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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Fwd:New Transporting Hay Regs

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Fwd:New Transporting Hay Regs
  • Date: Thu, 01 May 2008 21:01:00 -0600


I have to quarrel with the whole business of composting to make anything
"safe". It's just not an exact science and no one can kill all pathogens or
decompose all toxins by composting at any level. Healthy soil is not sterile
nor free of pathogens. What healthy soil does is favor beneficial
microorganisms over the bad guys and produce healthy plants and produce. YMMV.

On a personal note, I avoid all soilless growing mediums and sterilized
mixes. In fact, I never wash or bleach my pots before reusing them. I mix
some soil in with potting soil and use this for starting seeds in 4" pots and
for repotting up in gallon pots. And it's not as rich as the soil it'll be
transplanted into, so the roots will go where they're wanted. No chemicals,
no fertilizer, only compost tea or very weak fish or seaweed solution once.
Here's the kicker: I never get damping off, never have a single plant sprout
and then die (unless it gets caught by cold), never get diseases. Nothing
unusual about this. Organic pioneers have been making these outrageous claims
for decades, and they were right. Only difference is I grow nothing but
heirlooms that have stood the test of time.


paul tradingpost@lobo.net

"More than any time in history, mankind now faces a crossroads. One path
leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let
us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly."
-- Woody Allen

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 5/1/2008 at 1:05 PM Terry Wereb wrote:

>It is my understanding, that if manure is 'heat composted' that is
>permitted to reach a temp of 130 deg F, turned, then reheats-- something
>like 3 times, that it may then be called 'organic'. Supposedly, the
>temperature helps the 'unnaturals' break down into their natural, base
>components. but still.... pharmacueticals are showing up in our drinking
>water, and the govmint folks tell us they are at 'safe' levels.... tell
>that
>to my daughter who can't get pregnant, because her reproductive hormones
>are
>all out of whack, and the docs can't find a physical reason for them to be
>so....
>
snip






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