On 5/4/2009 5:10 AM, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
From our city's free mulch web page:

"For example, after leaves are collected at curbside, they are treated and
offered to the public as compost. Holiday trees are sent through a wood
chipper and converted into mulch; a material perfect for flowerbeds or other
landscaping projects (note: mulch is not suitable for vegetable gardens)."

Why is it not suitable for vegetable gardens?

http://www.cityofrochester.gov/artic...?id=8589936436


Possibly for the same reason that compost from our local sewage plant is
also not approved for use with edibles. The compost might contain
dissolved heavy metals from industrial plants or medications from people
disposing of prescriptions down the toilet. While the reclaimed water
from the sewage plant is used to irrigate green belts and golf courses,
I'm not sure it's approved for school athletic fields.

Your compost is from a variety of sources that have not been checked and
segregated. It might contain animal waste, a potential source of
disease. Our sewage plant disinfects both its compost and reclaimed
water to eliminate this problem.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary