Do I need to treat this wood for a garden bed?

[DavidT1]

Hello,

I am currently doing some landscaping on my yard and decided to reuse the existing wood for the garden bed. Would I need to treat the wood? Cheers

[EricL]

Hello @DavidT1 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about re-using existing wood in your garden. 

If the wood you are using now was originally used in the garden, odds are it has already been treated and no extra treatment is necessary. Treated timber such as H4 are rated for use in direct contact with soil. Ordinary untreated timber will immediately begin to show signs of deterioration. They often turn grey and slowly loose their toughness and turn soft or brittle in a short period of time.

Please note that I don't recommend using treated timber as garden edging for a vegetable garden. If you are going to make a vegetable garden, I suggest either using pavers or using Bedford 120 x 120 x 30cm ACQ Treated Pine Raised Garden Bed instead.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[DavidT1]

Cheers @EricL!

I will do that and look into the garden beds.