Don Phillipson wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...

. . . railway sleepers to construct raised beds - are there any concerns

Often sleepers have been treated with toxic chemicals and so they would
not
be suitable for vegetables, find out from the source what they have been
treated with and then research the risks of that treatment. Some are
timber
that is durable in contact with the soil without treatment (and may have
never actually been used on a railway) so they would OK.

Do local poplar logs require any special treatment before
edging raised beds? Space is no problem and the back
acre, once a horse pasture, is choked full of grey birch
and poplar (the local weed species) most 10 years old
(since the great Ice Storm of 1999.)

I would allow them to cure stacked up as, from what I have read, green
poplar logs can sprout new trees when in contact with the soil. I know
early pioneers, particularly Nordic peoples in North American made log
cabins of poplar so you should be able to use them.


We now are planning winter logging to open up for better
sunlight. We can burn poplar in the stove (100-120 days/
year) but it is poor fuel and a couple of cords of maple
are seasoned already. Use of poplar logs (6 to 12" diam.)
as edging would mean moving it shorter distances. Can
these logs be used intact with bark or is there some
chemical reason to peel them (next spring)?


I would cure them over the winter and then just use them bark and all
next spring. I'm not sure how long they will last before rotting when in
contact with the soil but it sounds like you could easily replace them
every few years.

I would definitely NOT use railroad ties that have been treated with
creosote or with any of the arsenic compounds to prevent rot. They will
degrade your soil to a certain extent.