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  • Are railroad ties SAFE for gardens?

    Created by glowbugg on May 15, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    We have access to old railroad ties and I was wondering if they are safe to use in my vegetable garden? I know they smell terrible but will that affect my plants in any way?

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  • May 15, 2009 at 10:19 pm #13957

    produce guy
    Member

    We’ve use them for years here in TX., there just the right height for filling in with dirt (raise beds), and the sticky glue is usually only on the top and not on the sides, so it should be okay, plus they don’t rot as quickly as others do.

    June 4, 2015 at 9:50 am #174245

    Shelby Kuenning
    Member

    Old railroad ties are often loaded with PCB’s. That’s why they smell bad. PCB’s were banned int the 80’s (?) because of links to cancer. I don’t know how readily they leach into the soil, but I wouldn’t be comfortable using them for a vegetable garden.

    June 28, 2016 at 10:42 am #202925

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hi –

    Used railway ties have been an old standard for garden walls and beds, but since they were often treated with creosote, they have gained a bad reputation. I think it is generally a good rule of thumb to avoid treated woods, especially if they are slick, sticky or oily. If you are already using ties, it might be a good idea to line the beds with a safe, impermeable material such as heavy-duty, food-grade plastic.

    Hope this helps!

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