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Spring is just around the corner and it is time to prepare your soil for planting. Whether you will be planting trees, shrubs, flowers or vegetables you will need to have your soil tested for contamination prior to having children work the soil. Even if you are not planning on planting, children will find their own areas in which to dig in the soil; they love the feel of the dirt in their hands! So as we protect our children’s health indoors, we will need to apply the same precautions to the outdoor space.
Our chemical laden culture has dumped chemicals into our water supply and soil. You might think that your site is currently safe, however it was a common practice in less enlightened years to dump toxic waste from factories into nearby alleyways to create roads. You won’t know what is lurking there if you don’t have the soil tested. The good news is that even if toxins are present, the soil can be managed properly and you can always provide clean garden composting soil if needed in raised beds. You can even compost your food scraps like we do at home to create organic compost.
A soil test can be performed for toxic metals. Brooklyn College Environmental Sciences Analytical Center and the University of Massachusetts Soil and Plant Testing Lab test soils from around the country for less than $30. Over time you can rehabilitate toxic soil by adding organic compounds. You can also rehab soil by growing non-edible crops such as sunflowers and spinach which will help remove the lead and other toxic metals.
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