At 12:35 PM 1/20/2004, you wrote:
>Hi Margaret -
>
>Look out, another long one! My last day of vacation, so I had the time!
><snips here and there>
>I'm simplifying here, but don't let's make this any more difficult for
>beginners to understand. We can get into the special cases and the
>exceptions once those exceptions are encountered, ok?
>
>Margaret, here's where your column can be really useful to your
>readers. If you do the checking, and put the nutrient analyses on your
>website for the products that are available locally, you can point out
>what has dangerous levels. You don't want to tell people not to buy
>something, or you open yourself up to law suits. But you can say "This
>product does not have adequate levels", or you can say "This product has
>levels of mercury above EPA or USDA hazard levels". Most people
>understand they shouldn't be putting something toxic into their soils.
The way I prefer to handle things like this is to write "this is an
excellent product because it meets all guidelines for..." I recently
reported the state of Minnesota had recalled Ironite because of high
arsenic and lead content. Minnesota has deeper pockets than I.
>- compost usually has all the nutrients your plant needs, plus the
>biology, if it was made correctly. Aerobic, never stinky, temperature did
>not get above 155 to 160 F. Again, as a garden columnist, you might pull
>readers in by doing columns on how the local compost sources do their
>composting, and what the nutrients and biology therefore are in that
>"compost". Readers love it when they can go to a local source and find
>out what is the best.
This is thin ice territory. A friend bought $1,000 worth of compost,
nothing would grow. The compost company told her she wasn't watering
enough. She was, and she knew it. She's a Master Gardener in Arizona and
Idaho. She took soil samples to an independent lab, and it was off the
charts with calcium. They refunded her money, but I don't know what she
did about emptying her raised beds and refilling them. The city of Boise
(and I think Ada county) both turn over leaf collections to this company
for composting. Unlike most other communities, compost is not free to
gardeners who've contributed. I've agonized over the lawn clippings going
to landfill, at least I did until I learned about Picloram and
Clopyralid. I've used my own lawn clippings, and won't let leaves off the
property. Now that my mobility is compromised, I'm doing my best to get my
husband to work on composting. Fortunately, stuff rots in time. I buy
compost made by egg producers...
>
>
>
>
>That's why garden columnists exist. Growing plants can be a real
>mind-boggling experience what with all the details that COULD be playing a
>part.
>
>Using compost tea can be just the same, but just a little experience, and
>you can cut the list of things to consider.
>
>So, Margaret, I would love to work with you on doing a write-up for your
>column, or an on-going column for your small gardeners, that would tell
>them how to get their biology right, for your area, your climate, your
>soils, and the condition the soil is in now.
This is a very generous offer, and I'd love to take you up on it after I
have read your primer (ordered) and at least know some intelligent
questions to ask. Since I wasn't a science major in college, I was never
allowed to take biology. I'm doing my best to catch up in that area, but
taxonomy still escapes me. I also want to find out whether any of our local
garden centers will be selling aerated compost tea. I know Edwards
Greenhouse is using it in their perennials department (and loving it). We
also have a local chain of about 9 garden centers that I suspect will be
interested too.
>You might want to check the SFI website - we are updating the website, and
>we have a section I'm working on right now called "How does your garden
>grow?" It would be great if I could link to your website to get people
>local to you to read your information pertinent to their gardens.
That would be absolutely great! It's www.margaretlauterbach.com
. Sincerely, Margaret Lauterbach
>Elaine Ingham
>President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
>SFI Corvallis, OR
>SFI Port Jefferson, NY
>SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
>SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
>SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
>www.soilfoodweb.com
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
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Received on Wed Jan 21 2004 - 00:01:06 EST