GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

31-03-2004, 06:32 AM

writes:
I am planning to start a vegetable garden this year, I have been
preparing the ground... The best place to have my garden is where the
previous home-owners dumped their firewood ashes (and God knows what
else!). I am planning on having the soil tested by the local Ag.
Cooperative Extension... The list of chemicals they can test is VERY
extensive (and each test cost more). I am planning the basic test
(this will tell me if it is a suitable place to grow anything...), but
what kind of other test should have them do? Should I have them test
for Arsenic? Asbestos? Benzene? Cyanide? Lead? Mercury? Any other
metals or mineral?
I am planning to raise a fammily and I do not want to make anyone of
us sick... any inputs you may provide is welcome!
Cheers!
Save Antartica

I can only tell you what I did. The previous owner burned trash in the
fireplaces, in the house and on the patio, and dumped the ashes and
leftover cans and whatever else was in the burnings. Because I worked for
an contractor, the means was available to dig out that dirt (which also
was generously supplied with non-native blackberries, the nasty kind).
After one rototilling, I hauled in many loads of horse manure and
rototilled again.

I went to the expense of hiring a dump truck to haul off that dirt (and I
say "dirt" not "soil" since it obviously contained stuff I wouldn't want
in my garden) and was lucky enough to have the backhoe to do the digging
free of charge so only had dump truck charges.

Honestly, I've never regretted the effort, trouble or expense. At the
time, I had a new granddaughter and now have two. It wasn't worth it to
me to risk having anything in there that might cause any harm to those
tiny bodies. We adults have much more body mass to deal with the
potentially bad stuff, but little folks do not. It was worth it for the
peace of mind.

Just my experience.

Glenna