Allotments 4 All

I've been reading our copy of NSALG magazine, this article caught my eye

" in 1950, food travelled an average of 3 miles, today it can be up to 1,600 miles
potatoes are often treated with up to 14 chemicals, 9 of these are for cosmetic reasons only
lettuces can be sprayed up to 11 times with 23 chemicals
it was reported that for every £1 spent on safety, £400 is spent on chemicals

makes you realise all the hard work is worth it  :)

 :o I'm sure most of us knew but even so...  :o

I'm sure the article is well meant, but those figures are merely plucked out of the air.  Britain has always been a trading nation, and even in 1950, with the privations of rationing, butter and lamb was being brought from New Zealand, and sugar from the Caribbean.  An average of 3 miles is just silly.  And "up to 1,600 miles"? Australia and New Zealand are over 10 thousand miles away, so that was and is out by a huge factor the other way.  I'm sure the figures about "chemicals" are just as wrong, or at least disingenuous.

Do you ever spray your plants with soap solution to get rid of aphids? I believe that's allowed under organic rules.  How many different "chemicals" in soap, I wonder?  And we mustn't forget that tap water contains loads of "chemicals".

no idea if what is said is true or not,  melbourne... as I said, the article caught my eye...this is from the AGM of the national association, a chap called Guy Nottingham..I suppose his intentions are good  :)

I have to say that at this very moment we're blanching a load of spinach for the freezer, and we'll be eating some fresh tonight. It's delicious, still full of bounce from being picked this afternoon.  Irrespective of food miles or chemicals, the sheer quality and tastiness of home-grown is what does it for me.

Quote from: Melbourne12 on October 06, 2007, 19:11:41Do you ever spray your plants with soap solution to get rid of aphids? I believe that's allowed under organic rules.  How many different "chemicals" in soap, I wonder?  And we mustn't forget that tap water contains loads of "chemicals".

Spooky! :o I was thinking about this exact question today!  Woud love to know the answer as I'm just about to blitz the aphids and whitefly from my sprouts with soapy water...

I took somebodies advice about blitzing my brassicas with lemon soapy water and it worked. No more cabbage white eggs were found after application. I feel I have confused them. Either that or they have taken flight to sunnier climes.  ::)

How's about growing Saponaria (soapwort) then using the suds from that to spray aphids?

;D

Hello Lauren S,
     Is your lemon soapy spray soap with a squirt of lemon juice please?

Gordon I just used lemon washing up liquid in a spray bottle. I did both sides of each leaf. So far so good. I checked this morning and no more sign of any new eggs/caterpillars.  :)

Quote from: Amazin on October 07, 2007, 00:22:09
How's about growing Saponaria (soapwort) then using the suds from that to spray aphids?

;D

I wonder what I did with my Soapwort seeds I bought last year. Can't remember if I actually sowed them or what!
I remember something from one of the satirical shows (spitting image?) where they tried to say the chemical composition of tap water (H2Oetc).

hmm, so is spraying with soap organic... anyone?  :-\
thanks  :D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D The soap is probably more organic than the water.  From Thames Water's website:


Chemical Standards

Chemical standards for drinking water are set out in legislation. Compliance with these standards is checked by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The standards are normally based on a life time's consumption and also take into account the intake from food and other sources. Many of the chemicals listed below are not normally found in drinking water or only occur in local circumstances.

