On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:26:19 -0800 (PST), AndyS
wrote:

In the bottom of the hold put a rusty, flattened tin can and some
chicken scraps, with bone, from the table.



The idea behind this is that the rusty tin can will add trace
elements
of iron,

Food cans are usually tin or aluminum. There are far better and less
toxic ways to get trace minerals into your soil.


and the chicken scraps will rot and provide nitrogen and
calcium
as the roots grow deeper.

Bones take years to compost and release their minerals into the soil.
I suspect the meat in the soil won't rot fast enough to release the
nutrients the plants need either, but I can't swear to it. I would be
concerned about encouraging harmful bacteria like botulism to grow by
creating an anaerobic environment with the buried meat.



Has anyone tried anything like this, and can anyone comment on
whether this is a reasonable idea ?


It sounds like a good way to ruin your garden to me. Stick with the
compost and lose the tin cans and meat.



Penelope


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