Wood Pallets for Raised Beds?

Q: I would like to use discarded wood pallets to make a raised bed garden. Has anyone done this with success?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Debbie in the Draft from Stuarts Draft, VA

A: Debbie,

Wood pallets will work fine. You can disassemble them and dig the boards into the ground a few inches, or secure the frame by pounding a few wooden or metal stakes into the ground on either side of them. Avoid commercially pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic or other toxic compounds that can leech into your soil. Also avoid wood treated with penta (pentachlorophenol). Types of untreated wood that are naturally resistant to rotting include cypress and cedar. Wood pallets are usually cheap or free, so if yours are made from a wood more prone to rotting, you can inexpensively replace them anyway.