Re: Milorganite...

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Greg and others,

"...Can Milorganite be used in a flower bed that is used as edging around
a vegetable garden?   I understand that it may work as a deer
deterrent but that it should not be used in the vegetable garden bed
itself.... heavy metals..."

I did not know of Milorganite by name before now, but your question made me curious about the stuff. My brief internet search taught me that:

(1) "Milorganite is a type of sewage/sludge fertilizer first produced and marketed in Milwaukee. The fertilizer analysis is 5-2-0 and slightly acidic." (from http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~robsond/solutions/horticulture/docs/milorgn.html).

And (2)
        "For many years Milorganite, a biosolid fertilizer product, has had warnings on its label not to use the product on food crops. The reason for this labeling was because Milorganite and other biosolid fertilizers had high labels of cadmium, which could cause health problems.
        "In the 1980's laws were put into effect on industries requiring them to reduce the amount of heavy metals and cadmium they discharge into their wastewater. Because of these restrictions, levels of heavy metals in Milorganite have dropped significantly. In 1993, after 15 years of testing, EPA has set the limits on the concentration of heavy metals in biosolid fertilizers like Milorganite. Milorganite has levels below those limits and does not pose a risk to the environment or human health and is safe to use on vegetable gardens. In 1994 the label was changed to include food crops.
        "For those of you who have been using Milorganite on your lawn and flowers, you can now include your vegetable garden as well."
(from Iowa State http://www.ent.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/6-9-1995/milorg.html

Personally, I'm still wary.
Nicole Georges-Abeyie
Greenbelt, MD