Montana Gardening is challenging but fun. Fishermen and Hunters need side dishes of fresh veggies to go with their meals.
Raised beds are a great way to raise fresh food, even if it snows and freezes. Like it or not, the Montana growing season is shorter. Cold frames, Greenhouses, and raised beds really extend the season. Here are some helpful tips!
One of the biggest concerns about cold frames or raised beds is treated lumber. The big advantage of treated lumber is that it will not rot for over 25 years. When you use a 2x8x10, to make a vegetable box, it will last. No one wants to eat or share food contaminated with arsenic or other harmful chemicals.
In the past, lumber was treated with arsenic, CCA, and other harmful chemicals. A 4×4 post in the ground would contaminate a 36-inch circle of soil. It would also add harmful chemicals to your vegetables. This lumber has been banned since 2003.
Today’s treated lumber today contains NO arsenic! This means that it will work well for exterior gardening/food applications. Todays treated lumbers are labeled ACO, CA, and MCO.
Feel free to make durable and long-lasting gardens from this wood. These beds can also have arced PVC pipes that can quickly be covered and protected from frost. Simply add a big nail anchor and cut the pipe to the length you need.
I also use Walls of Water to protect young plants in the beds. These tips will add over a month of growing season to your gardens.
Go with the Grow!
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, find him rooted at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
