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Ron’s ArticlesLoud and ProudApril 2007
I’m fascinated with the bioremediation of urban landscapes. I’ve found nothing works as well as biosolids. They’re loaded with diverse nutrients. They’re the cheapest readily available form of organic material - under $200 / ton wholesale. You can treat the average 5000 square foot yard for about $20 retail. Biosolids are a byproduct of sewage treatment - the nutrient rich leftovers after the treated water is released. Too often, this is dumped in landfills. That’s bad. A city the size of Fort Worth generates up to 100 tons of biosolids annually. By the early 1900’s officials in Milwaukee had identified this as a problem. They looked for a better idea. They analyzed sewer sludge and found it to be rich in nitrogen, phosphate and potash - the key components of fertilizer. By 1925 they were marketing dried sewer sludge as Milorganite - MILwaukee ORGAnic NITrogEn. Now several Texas cities have joined in with new more efficient processing. A Special Success Story He’d heard all kinds of good things about a new grass, Turffalo, that was developed at Texas Tech for the Frontier Hybrids Company - that it needs half as much water as other grasses, only has to be mowed twice a month and can thrive with half as much sunlight. I’m skeptical of claims that come out of controlled laboratory conditions. I’m not going to invest in something until it has proven itself for 5 to 10 years in the real world. Plus, since we’re likely to continue to have drought condition, I’d think it would be next to impossible for him to get his yard to fill using the plugs in which this grass is available. I suggested he stick with St. Augustine. He said, "No, no! That will need too much water." I told him I’d successfully maintained St. Augustine on an inch of water a week for the past 5 years. I told him to improve his soil so it could absorb water. I laid out the program for him. I’m proud to report that he recently informed me that his lawn looks the best it ever has. I asked, “What did you use? ” He answered, “I used the biosolid soil therapy product. To the best of my recollection, I did exactly what you told me. I’ve never had better results. ” I rest my case. For my complete turf regeneration plan please see “It’s turf tune-up time” When I converted to organics over a decade ago, one thing I always noticed was that the grass is always greenest over the septic system. Old timers swore that nothing could green up your yard better than Milorganite. But, there was a problem. While trace amounts of heavy metals are essential to plant health, biosolids contained high levels of lead and other heavy metals. So, the EPA stepped in. In 1994 they imposed strict standards. Biosolids are now the most regulated, tested and sanitary products on the market. If we’re going to restore nature, we have to mimic nature. I’ve never seen animals in the fields or forests wearing little diapers. I don’t pretend to be a scientist, but I can tell when things make sense. I take continuing education courses for all my certifications at universities or the county extension office taught by folks with scientific backgrounds. It never ceases to amaze me. We all agree that it’s good to increase the carbon content of the soil. So I can’t understand why they still recommend toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that destroy the life in the soil turning it into dead dirt. If the secret of life in the soil is to increase biodiversity, there can be nothing better than the waste of you and me. As a species of free will, we have the most diverse diet of any creature on the planet, therefore our manure will have higher nutrient density attracting many more species of micro and macro organisms to bioremediate your property via decomposition of this material. For those of you worried about toxins, do you really think that the unnatural process of burying sewer sludge - making it impossible for it to decompose as it would in nature, is better? In nature, things always decompose from the top down, not the bottom up. We are only creating a mucky mess that will seep into our ground, surface and drinking water. Now, for you doubting Thomas’s, there is patented scientific proof that the leach field and lagoons simulating swamps clean water more completely and efficiently than waste water plants. Nature knows how to do it right! Yes, I’m loud. I speak up for what I believe in and I’m proud of the results that have been achieved using nature-friendly products and procedures. Biosolids are high on that list. 
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A year ago Bob Funcannon - the publisher of Texas Home Gardener, called me. He was distressed about his grass. Basically, he had almost none left. He’d used chemical in the past. His soil was compacted - cement-like. And, he was dealing with shade from his large trees.