Dan L wrote:
Billy wrote:
In article ,
"Steve Peek" wrote:

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
...


I always thought that what was local was best and cheaper. I swear
by
wood chips. Marton NJ 20 miles away gave me green sand and I
purchased
granite dust in the day. Other things brought in was various
manures if
I cleaned it up the coop or stall.
Green manures are a given sort of like roots trying to help the
soil.
Dried blood and bone meal too. (Prions) I've also composted
barber hair and sea weed along with fish and game innards.

Question ....are some amendments deleterious more than others?

Peat got me questioning thinking.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

I only use Alaskan fish emulsion due to the mercury issue. I wear a
mask
when using blood or bone meal and dried manures because of disease
issues.

Another approach is to only use "organic" fish emulsion.
Besides Mercury, fish may contain Selenium, DDT, PCBs, Dioxins,
pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated
diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are used widely as flame retardants.
All bad stuff.

Selenium is bad?
I thought that was a needed mineral for the body.


Selenium is a trace element required by some plants and animals, it is also
used in dandruff shampoo. It isn't very toxic. Mercury, PCBs and Dioxin
are another matter.

The principle is sound though that you need to to read the fine print
regarding minor components of soil amendments, especially regarding
long-lived and cumulative toxins.

David