On 10 Feb 2005 05:55:47 -0800, wrote:

===I was planning on making a boxed in area using railroad ties to grow
===apple trees and garden berries. Also planed on building a fence using
===railroad ties as posts and growing blackberries.
===
===Someone on another group said nt to do that because of the pressure
===treatment of railroad ties or cresote. Is this a problem? I think these
===ties are old. I can get them for free from a local company that uses
===them to stack wood flooring on.

I don;t think there is a problem with using them for what you
describve. I hgave lots of cross ties and power poles in use aorund
my place. Creosote will usually kill vegetation, but grass grows up
and into the cross ties I have........Lots of folks are paranoid about
usjuing pressure treated lumber to build piers etc in ponds
etc.......look at most any papers by any university or wildlife
divison on building piers and seawalls and you always find cross ties
and or PT lumber specified. I have som e cross ties used to uspport a
pier, as well as some power poles, which are from from being bleached
or dried out, and algae grows most abundantly on them...so I am rather
skeptical if any possible leeching is a problem worth getting
concerned about. Same for my garden borders, nice juicy cross ties
that you can smell on those hot summer days, and my veggies etc grow
just fine, and its been in use for years and no one has had
problems........once again county co-op agents recomend cross ties and
PT lumber for this use.

Perhaps if you live in Kalifornia there may be a regulation in effect
, as they seem to have a law for most everything.

REMEMBER: "This is worth repeating for benefit of al newbies!
Jo Ann asked Dr. Solo to remind people that while she has retired from selling GF (and sold
the business to Ken Fischer http://dandyorandas.com/) she has NOT retired from
helping people with sick GF and koi FOR FREE. 251-649-4790 phoning is best for
diagnosis. but, can try email put "help sick fish" in subject. Get your fish at Dandy Orandas
Dandy Orandas Dandy Orandas........you guys got that DANDY ORANDAS