Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Pumpkin Lady <pumpkin@xanadoo.com>]

TradingPostPaul wrote:

> On soil pH, I hate to guess but I question adding a lot of sulfur or
> anything to try to change pH quickly. However, the Rodale books say adding
> organic matter or finished compost tends to buffer high or low pH so plants
> grow properly. 

Sulfur is not a "quick fix" it takes about 6 months to get in and get 
going and lasts years. I'm not trying to lower it tons. I've gardened in 
this area before, and the beds I put sulfur in every 3-5 years have a 
(slightly) lower pH and the plants seem (lots) happier in than the bed I 
didn't. It's more of a maintenance thing once it gets in there, and if I 
was doing it at my old house, I'd just sprinkle it on the top and mulch 
over it and make the assumption it would work in eventually and be fine. 
 The problem is this is a completely new place and no one has done 
anything to it AFAICT except overgraze it.

The soil itself is marginally high...the WATER is more than the poor 
plants will be able to take, though, and where I live, watering is a 
must most years. I'm just offsetting the water with something to lower 
the pH so the plants are happier.

>Roadside grass may take up a lot of exhaust fumes.

Which consist of what bad things that plants can uptake these days?

You used to hear a lot about roadside plants having lead, but gas 
doesn't contain that now, does it? Not that the lead goes anywhere, but 
I'm not sure this was a road that long ago. I know it has only been 
paved in the last 5 years.


Thanks,
Morgan