permaculture

["Steven & Margaret Eisenhauer" <eisenhauerdesign@earthlink.net>]

Hello,
I have learned from various sources that one needs to look at every
amendment with caution.  To evaluate whether compost is healthy or bears
toxic residues one needs to do a sprout test.  Place seeds in between wet
cloth or paper towel-unbleached and wetted with non chlorinated water as
your control and then plant the same type and number of seeds in the compost
in a flat and keep moist. Just compare your sprouting percentage in the
compost with the control and you will know whether the compost is clean or
toxic.  The beauty of this test is that it only takes 3 - 5 days to
complete.

Steven Eisenhauer

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of paul wheaton
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:06 AM
To: permaculture
Subject: [permaculture] commercial compost and persistent herbicides

Many people think their commercial compost is great because stuff is
doing better with it than their stuff did with cement-like dirt.  That
compost probably has persistent herbicides in it that is stunting
plant growth. But the only way to know for sure is to grow a bunch of
plants next to same species/variety plants that are grown in compost
that definitely doesn't have it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GunQ9mB0ywU
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