Re: JI Fertilizer Conflict

Nick Zentena wrote:
> 
>         I've been worried about this. OTOH won't I be facing similar
> problems no matter what? Some one posted about the problems with bagged
> topsoil. It even made the local papers.
> 
>         The world is a danagerous place when you can't even play in the
> dirt-(
> 
>         Nick

Nick,

No, there are better alternatives. City composts are useful and
relatively safe for certain situations. However, the potential for
disease from city composts in your iris beds can be avoided in a number
of short-term solutions and long-term solutions. Remember, the diseased
iris leaves I discarded in my city yard waste program can end up in your
garden with some of the diseases intact. That's not to mention my
herbicide and fertilizer laced grass cuttings, and the occasional
tobacco mosaic virus from cigarette butts or someone's nicotiana.

Worse still are the differences between a municipal yard waste compost
and a municipal solid waste compost. Some of the municipal solid waste
composts can contain undesirable levels of heavy metals, particularly
arsenic and lead. See for example:

The CompostResource Page
http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/

Operator's Fact Sheets: http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/large.html

Municipal Yard Waste Composting
http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/compost/Fact.sheets/Fact.sheet.TOC.html

Municipal Solid Waste Composting
http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/compost/MSW.FactSheets/msw.fs.toc.html

Some communities are highly alert to the potential problems with
municipal composts and have acted to reduce the risks associated with
their use in home gardens. They typically offer extensive information
and help in evaluating the suitablility of their products for your
needs.

In the long-term, you can make your own cold compost or hot compost from
materials that are much safer than municipal composts and many
commercial composts. Tree leaves are often unsurpassed in your own
composts.

In the short-term, mixing your own topsoils from safer materials at your
retailer may be the answer. Look at ther relative merits of aged leaf
compost, peat moss, aged manures, and so forth. Some creative
combinations may minimize the disease risk and remain economical.

In any case, there are safer alternatives for your special iris.

Dallas Patterson
nye@fidalgo.net

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