Denton Dyno Dirt for garden

[Don Perry]

I have about a cubic yard of Dyno Dirt( reclaimed and aged sewage , now dirt) from Denton, Texas. My veggie garden is 25' by20' and a greenhouse floor area. Had to tear it down here in tornado country. I'd like to mix in that Dyno Dirt for planting rows of veggies. How can I tell if the Dirt is too hot for my veggies, When I plant. Is there a test?

 

[YumYum]

Dino Dirt Test Results

 

[Don Perry]

Dino Dirt Test Results

thanks.

 

[YumYum]

That says it is about 1% nitrogen by weight. That seems like quite a bit of nitrogen to me. I don't know what the upper limits of N are in soil. I do know Miracle Gro Potting mix is 0.210% N by weight.

A soil test with adequate nitrogen is something like 50 ppm N, which is 0.005% N by weight.

 

[Chuck]

Maybe I am nuts but using composted human waste in a vegetable garden puts me off. I just cannot see any benefit but I can see a very unlikely but possible bad side effects. I just don't know if composting will take care of all the medicines and other not so good stuff that is in human waste.

 

[YumYum]

I second the Ewwww factor.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I once worked with a guy who had had a previous job at a sewage farm. He said they used to run off a layer on to a bit of waste ground and grow tomatoes, didn't even need to seed it.

 

[YumYum]

The Abraham Lincoln tomato seed was started in a manner similar to that. Look that one up.

 

[Don Perry]

Maybe I am nuts but using composted human waste in a vegetable garden puts me off. I just cannot see any benefit but I can see a very unlikely but possible bad side effects. I just don't know if composting will take care of all the medicines and other not so good stuff that is in human waste.

This soil has been aged about 5 years and tested safe. Everything (veggies, weeds, Johnson grass) wants to take over that big pile of dirt. My son in law been using it for years.
It's just that I tried it last year in raised planter beds and had a really off year, Tomatoes didnt do much. Same with most other veggies.

 

[Chuck]

This soil has been aged about 5 years and tested safe. Everything (veggies, weeds, Johnson grass) wants to take over that big pile of dirt. My son in law been using it for years.
It's just that I tried it last year in raised planter beds and had a really off year, Tomatoes didnt do much. Same with most other veggies.

You said it was tested safe. I am sure it was but what did they test for? I am sure that heavy metals and chemicals were tested for but what about stuff like tetanus, botulism, E. Coli, Salmonella? They may have. How about hormones? How about the almost unlimited selection of basic drugs used for everything from cancer to you name it. There are just too much harmful properties involved with human excrement for me to feel safe growing vegetables with it. I think it would probably be fine for use on a lawn or possibly with flowers, but food? I think I will pass and apply an abundance of caution.

 

[Don Perry]

Since I had that bad year, I think you are right enough for me to seek other soils to fill my beds. Thanks for the advice. My wife wants me to redo the rose bed. Good use for that.

 

[Don Perry]

My country raised son-in-law told me it is too hot for gardening. I must mix it in about 2: on top and cultivate. He tells me he uses it like that. All I know is that he raises a heck of a good garden every year. Productive as all get out. (pay no attention to the small arm growing out of his neck)

 

[Don Perry]

I'm going to plant some "Double Knock Out " Roses for my wife using the Dyno Dirt , well mixed in. I managed to kill three really nice rose bushes when I spread critter repellant on them. Turns out it had cayenne pepper ground in it. HINT: Never do that!

 

[mgeorge17]

This soil has been aged about 5 years and tested safe. Everything (veggies, weeds, Johnson grass) wants to take over that big pile of dirt. My son in law been using it for years.
It's just that I tried it last year in raised planter beds and had a really off year, Tomatoes didnt do much. Same with most other veggies.

Take a look at the average pH - it's close to 8. You're not going to grow much in that without major amendments, which might also explain your "off year". I have used both the Dyno Dirt and Soil before as we are very sandy in my belt and I need to do large areas from a grass perspective. From a gardening perspective (which wants pH < 7), I have tried the Dyno Dirt but it took me 1+ years to establish after multiple rounds of elemental sulfur. You might try doing a soil test after your mixing and sending it off to Texas A&M. It's about $12 per sample and well worth it.