a mill blast me an email .