Is your soil sick? What happens when a would-be vegetable gardener discovers her dirt is dirty
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
When Home section columnist Susan Carpenter launched the Realist Idealist, the concept was simple: Write about green home improvement and sustainable living from a typical consumer’s point of view. Green design can be great, but how much does it cost? What benefit will it yield? What are the potential pitfalls I may face along the way, and how can I solve them in the most ecologically conscious, least expensive way?
Yeah, simple. As her latest piece proves, good intentions can go off track really quickly. When Carpenter decides to switch from low-water landscaping to fruit and vegetable gardening, she encountered problems before the shovel hits the soil:
Like a lot of L.A. dirt, mine was a victim of our car culture, containing high, unhealthful levels of zinc (from brake dust) and lead (from leaded gasoline). If I was going to farm my property, I had two options: Build raised beds or remediate the soil by growing a cover crop that would suck up the metals. I chose option No. 2.
The photo of Carpenter’s garden above is your hint that perhaps option No. 2 didn’t go so well. To read more about what she did and why, read the latest installment of the Realist Idealist. We also have the column archived, with previous pieces on gray water, solar panels, chickens and so-called green cleaners.
Want to find out how you can test your soil for contaminants? Click to the jump for information on testing companies and their fees.
-- Craig Nakano
From the Sept. 19 Home section:
How Clean Is the Dirt? All dirts are not created equal. Urban dirt in particular has suffered the fallout from human activity, often with higher-than-healthy concentrations of lead, arsenic and other toxic metals that accumulate in the soil and are sucked up by plants. It’s an issue of grave importance for the millions of Americans who are food gardening. Soil testing, whether for pH, salinity, texture or heavy metals -- all of which affect how well, or if, a plant will grow -- is a good idea for anyone who intends to eat the bounty of their gardens. Several laboratories offer soil testing for home gardeners, including:Wallace Laboratories, El Segundo. (310) 615-0116 or www.bettersoils.com. $65 per test.EarthCo, St. Louis. (314) 994-2167 or www.drgoodearth.com. $20 to $100 per test.
-- Susan Carpenter