"Newt" wrote in message
...


Please don't use railroad ties, especially for anything you plan to
eat. I wouldn't use any treated wood for food. From this site:
http://tinyurl.com/663yt
"Avoid using creosote-treated railroad ties. Freshly treated creosote
lumber can leach into the soil for several years and continues to give
off vapors over a seven to nine year period."

More pressure treated wood info.
http://tinyurl.com/59u5s
http://tinyurl.com/728uu

It's the strangest thing - I built a cold frame 10 years ago using UNtreated
2x10 lumber. It's been out in rain & snow every year but 2. No rotting, even
the 2" or so of wood that's in constant contact with the soil. And, I didn't
use rot-resistant wood like cedar or redwood - just whatever your average
2x10 at the lumber yard is made of. If it rots, so what? The frame's bolted
together in such a way that in an hour, I can disassemble the sides, lay
them on top of the new wood, trace the pattern & drilling points, and have a
whole new frame in 2 hours, or 3 hours if the neighbors stop by to chat. 4
if they bring beer.

I just don't see a reason for treated lumber to enter one's mind, at least
not for structures which are above ground. The OP's strawberry planter fits
this category.