Has anyone used reclaimed pallet wood for making raised gardening beds? I have access to alot of pallets from work and am just curious as to if these are safe to use.

I could be totally wrong (and I probably am), but I've had a suspicion that the reason why the once-healthy pine trees in my front yard withered and eventually died was due to insects that hitched a ride on some pallets that I kept in my yard (for possible future use).

Of course, it probably had nothing to do with that - after all, I never had an arborist or entomologist investigate...

I was pretty sure that some pallets are doused in chemicals to make the resistant to rot/insects so it might not be the best thing for a raised bed.

It will rot quickly

How quick, i dont mind replacing it every year.

Thanks ill have to look into that, casino where i work has an area with free pallets so supply isnt an option. I wasnt planning on replacing them every year im just looking at a budget set of raised beds till i can get enough actual lumber to build what i want.

U need to seal the wood, and line the garden part with a plastic barrier to keep the moisture away from the wood... I have pallets that have been stacked out back for years.. Sure the bottom ones are punky, but anything that not it direct contact with the earth is fine..  One of my hobbies is wood working, and right now id say 90% of the things I make are from old pallets.. The rustic look sells, and can be made quickly as your not aiming for perfection.. If your looking to make your gardens out of pallet wood for the look, I would simply make the gardens out of some rot resistant lumber like cedar, or soak some pine in sap/pitch, then simply skin the outside with pallets and replace when they rot.. As long as the boards stay of the ground, they will weather, but should last a few seasons... I make ADK chairs out of pallets, and those damn things have lasted years..  I did treat them with some thompsons water sealer, as they are not going near plants/crops so using a chemical sealant didnt phase me but I have a few that I left untreated just to see how long they last, and other than getting weathered faster, they are still solid 2 years later..

More for just a cheap use than a rustic look. I do a little wood working myself just never really used pallet wood before.

I make a ton of stuff out of pallets.

They should have a marker on them saying if there were treated or not.

I make a ton of vertical herb gardens every spring out of old pallets for people

Thanks ill have to look at the pallets.

Most pallets that come through my workplace are heat treated. And most of them are also junk. Once in a while I do see a heavy duty one come through that has some big oak sticker boards on it.

Here is some information that will help you determine if what you are getting is safe..

http://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/