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November 2007

Welcome to the second edition of the monthly newsletter from Sydney Environmental & Soil Laboratory. Each month, Fertile Minds brings you the latest news from SESL and the soil and environmental industries, useful and interesting information, and a Q&A column - with the hope that you will find something helpful.

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However, we firmly believe that you will find much of interest in Fertile Minds, and hope that you will stick around.

In this issue

• The Loam Ranger - Water Quality Terms
• Are you improving drainage or just burying money?
• Plant tissue analysis for turf growers
• Contaminated fill - make sure it's legal
• Did you know ... ?

The Loam Ranger – Water Quality Terms

Dear Loam Ranger, I've just received a water quality report from my testing lab. It talks about needing to use "acid injection" to improve the "pH" of my irrigation water and the addition of gypsum to lower the "SAR". What does it all mean? To help you understand and interpret the measurements and recommendations given in this and future water quality reports, Tomto and I have put together a glossary of water quality terms for you to print out and keep handy. Click here to see the list of water quality terms (900 words, 4 minutes).

Are you improving drainage or just burying money?

Landscape architects and contractors usually have to plan for surface drainage and runoff. Some landscapers dig trenches and lay gravel or drainage cell over drainpipe, then cover the gravel with the soil removed from the trench. Although this idea sounds reasonable, is it usually as effective as taking a wad of cash and burying it in the ground. This is because such soils are poorly drained, on account of low permeability and poor internal structure. Placing drainage under the surface without creating a path for water to reach it is a waste of money.

Click here to read about how to improve soil drainage now and for the future (700 words, 3 minutes).

Plant tissue analysis for turf growers

You sent your turf samples off to the lab for analysis of their nutrient content and the results have come back. Now what? How do you interpret the results and decide whether anything needs to be done?

Although the relationship between nutrient content and growth is well known, interpretation of plant analyses for turf species can be very complex.

Click here to find out all about turfgrass tissue analysis and nutrients (2000 words, 8 minutes).

Contaminated fill – make sure it's legal

Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, fill being removed to an unlicensed site (that is, not a legal waste facility) must be validated to make sure it is not harmful to either human health or the environment. Both the generator of the fill and the receiver need to be aware of this.

Material sold or given away as clean fill is sometimes contaminated with chemicals or waste, particularly asbestos and other building waste. The wrong material in the wrong place can damage the environment by polluting waterways and groundwater, destroying vegetation, contaminating land and causing erosion.

Click here if you are a waste generator, transporter or receiver (300 words, 1 minute)

Did you know ... ?

Many common foodstuffs around the home are toxic to dogs.

Dogs are full (though non-voting) members of our families, so it's easy to treat them as any other member of the family. Yet it's all too easy to kill them with kindness.

Be careful with what your dog eats. Many common foods that we eat, and would be tempted to share with our dogs, can harm and even kill dogs. For example, did you know that chocolate is deadly to dogs? Or artificial sweeteners? Or onions, macadamias, mushrooms or alcoholic drinks?

Click here for a list of foodstuffs to keep out of Fido's reach (700 words, 3 minutes)