RE: Soil Improvements

   Mushroom compost is not available in all parts of the country.  Here
in west KY, they don't even know what it is!  If you could mail order
it, it would cost a bundle. 
    "Composted" anything can good for your plants, if you know what's in
it.  Some are warning of salts in mushroom compost, which we all know is
bad for our plants, but what about other "composted" material?  Do you
know what's in the compost your city makes and sells?  Here they put
composted sewer sludge in it.  And I won't buy, use or reconmend it to
anyone.
   I'm in two garden clubs, one of which has a lot of projects that we
work on.  The latest one was a science garden at a local middle school.
The first thing the teachers did was to have a load of composted sewer
sludge dumped and worked in.  I was concerned about it, so had a sample
of the "compost" tested.  It not only contained heavy metals but had a
large amount of deisel fuel in it!   The soil was removed.  
   Some companies are selling potting soil with biosolids (sewer sludge)
in it.  The best thing you can do for your garden soil, plants and self
is know just what your putting down, over, on and in your soil/plants.
I wouldn't want to have to wet down 10 tons of mushroom compost enough
to leach out all the salts just to be able to use it, or to get a great
price on city compost only to have it kill everything it touches.  Just
because something is labled "Composted" doesn't make it better.  If you
don't make it yourself, then at least know who did.
Sally
zone 6, west KY

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index