Re: [compost_tea] Using Tea with Soaker Hose or Drip Irrigation System

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 10:18:01 -0700

MessageI was researching soaker hose to use in brewing. They are manufactu=
red from recycled automobile tires. So I started researching the constitue=
nts of tire rubber and ran into a woman named Dr. Allison Draper. I commun=
icated with her several times and based on her research -- which got her ca=
nned from a tire industry sponsored school -- you should avoid any product =
made with tire rubber or tire rubber compounds. Of primary note was gene m=
utation and birth defect potential along with a number of other problems. =
I junked the idea of using any soaker product around anything I was eating =
or planning to use for a food source such as compost and compost tea.

Now, there is a guy in New Zealand who has a method of reusing tires as pla=
nters. I have someone experimenting with this now and we finally have a he=
rbal crop of oregano grown in the tires and in conventional wooden beds we =
can get tested. I am assuming that, as Dr. Draper indicated, there will be=
 some transferrence to the food product but I will know more when we get th=
e tests back.

To the eye, the crop grown in the tires looks the same as the grop grown in=
 the beds. The grower has been eating the the tire and bed stuff and he ha=
sn't grown a third eye or strange new limbs yet but I will not touch it unt=
il we get tests back.

I trust Allison's work as I trust Elaine's work so I would advise avoiding =
recycled tire rubber products until someone who is NOT associated with the =
tire industry gives it a clean bill of health.

Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth





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Received on Fri Apr 09 2004 - 14:42:30 EDT

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