On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:38:03 -0400, Bill
wrote:
Penelope Periwinkle wrote:

I understand. There doesn't seem to be much sympathy for people on a
budget or people who don't have easy access to organic products; but I
understand where you're coming from.

I have difficulty with the idea of organic soil amendments that have
the word product included.

Why? Not everyone has the time or the free access you appear to have
to organic...er...materials. Should they be banned from trying to
garden organically?


Sure dried blood, bone meal etc. and other
products are costly. But is it not a fundamental idea to put back into
the soil more than we take out. Aside Bone meal and Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease scary.


I don't use bone meal or blood meal for much the same reason. I did go
quite a long distance this spring to get a bag of pelleted soil
amendment that was made from a blend of cotton seed meal and other
goodies like that because it didn't use bone or blood meal. It's still
kinda high in nitrogen, though, so I used it on the lawn this spring,
and set aside a bit to till into the vegetable garden this winter. I
figure it will have been broken down enough by spring that the
nitrogen won't be a problem.


How to do it becomes the issue. Cover crops, manures, anything once
alive. I favor wood chips as I get them delivered for free. Then there
are the trips about to barber shops to take the waste hair. Making
friends with the local high cafeteria folks to take the garbage.
Keeping those teaming microbes alive and well so we can eat off the top
of the chain.

Maria has already described the steps she takes to incorporate compost
and yard clippings into her garden. I use horse manure, although I
have no one to deliver it, and must find the time to go and load lots
of buckets and trash cans, as many as I can fit into my car. Both of
us still find a need for store bought products once in a while.

I don't use cover crops or green manures because I find the horse
manure already raises the nitrogen in the soil higher than makes me
happy. I can't get yard litter from the city compost pile anymore, it
proved to be such a popular item that the city charges for it, even
for a few grocery bagfuls. Well, I shouldn't say "can't", I could, but
I refuse to pay what they're charging for a product of marginal
quality.


As to begging for...um...materials from cafeteria employees, high or
cold sober, for me it's mostly a time issue. Bully for you that you
have the luxury of time to do things like that. I don't right now.

I would like you to explain the difference to the bacteria, fungi, and
the like between store bought organic products and...uh...materials
you sponged off someone for free?


Bill wondering why my eyelid is itching. )


Along as it's not frothing...


Penelope
--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"