Comments on: It’s always something.

By: bornfamous

bornfamous — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:45:53 +0000

So far very good on the tomatoes, Lisa. Thing are better now. I think it was the seed packets that somehow got contaminated, probably in the warehouse or during shipping. Whole Foods may not have had anything to do with it. I’m ordering seeds from now on, from the source, instead of getting them from stores that buy them elsewhere.

By: Lisa Z

Lisa Z — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:54:54 +0000

Tomatoes love acid so hopefully they’ll be just fine!

Sorry about your mess, there. I am sensitive to chemicals, too, but not to the extent you are. And to have that happen at Whole Foods! I wonder how many others have been affected. Sad.

Lisa in MN

By: bornfamous

bornfamous — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:23:02 +0000

Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right? Too late on the coffee grounds–I got some at Starbucks last night and repotted the tomato with the grounds mixed into the soil. I hope they don’t kill the poor thing–it looks pretty good right now, with several blossoms already. I’d hate to lose it.

Sounds like you do have some sensitivity to chemicals, Susannah. What you describe is very much like how it started for me. The best thing you can do to avoid getting worse is to avoid chemicals as much as possible. Switch to fragrance free [not unscented] personal products, laundry detergent and household cleaners. And stop using dryer sheets altogether–they’re very toxic. Let me know if you want more information about this.

By: Susannah

Susannah — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:02:42 +0000

Oh LaVonne, what a drag!! I am glad you were able to avert a really bad migraine…but still! I wish I could teleport some of our huge pile of composted steer, goat and chicken manure to you. I think the coffee grounds would help out with compost but might be too acidic on their own (I mean mixed with the older soil). I do not have your sensitivity to chemicals, however, I hate going into hardware store or anywhere that sells Miracle-Gro or similar products. The stench immediately makes the inside of my nose and head ache. Good luck!

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:23:57 +0000

It is amazing how the US refuses to impose any restrictions on the ornamental use of pesticides to keep them away from the places they will do the most harm: residences, shopping areas - considering that the EPA had to ban the most popular of the pesticides a few years ago, you would think the default assumption would be that kids ought to have no contact with any of them. Some of Canada’s major cities have banned them and their Supreme court upheld the right of municipalities to impose such restraints of trade to protect the populace.

It amazes me that the WTO sued Canada for it. Why would you need an excuse to restrict the use of poison where it might, uhm, actually poison someone?

D’uh. But then I am from NYC where they woudl aerially spray malathion or ground spray pyrethroids without warning and hit all the food carts and stands, playgrounds and gardens as if the drops of poison magically disappeared whenever they came into the proximity of human territory. Oh, Wait! Magic exists whereever profit is to be made. Silly me, everyone knows the laws of biochemistry and physics can be suspended on a whim…

More like magical thinking.