Abstract: A method of treating wood with an organic phosphonate salt in a liquid phase to chemically modify its surface and thus provide protection from microorganisms. The organic phosphonate salts are of Formula III wherein R1 is a hydrogen radical or an alkyl or aryl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2 is a cation selected from the group of NH4+, H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Fr+, Cu+, Ag+, substituted or unsubstituted ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium, methylpyrrolidinium, isothiazolium, isoxazolium, oxazolium, pyrrolium, thiophenium, pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, and triazolium, or a mixture thereof, said method preferably comprising using one or more salt compounds having formula III. Products comprising a raw material having been treated according to the method with one or more organic salts of formula III are also disclosed.