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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Plants for nitrate/phosphate uptake

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  • From: David Buitenveld <sarcasticboy@thechicken.coop>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Plants for nitrate/phosphate uptake
  • Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:56:59 -0700

I just love when a question pops up on the list that I have some experience with ;-)

There is a fellow here in the Pac Northwest that has done / is doing amazing things with mushrooms - including remediation of a failing septic drainfield on his property.. the name is Paul Stamets (I'm sure I have seen his name on the list previously) and he is at www.fungi.com. I couldn't find what I wanted at the website with a quick perusal, but then googled stamets septic and got some good hits including a review of his latest book at HopeDance.. my guess is that if you contacted fungi.com they could set you up with some interesting solutions..

on another note - this is a topic that I am interested in pursuing in the next year or two.. is the monitoring something that a layperson can accomplish? Or would you recommend working with a local lab? I would love to hear how this works out for you - good luck!

david

roxann wrote:
Hi All,

We are installing our septic system for our new house. Where I live there is
not public sewer system, so that is not an option. We want to put in small
ponds downstream from the effluent and I'd like to use plants to clean the
water more before it finally will enter the environment. What plants are good
to grow in the ponds that will take up nitrates/nitrites/phosphates? I work
in a water quality laboratory, so I will be monitoring regularly. Do you know
the aquatic plant that takes over bayous in s. louisiana? they've got air
pockets in the stems and make a purple flower? i can't remember the name of
them. but they make an excellent compost when you pull them from the water
(and i don't know why they aren't doing this with them, rather than spraying
herbicides and killing in place). i wonder if they also will take up
nutrients from the water and then when i compost them they can be utilized
for the garden.

are cattails good nutrient uptakers?
i have the space to put in successive ponds with cascading features to each
lower pond, which should help with aeration, too. it will not all be
installed at once, since i do not have so much time or money to do it with,
but i'd like to put a plan in place so that the eventual goal will be reached
by the time the water reaches the end of the line.

thanks for input,

roxann, nw ar
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com
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