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

"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it up
and breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:37:39 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:


"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it up and
breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

Add organic matter to the testing regimen. Do you have any sound reason to
suspect heavy metal contamination?

Bill
--
http://cannaday.us (genealogy)
http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening)
Uptimes below for the machines that created / host these sites.
22:38:00 up 20 days, 2:01, 3 users, load average: 0.62, 0.50, 0.65
22:33:00 up 80 days, 2:45, 8 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:37:39 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:


"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it up and
breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

Add organic matter to the testing regimen. Do you have any sound reason to
suspect heavy metal contamination?

Bill
--
http://cannaday.us (genealogy)
http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening)
Uptimes below for the machines that created / host these sites.
22:38:00 up 20 days, 2:01, 3 users, load average: 0.62, 0.50, 0.65
22:33:00 up 80 days, 2:45, 8 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

"Anonymous" wrote in message
newsan.2004.03.25.03.40.23.282864@notarealserver .com...
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:37:39 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:


"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry
about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will
go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it
up and
breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

Add organic matter to the testing regimen. Do you have any sound
reason to
suspect heavy metal contamination?

I don't have a reason, but the original poster in this thread is
concerned about his soil. I mentioned that things like cyanide and
benzene are going to go away on their own -- unless they are continually
resupplied. Heavy metals, on the other hand, don't break down. They
may wash away, but they won't break down.


Ray

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:37:39 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:


"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it up and
breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

Add organic matter to the testing regimen. Do you have any sound reason to
suspect heavy metal contamination?

Bill
--
http://cannaday.us (genealogy)
http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening)
Uptimes below for the machines that created / host these sites.
22:38:00 up 20 days, 2:01, 3 users, load average: 0.62, 0.50, 0.65
22:33:00 up 80 days, 2:45, 8 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

"Anonymous" wrote in message
newsan.2004.03.25.03.40.23.282864@notarealserver .com...
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:37:39 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:


"JP" wrote in message
m...
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

Heavy metals are definitely the thing to test for. Don't worry
about
cyanide or benzene. You won't find cyanide there, and benzene will
go
away very soon if the soil is moist and fertile. The stuff is
biodegradable. Also, asbestos isn't a problem unless you grind it
up and
breathe it.


Ray Drouillard

Add organic matter to the testing regimen. Do you have any sound
reason to
suspect heavy metal contamination?

I don't have a reason, but the original poster in this thread is
concerned about his soil. I mentioned that things like cyanide and
benzene are going to go away on their own -- unless they are continually
resupplied. Heavy metals, on the other hand, don't break down. They
may wash away, but they won't break down.


Ray

I am planning to start a vegetable garden this year as well. However,
I am planning to reuse what the previous owners used as a garden area.
It is a very nice area, however, I think it was built with pressure
treated lumber. So I was wondering where I could my local "local Ag.
Cooperative Extension" to test my soil.

Any help is appreciated.


(JP) wrote in message om...
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

If it'll make you feel better, test it.

Really, though, if pressure-treated lumber leached a significant amount
of poison, it wouldn't last very long. As it is, the stuff is generally
guaranteed for twenty years -- even when buried.


Ray


"EB" wrote in message
om...
I am planning to start a vegetable garden this year as well. However,
I am planning to reuse what the previous owners used as a garden area.
It is a very nice area, however, I think it was built with pressure
treated lumber. So I was wondering where I could my local "local Ag.
Cooperative Extension" to test my soil.

Any help is appreciated.


(JP) wrote in message
om...
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

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

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:29:52 -0500, Ray Drouillard wrote:

I don't have a reason, but the original poster in this thread is concerned
about his soil. I mentioned that things like cyanide and benzene are
going to go away on their own -- unless they are continually resupplied.
Heavy metals, on the other hand, don't break down. They may wash away,
but they won't break down.


Ray

Ray ... not trying to challenge you. I just was wondering why the OP felt
there was a need to test for heavy metals. Where I live, each type of
subtest adds significantly to the cost of the overall test. Perhaps the OP
is made of money, but I would have to have sound reason to suspect such a
problem before I popped my wallet open to pay for the test.

That's all. I was just wondering if the test was a rational thing to do.

Bill

--
http://cannaday.us (genealogy)
http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening)
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