In article ,
"Steve B" wrote:

We bought some killer one gallon strawberry plants the other day. They all
have strawberries on them, some ripe.

I want to grow a bunch of them. I have four 8' railroad ties. OLD railroad
ties that are bleached white, so most of the chemicals should be gone.

Would an 8' bed raised that high (about 8") be a good bed? We got 10 yards
of good compost from a nursery, and it is very high quality.

Should I mix anything else with the compost? The local dirt is sand dune
blowsand. Should I mix any gravel in for drainage?

I want to put the black half inch pipe in there for irrigation. A friend
who has a lot of strawberries says that they like a lot of water here. It
gets blazing hot in the summer, and pretty cold in the winter. How wet
should I keep them?

I like using different meals, blood, bone, etc, instead of chemical
fertilizers. What would be a good amendment?

Lastly, propagation. Do you just plant them and let them grow? How far
would I separate the plants?

Thanks in advance. Hope this year's garden is better than last year's.

Steve
XXtreme SW Utah
3700' elev
zone 7-8

Visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

What makes you think bleaching will make a difference with creosote?

As an alternative to simply tossing them in landfills, old railroad ties
are commonly used around the home as landscaping barriers and retaining
walls. However, the chemical often used to preserve the wood, coal tar
creosote, can present some problems. This form of creosote, a mixture of
chemicals created by distilling coal tar, is toxic in large amounts or
after extended exposure. It is listed as a probable carcinogen by the
Environmental Protection Agency, and is linked to skin and respiratory
disorders. The European Union recently banned creosote.
Coal tar creosote can also negatively affect the environment. According
to the Creosote Coal Tar Cancer Lawsuits website, the chemical may
³reach the soil as a result of leaking or seeping from treated timber.²
Some creosote components may leach into groundwater and, according to
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), may take
years to break down. Vice President Colin McCown of the American
Wood-Preservers¹ Association argues that tests on household plants
growing next to old crossties found no creosote residue. ³It really is
fairly safe,² he says. But ATSDR¹s Petro Kacur disagrees. ³We don¹t
recommend that any chemically treated posts or ties be used in household
gardens,² he says.
Home and Garden Television recommends using creosote-treated wood only
for retaining walls. Some faux railroad ties are now available from big
box retailers, but they are typically treated with arsenic, which may
also worry conscious consumers.
CONTACT
ATSDR
Tel: (404) 498-0110
Creosote Coal Tar Cancer Lawsuits
Tel: (800) 632-8400
‹Kerri Linden

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