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Site prep "just scrape the sod back from where you want to plant" This advice should be qualified. I live in outer London in a mid-century house. My garden soi

by jspash 4y ago

Site prep "just scrape the sod back from where you want to plant" This advice should be qualified. I live in outer London in a mid-century house. My garden soil has been collecting lead-laden dust for most of those years until leaded petrol was outlawed. If I were to plant directly in the soil, there is no telling how many heavy metals would be pulled into the vegetables. Not to mention, I was digging one day and about 3 feet down I found a discarded television. What else could be buried there? Did the previous owners operate an illegal motorcycle repair yard? There could be gallons upon gallons of who knows what in the dirt. I've heard stories about the next door garden which was used to breed all manner of house pets. Dogs, hamsters, rabbits and snakes. Then there are the pesticides from the perfectly manicured gardens that one might inherit when buying a house. Although I think they degrade after a short while (could be wrong about that) Point being... if you're in the city DO NOT just plant in the earth. I suppose you could get the soil tested, but I'd rather spend an afternoon and a little bit of money on lumber and build the boxes. And free compost from reliable sources is easy to find on the internet.

spikej 4y ago
Or simpler yet: container gardening with pots and big totes
feast 4y ago
I didn't /specifically/ qualify this because if you're gardening in your city backyard, you likely don't have enough acreage to be providing a very substantial % of your yearly calories via your own garden. Strictly speaking, though, you're right that urban soils have accumulated unpleasantness--so if you're not cash-constrained, maybe container gardening or raised beds is worth it for peace of mind. I haven't personally done research on which plants uptake heavy metals in which amounts, but I'm inclined to figure that a summer's worth of tomatoes, even if grown in leaded soil, will still have less lead than I would have gotten had I lived in the leaded gasoline days. Totally fair to want to do your own math, or/especially to insist on container gardening if your family includes pregnancies/toddlers, though. On the topic of pesticides from gardens--in general what is available to homoeowners is not going to have a lot of persistence. (What is available to farmers is not going to have a lot of persistence, either). The places I would be careful of long-lasting pesticide residues are railroad right-of-ways and (depending on your state & power company) around transformer stations.
Kon-Peki 4y ago
Not sure how much it would cost in the UK, but here in middle America you can buy large quantities of gardening soil quite cheaply. I ordered 3 cubic yards from a nursery for US$180 delivered (literally a dump truck / tipper lorry put it in my driveway). The same amount of soil from the local big box garden center would have cost almost US$1000 and I would be responsible for getting it home. Get your neighbors together and get one delivery for maximum savings!
csw-001 4y ago
This is such a great point. Soil lead testing in the U.S. is cheap through University Extension programs. U of Delaware will test mid-Atlantic soil for nutrients and Lead for under $20. You not only get to learn the science of what your soil is lacking, you avoid poisoning yourself and others!

by jspash 4y ago

spikej 4y ago

Or simpler yet: container gardening with pots and big totes

feast 4y ago

I didn't /specifically/ qualify this because if you're gardening in your city backyard, you likely don't have enough acreage to be providing a very substantial % of your yearly calories via your own garden. Strictly speaking, though, you're right that urban soils have accumulated unpleasantness--so if you're not cash-constrained, maybe container gardening or raised beds is worth it for peace of mind. I haven't personally done research on which plants uptake heavy metals in which amounts, but I'm inclined to figure that a summer's worth of tomatoes, even if grown in leaded soil, will still have less lead than I would have gotten had I lived in the leaded gasoline days. Totally fair to want to do your own math, or/especially to insist on container gardening if your family includes pregnancies/toddlers, though. On the topic of pesticides from gardens--in general what is available to homoeowners is not going to have a lot of persistence. (What is available to farmers is not going to have a lot of persistence, either). The places I would be careful of long-lasting pesticide residues are railroad right-of-ways and (depending on your state & power company) around transformer stations.

Kon-Peki 4y ago

Not sure how much it would cost in the UK, but here in middle America you can buy large quantities of gardening soil quite cheaply. I ordered 3 cubic yards from a nursery for US$180 delivered (literally a dump truck / tipper lorry put it in my driveway). The same amount of soil from the local big box garden center would have cost almost US$1000 and I would be responsible for getting it home. Get your neighbors together and get one delivery for maximum savings!

csw-001 4y ago

This is such a great point. Soil lead testing in the U.S. is cheap through University Extension programs. U of Delaware will test mid-Atlantic soil for nutrients and Lead for under $20. You not only get to learn the science of what your soil is lacking, you avoid poisoning yourself and others!