Is it true

[bigal123_123]

was told by one of the old chaps on lottie tha nails left in ground is bad for soil , had a large bonfire last week and there are loads of nails and screws was just going to dig them in but was told not too.

[ClayGarden]

Finger nails are good because they decompose. Just as you can put human hair in your compost. Not sure about diy nails though.

[Alison C]

Metals rusts eventually and will leach into the soil and in certain forms can be taken up by plants. Im doing research into the uptake budgets of plants although Im mostly looking at peat bogs and Sphagnum moss but its amazing how much metal contamination you can find in plants. Most plants need certain metals to grow healthy but they really dont need heavy metal contamination that would come from the break down of screws etc.
I would advise anybody to make sure there isnt any metal objects in their soil.
I think if you can I would get rid of as many as possible.

[ClayGarden]

wheres whitefield alison? off to google earth now. Its just i live in manchester but aren't from the place

[Alison C]

I'ts north manchester just south of Bury its very nice (I think). Just off jct 17 on the M60

[Alison C]

What area of MCR are you from?

[ClayGarden]

South end, stockport. Do you have clay too or is it just me?

[bigal123_123]

thanks got week off work so will be siving soil all week THANKS ALISON C

[Alison C]

We dont really have much clay. My parents are both from Stockport and my Grandma still lives in Stockport in Davenport.

Sorry bigal123 123 i hope it doesnt take too long but you wouldnt want to be consuming veg full of too higher concentrations of metals.

[bigal123_123]

SORRY nice to be put right trying not to spoil soil don't use chems so i thought i'd cut corners. Thought i was behind but was put straight by my wife not for the first time,I thought i was behind normaly have loads in for easter but was reminded easter was very early so still got time.

[Two_Sheds]

I'd take all your nails out of the soil, simply because getting one through your wellie and stuck in your foot is not funny

[rustylady]

Agree 100% with TwoSheds. Don't get too paranoid, but do pick out as many as you can to avoid accidents. Likewise with broken glass and china.

[Snadger]

Methinks you need a magnet then!

Just as an aside, my dear old Dad, god rest his soul, used to grow show leeks and his leek trench was on a slope. At the top of the trench he had a pile of rusty nails and scrap metal. His reasoning was that when it rained the iron from the nails would be washed over the trench and feed the leeks! He used to pour buckets of poo water over them as well.
Probably no truth in it but he did grow exceedingly good leeks!

Apart from being a pain in the butt (or the foot!) I wouldn't get too uptight about rusty nails. They're dotted all over my allotment and don't seem to cause any growth problems.

PS When we hear of heavy metal polution this is usually lead,copper or mercury methinks. Plants need trace elements including zinc, iron,boron,manganese and cripes knows how many more so small amounts of ferrous oxide from rusty nails shouldn't be a problem!

[janeyo]

I have been finding all manner of metalware, nails screw hinges.... and have been getting rid of them all.

Turns out while speaking to new neighbour the other day, that chappie who lived here burnt all the wardrobes as we didn't want them - so that's where the metal has come from!

janeyo

But is the ash ok? I am digging it in and mixing with general soil and compost.

[nick nack]

Claygarden

Stockport is Stockport not Manchester??????

NN