Replies

1. 
   DanH | May 18, 2009 06:43am | #1

   I'd guess that the stuff is reasonably harmless, but I'm not sure it will actually "improve" the soil.

   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
2. 
   Gary | May 18, 2009 07:03am | #2

   The stuff is polystyrene that is now saturated with calcium and magnesium. Probably not plant friendly.
   http://www.ohiopurewaterco.com/shop/files/nelsencation.pdf

1. 
   Piffin | May 18, 2009 12:25pm | #3

   Sounds like snow melt for the sidewalk next winter. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   DanH | May 18, 2009 03:14pm | #5

   Or kitty litter.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

1. 
   RichBeckman | May 18, 2009 03:57pm | #6

   OK.Our soil here is not soil, it is clay. So I'm thinking the stuff would help break the clay up a bit. But if it would inhibit plant growth, then maybe I should just dump it on the back fence line.I don't have a cat. The stuff doesn't seem all that clean anyways (softener hadn't worked in awhile....).Snow is a long ways off and we're trying to NOT save EVERYTHING (not all that successfully).Thanks for the replies.

1. 
   DanH | May 18, 2009 04:02pm | #7

   I can't see any harm in dumping it into the soil. Not enough there to do much good (if good is to be done), though.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   RichBeckman | May 18, 2009 04:29pm | #8

   Yeah. And I suppose the energy wasted for this thread more than outweighs the benefit of not putting the resin in the landfill....:)

2. 
   DanH | May 18, 2009 03:13pm | #4

   Actually, there are several different formulations. Some varieties are pure mineral.At the very least you know the stuff isn't going to leach nasties into the ground -- any leaching has been done into your drinking water for the past 10 years. Gotta be largely inert.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

3. 
   PedroTheMule | May 18, 2009 05:42pm | #9

   Hi RichBeckman,

   We got a new water softener. I'm wondering what to do with the resin from the old softener. It looks like it would be a great soil amendment (not that there's enough to make much difference, but...); is there any reason why I can't just spread it around the yard?

   Put it in a planter mixed with soil dug out of your yard. Plant flowers and see what happens. You'll have a greater concentration of the material in a closed test system. Personally I wouldn't put vegies in it though.......no basis of fact.....I simply wouldn't trust what "could" happen from the concentrated filtering part. Sorta like asbestos was thought to be harmless for what??? 40 years or so......still is in the right situation but I wouldn't grow food in it intentionally.

   Pedro the Mule - Recycle recycle, that's all I seem to do anymore