Kitchen Garden Forum

https://theplantguide.net/2019/01/03/da ... -gardener/


I'd never given potting mixes a thought but I certainly will now.

I suspect this is more applicable to home made mixes than commercially obtained, why might it be applicable to just potting mixes

I think UK gardeners are potentially more at risk from contracting Sepsis through not wearing gloves or properly covering cuts & open wounds

But then how many cases do we hear of yet we all "do dirt" on a regular basis

Not buying any from NZ for sure!

Legionella is carried from water, the bacteria gets in the water mist so spraying it was probably not the correct advise.

Dear All,
legionella pneumophila is the one in water. L. longbeachae is the one under discussion here and is found in potting mixes.

It seems that the legionella l. is found in potting mixes that have a high recycled plant material content. Ie the stuff from a compost heap /sawdust or bark. It is not noted as causing a problem in natural soil or peat based compost mixes. I would imagine that most compost producing companies are aware of the problem and have to test for it these days.

I found this article on line which gives more detail.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3377390/

The numbers infected in the Uk is probably in single digits and compared to tetanus, sepsis, lyme disease and weils disease it is a very small problem.

What I would say is this; treat old bags of compost with suspicion and make sure that all the potting mixes you use are damp enough not to give rise to dust that can be inhaled. This also applies to the composts from your heap in the garden and any mulches you buy in.

If you have elderly or have lung problems try to avoid inhaling garden dusts by keeping up wind of such works.

Regards Sally Wright

If you're lucky enough to have access to fresh shredded material from a tree surgeon exercise extreme caution when a pile has been stood for a while, especially in warm weather.
Moulds form extremely quickly in the inside of the heap and when you cheerfully dig into it you can end up in a veritable cloud of spores, breathing them in, coating you and your clothes. Watering the heap doesn't do much as it sheds water, so it becomes a two or three person job, one with watering can or hose, one with a shovel (ideally a long handled American style spade) and the third on barrow and can refilling duty, at least two barrows. One waters the business end of two's shovel in action and three wheels the results away and brings fresh cans as well if no hose.

Although not related, another important respiratory issue to be aware of is moss spores on fences. A year ago I was brushing down a long fence with a stiff broom to remove all the green moss spores which had built up on it before giving it a coat of preservative. I was appalled how much stuff came off and lingered in the air. I tried to be careful not to inhale but in retrospect I really should have worn a mask.