I have several grass supply company/fields around my area, most of them have piles and piles of wooden pallets either broken down or whole and stacked up, I know I'll have to take out all the nails and such but I was wondering if there were any risks I should be aware of since this lumber would go to making my new sq ft veggie beds as well as a childs fence. They dont appear to be treated, i was just wondering if there was something someone might know of that could leech into my garden. I was planning on coating the wood with raw linseed oil if that helps any..
Could you ask at the grass farm if they know about the pallets? We use pallets as "fencing" for our compost heaps, and I use one to keep the 1-year roses and other perennials in pots off the ground. I haven't had any concerns about leaching of chemicals, but then I'm not using them to support garden beds. Considering that the pallets are mostly one-use items, I doubt if the maker would invest in spraying them with pesticides or preservatives.
Most are heat treated instead of chemical treated but the bigger problem is what where they used for. The ones used by the grass company...had the sod they transported been sprayed with chemical fertilizer or pesticides or other substances that would have been absorbed by the wood and could leech out into your veggie bed or rub off when your little one touches or leans against the fence? Some pallets made from recycled wood or that been stacked outside in fields were found to be contaminated with e-coli. I am not saying that pallets shouldn't be used, I have seen some fantastic furniture made with clean ones, just that you need to find out what they were used for by the company and what they might have come in contact with. I read a couple of online articles that brought up the Tylenol recall of last year saying there was some concern that it had been contaminated while in the warehouse sitting on contaminated pallets.
If you perceive that there will be contamination by some chemical adulterant in your environment you may just talk yourself out of gardening. IMO pallets will do for smaller beds from sod carriage. Hint: untreated bark on logs work fine for edging. Often they are left at the curb for free...
