permaculture

[BK <lildragon@saber.net>]

Hey again,

Spreading the load is diffiently part of the solution, though I'm concerned
of total weight of the soil, so I'm actually more interested in what
lightweight mixtures would work, and what would want to grow there. I think
I'd probably stay away from styrofoam, though perhaps perlite might be a
possible addition. Then there is the issue of moisture, with 2 somewhat
competing goals: drain it away fast in downpours, but keep some moisture for
as long as possible. I had never really thought of using silica crystals,
its an interesting idea. Are there any relatively ecofriendly polymer
absorbers to add? Perhaps some form of seaweed gel can absorb and hold
water, like agar or some such. Lastly, is galvanished hardware mesh a high
risk in terms of heavy metals? It would primarily be zinc right? Is zinc
rated high in bad metals, or are there other metals added to the zinc dip?

Regards,
Bear