Parameter    Description    Standard
1,2- dichloroethane    is found in industrial solvents and can be detected in trace amounts in some source waters. They are removed by water treatment.    3µg/l
Acrylamide    monomer is found in polyacrylamide which can be used in the treatment of water to remove impurities. Use of polyacrylamide is tightly ontrolled. 0.1µg/l
Aluminium    occurs as a natural constituent of many waters. At some treatment works aluminium salts are used to remove impurities.    200µg/l
Ammonium    ions are found naturally in most waters and removed by treatment. At some treatment works ammonia is added as part of the disinfection process.     0.5mg/l
Antimony    is rarely found in water and when this does occur it is likely to be due to the water being in contact with brass fittings or lead free solder.    5µg/l
Arsenic    occurs naturally in a small number of ground water sources. Specific treatments can be used but it is not normally found in the Thames Water area.    10µg/l
Benzene    is used in the petrochemical and plastics industry. Occasionally it is found in source water but is removed by treatment.    1µg/l
Benzo(a)pyrene    is one of several compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Trace levels can be found in drinking water where coal tar lining of mains was historically practiced to prevent corrosion.    0.01µg/l
Boron    occurs naturally at low levels in all waters. Some industrial discharge and detergents can increase the concentrations in river water. Boron is not removed by normal water treatment.    1mg/l
Bromate    is formed during the disinfection of drinking water though the reaction with natural bromide. It can also occasionally be detected in water through industrial pollution.    10µg/l
Cadmium    occurs in a small number of ground water sources. Specific treatments can be used but it is not normally found in the Thames Water area.    5µg/l
Chloride    is found as natural salts in all waters. It is not removed during normal treatment. Concentrations depend on the local water source.     250mg/l
Chromium    is very rarely found in drinking water.    50µg/l
Colour    occurs naturally in many water sources. It is readily removed by treatment.    20mg/l Pt/Co
Conductivity    is a measure of the dissolved inorganic substances.    2500µS/cm at 20°C
Copper    is rarely found in source waters but can leach into drinking water as it passes through domestic copper pipes and fittings.    2mg/l
Cyanide    is very rarely found in drinking water.    50µg/l
Epichlorohydrin    is found in polyamines which can be used in the treatment of water to remove impurities. The use of polyamines is tightly controlled.    0.1µg/l
Fluoride    occurs naturally is many water sources. Some water companies add fluoride to the water supply at the request of health authorities to protect against tooth decay. This is not undertaken in Thames Water.    1.5mg/l
Hydrogen Ion (pH)    is a measure of the acidity of the water. pH values above 7 indicate alkaline conditions, pH 7 is neutral and below pH 7 is acidic.    6.5 - 10.0 pH
Iron    is naturally present in most water sources. Iron salts can also be used in water treatment to remove impurities. Iron can also be present in drinking water through corrosion of iron water mains.      200µg/l
Lead    is rarely found in source waters but can be found in drinking water due to pick up from lead pipes and fittings. Where required Thames Water treats supplies to minimise concentrations.    25 µg/l
Manganese    occurs naturally in many water sources. It is readily removed by treatment.    50µg/l
Mercury    is very rarely found in drinking water.    1µg/l
Nickel    is rarely found in source water. In Thames Water nickel in drinking water is normally associated with nickel coatings used on some domestic taps and fittings.    20µg/l
Nitrate    occurs naturally in most source waters but concentrations can be increased as a result of fertiliser use. Where necessary concentrations in drinking water can be reduced by diluting with sources where nitrate levels are low or through specific treatment.    50mg/l
Nitrite    occurs naturally at low levels in some waters but is removed by treatment. It is sometime produced as a by-product when chloramine is used as a disinfectant.    0.5mg/l at consumers' tap 0.1mg/l at water treatment works
Nitrate/Nitrite    is a measure of the combined concentrations of these two compounds in drinking water. Concentration of nitrate divided by 50 + concentration of nitrite divided by 3.    <= 1
Pesticides    are a diverse group of organic compounds that include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides. Many water sources contain traces of one or more pesticides as a result of both agricultural and non-agricultural uses. Thames Water is actively working with users and manufacturers to reduce pesticides in water sources. Where required treatment is in place to remove pesticides from drinking water.    0.03µg/l for aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide. 0.1µg/l for other individual pesticides 0.5 µg/l for the total of all pesticides detected
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons    can be found in drinking water where coal tar lining of mains was historically practiced to prevent corrosion. The standard is a measure of  benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(ghi)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene.    0.1µg/l
Radioactivity-Tritium    found naturally in water at very low concentrations. Elevated levels may indicate the presence of other artificial radionuclides.    100Bq/l
Radioactivity- total indicative dose    is a measure of radiation exposure through drinking water. Radioactivity is naturally present in all water sources. Levels of radioactivity are normally monitored by measuring gross alpha or beta activities.     0.1 mSv/year
Residual disinfectant    Treated water contains a small amount of residual disinfectant to ensure microbiological quality throughout the distribution system.    No standard
Selenium    is very rarely found in drinking water.    10µg/l
Sodium    is naturally present in many water sources. Concentrations in Thames Water's supplies are well below the standard. Domestic water softeners can increase the sodium concentration.    200mg/l
Sulphate    is naturally present in many water sources. Concentrations in Thames Water's supplies are well below the standard.    250mg/l
Taste & odour    is a measure of the aesthetic quality of drinking water. Unusual tastes or odours may indicate a problem that requires investigation.    Dilution number of 3 at 25°C
Tetrachloroethane & trichloroethane    are solvents which very occasionally found in water sources. Specialist treatment is needed to remove these compounds. The standard is a measure of the combined concentrations.    10µg/l
Tetrachloromethane    is a solvent which very occasionally found in water sources. Specialist treatment is needed to remove this compound.    3µg/l
Total organic carbon    is a measure of the amount of organic material in the water, most of which comes from natural sources.    No abnormal change (mg/l)
Trihalomethanes total    are formed by the reaction of chlorine with natural organic substances in water. The standard is a measure of chloroform, bromoform, dibromochloromethane and bromodichloromethane.     100µg/l
Turbidity    is a measure of the clarity of water.    4 NTU at consumers' tap 1 NTU at water treatment works
Vinyl chloride    can be found in water pipes containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Concentrations are strictly controlled by product specification.    0.50µg/l

Key
Code/Units    Description
Pt/Co    Platinum-Cobalt Scale
NTU    Nephelometric Turbidity Units
°C    Degrees Centigrade
µS/cm    Micro Siemens per Centimetre
Bq/l    Becquerels per Litre
mSv/year    Millisieverts per Year
mg/l    Milligrammes per Litre (one part per million)
µg/l    Microgrammes per Litre (one part per billion

hmmmmmmmm  :-\
that went right over my head!

Whooooooshhh.  ??? ??? ???   ;D ;D ;D