Kitchen Garden Forum

My main problem is slugs with having a mixture of herbaceous borders, perennials and shrubs interspersed with veg growing areas. I should think they would be much easier to manage organically on a field sized area - no hiding places. I'm not sure if the ferric phosphate pellets are working as there are no dead bodies to see.

Yes - I know formerly organic farmers who have given up because of the rules and regulations. And not to mention the organic farmers who add magnesium and cobalt to feedstock who always seem a bit embarrassed when this is raised. It also reminds me of the time that the nasturtiums were sown next next to sprouts and other brassicas. The cabbage whites completely ignored the nasturtiums. And whilst I am at it, the business of using 'no chemicals' to which I reply, well yes I do. H20 is my favourite but there is also potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and a host of other nice trace chemicals without which we wouldn't live.

On the question of pesticides I went to a talk today given by somebody on metal detectoring which he had been doing for many years. He said that before pesticides had been introduced the Old Roman and other bronze age coins that had been discovered and dug up were often still in excellent condition with many of their markings being clearly visible.

However, the use of pesticides on arable land over some decades has permeated the soil to such an extent that any Roman and similar metal objects dug up now are virtually valueless because the chemicals in the pesticides have eroded all the markings from the metal.

If they can have this effect on metal, what must the prolonged absorption of them be doing to our guts I wonder?

Hi Primrose,
Well really that sounds like Organic Myth and Legend at it's worst. I would ask that person for a full scientific explanation and would further love to hear the excuse for not being able to do so.
I think that is about the most monstrous statement ever. A case of 'BULLSHINE' if ever!

Local to me there are farmers growing swedes under fleece organically, they don't spray that drop, but I'm not sure about the tatties or barley that go in the ground on intervening years.

Concerning the Roman coins etc, it is quite believable that they might be corroded, not so much by pesticides as ammonium nitrate fertiliser, which is quite a strong oxidizing agent. Some of our tractor hoes have fertiliser injectors, and the nitrates certainly rot the metalwork they contact unless it's a high grade stainless.

That sounds very plausible Tony, unlike the original quote.

Well I suspect when the metal detectorist was talking about metal objects to in the ground being corroded by pesticides, etc he probably probably meant all man made elements which farmers and agriculturists have added to the soil over recent decades to fertilise or protect crops.

Well without being offensive to anybody I feel that this thread has strayed far from the original post and I therefore will take no further part.