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["Melody O." <melody AT crecon.com>]

Thanks for the encouragement, but below are are the paragraphs that made me
wonder if I am adding too much of this, or not enough of that, and the
article stated that well-meaning gardeners might screw up more than they
are helping.

As a disclaimer: I am a perfectionist.  I have to actively combat the idea
that if I can't do something perfectly I shouldn't do it at all; you know,
don't do a half-*#@ed job.  So, I am trying to break out of that and just
do the best with what I know and pray it turns out for the best. :-)
Articles like this, while very instructional and wonderful, just make me
doubt myself all over again--and press me to learn more and try harder.

Below are the points I mentioned:
At 08:02 AM 3/3/05 -0700, you wrote:
>The Push Is on for Good Clean Dirt
>By ANNE RAVER
>
>
>Professional analysis can also reveal problems with nutrients in soil, 
>nutrients that, even if they are present, may be unavailable to plants for 
>any number of reasons, from a lack of oxygen to an excess of nitrogen. 
>Excess calcium, for instance, can inhibit the uptake of magnesium, boron 
>and potassium, elements all crucial to plant growth.
<snip>
>
>And poorly made composts or mulch full of pathogens can also cause serious 
>damage, if not more, said Dr. William F. Brinton, the president of Woods 
>End Research Laboratory in Mount Vernon, Me. "I would not buy any product 
>sight unseen before knowing where it came from and what's in it," he said. 
>"There is a lot of E.coli in compost that is improperly made."
>
>Dr. Ribeiro also pointed to problems with mulch, or composted yard waste.
>"Up here we get a lot of wood chips, which worries me, because they could 
>be from diseased trees," Dr. Ribeiro said. Phytopthera, which can attack 
>1,000 species of plants, from potatoes to oak trees, is often spread 
>through contaminated mulch.
>
>So if you are buying mulch, get a printout from the company or municipal 
>group providing it, listing everything in the material. "That means 
>microelements to major elements," Dr. Ribeiro said. "You can have too much 
>nitrogen in compost, or high levels of micro-elements like lead and cadmium."
>
>And what about all the claims of miracle cures with compost tea? The 
>ancients, from the Romans to my grandmother, just steeped manure in a 
>bucket of water. <snip>Scientists warn that the teas can be infected with
pathogens if they are 
>improperly made.
>