Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[yarrow@sfo.com]

After you remove the asphalt chunks, you may be able to get clean 
fill dirt on freecycle or craigslist, or if you know any landscape 
contractors or designers, put the word out. On the list for my area, 
I see offers pretty regularly. A few people are even up in your area 
-- SustainableLandscape-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

At 7:38 AM -0800 2/9/10, Arzeena Hamir wrote:
> I would head the advice of the nursery. Along with possible
> hydrocarbon contamination, asphalt also contains heavy metals.
> Eighteen to 24 inches would be my recommendation. Here, our local
> landfill does yardwaste composting and sells this material for about
> $5 a pickup. It's not particularly nutrient rich but provides the
> 'fluff" to fill beds.
>
>
> On 8-Feb-10, at 5:02 PM, Jennifer Hamilton wrote:
>
> >  I normally lurk on this list...but I need some advice. I want to start
> >  a garden on my new place, but I am now finding that the area I want to
> >  plant is probably construction fill. I'm finding lots of asphalt
> >  chunks.
> >
> >  Would it be worth my time to sift them all out or should I just go
> >  straight to raised beds? If I need raised beds, how deep should they
> >  be? I was originally thinking 12", but a local nursery advised 18". I
> >  hadn't really planned on needing to buy dirt!