Re: Soils test required for City owned Community Gardens?

Hey Michael,

It's nice to hear that at least one US municipality has gotten it right re soil testing for public gardens.

However, there are an awful lot of community gardens in urban areas that were marginal that were amended into lower PPMs by soil amendments, prudent management - only growing aerated vegetables for years until the soil was more improved, and careful procedures in garden areas that are not safe for kids.

The fact is that many community gardens go into lots that contained something else, like tenements, old manufacturing sites, brown fields - i.e., wastelands.  Testing lets gardeners know what the risks are, and if the sites can be remediated by amateurs.

And of course, when to walk away from a sunny site that's filled with toxins.

Everbest,
Adam Honigman
Volunteer,
Clinton Community Garden


Subj: Re: [cg] Soils test required for City owned Community Gardens?
Date: 7/27/04 1:58:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: s*@bloomington.in.us
To: b*@WoodRodgers.com
CC: community_garden@mallorn.com
Sent from the Internet



Bill,

   In Bloomington, Indiana, we have always done extensive testing of
park soil intended for gardening.  We test for lead and other heavy
metals, insecticides, petroleum derivatives, and PCBs.  Only if the garden
footprint is clean do we proceed with development plans.  We test soil in
the gardens for pH and nutrients every three years and supply this
information to gardeners.

Michael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
H. Michael Simmons, Ph.D.
Bloomington Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 848
Bloomington, IN 47402
(812) 349-3737


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