We have railway sleepers in our garden - are they safe to use as fruit / vegetable beds?

GreenRightHand2022

Hello all! 

I moved into a house that has a very good sized garden and we're keen to get some fruit and veg growing. We have what I presume are old railway sleepers and whilst researching I saw mention of toxic chemicals potentially seeping out of the old sleepers and into soil.

Is there a way to test sleepers to rule that out or are we best just replacing them with new sleepers that we know are non-toxic?

Image attached for reference. 
Thank you in advance!!!

Dovefromabove

I think there’s been some concern about newer sleepers … but i think yours are old and very well weathered. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them. Lucky you … old ones  like that cost a bomb 😊 

GreenRightHand2022

Oh that's very interesting about newer sleepers being concerning! Yes we would absolutely love to keep them although as long as they're not going to be harmful for growing food

Thanks for your comment, super helpful! 

Dovefromabove

When I say newer ones .., I mean ones that have actually been used as railway sleepers and treated with the tar or whatever it is that they use.

 I don’t mean the sleepers that’ve not been used on the railway lines … they’re the ones that have raised real concerns as far as I’m aware. 

Blue Onion

I would be worried about growing fruit and veg in there, or even using it for a bed that would take frequent attention and cause you to be in physical contact with the boards.  I believe that many of the older railway sleepers are treated with creosote?  

Dovefromabove

The sort of sleepers the OP shows in her photograph have never been used on a railway or treated with creosote … and in any event look old and well-weathered, so will be absolutely fine for use in her garden. 

GreenRightHand2022

Hello, 

I just found this fact sheet stapled to the end of one of the sleepers so it looks like, unfortunately, I won't be able to grow edibles without taking precautions.

Now the questions is whether to replace them with some alternative material (i.e: brick / wood, etc... suggestions welcome!!!) or to line with a membrane to stop any of the creosote seeping into the soil.

WAMS

I thought they'd be darker if creosoted.... blimey.

I would leave them (they're beautiful) and get a trug or other containers for veg growing.

Loraine3

I have three beds made from old railway sleepers to grow veg in, they were all lined with a double layer of black plastic and have been in use for over 10 years.

GreenRightHand2022

@WhereAreMySecateurs we have a bath that is too small for us (we are very tall humans) which we plan to repurpose for the garden so I guess we could use that...  Unless we find out there are some sort of harmful chemicals in that too! 

Fire

There was some concern about asbestos from railway break pads coating old sleepers too. I have some sleepers made into a bed and am happy to grow herbaceaous plants there.  If I were going to grow veg I would do some long hard research before deciding on the actual creosote risks etc. Mine were bought about six years ago and were not that expensive.