Treated Wood – Lining Raised Beds?

Q: My wife and I just built two raised beds with landscaping timber. We know that these are treated. What can we line the inside of the beds with to make sure that the veggies taste right and don’t hurt us?

A: A decade ago, health concerns were raised about the chemicals used to treat landscape timbers. The words “chromated copper arsonate” raised the hackles of gardeners around the country. However, newer protective chemicals have been introduced and have garnered much less criticism. Most wood is treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) or micronized copper azole (MCA). Personally, I’d feel comfortable using modern treated wood for my raised beds without lining them.