There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.
See:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...sPageName=WDVW

Cheers!

"Arjen" wrote in message
...
There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.
See:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...sPageName=WDVW

What is the definition of "Active Organic Matter"?
It all sounds remarkably like a rip off. Is it?

Franz

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 21:04:15 +0100, Arjen wrote:

There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.

This is not a term most gardeners and professional growers will be
familiar with. Please explain. Cite research papers and trial results
for those sceptics and unbelievers who may be present.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

In article , Franz Heymann
writes

What is the definition of "Active Organic Matter"?
It all sounds remarkably like a rip off. Is it?


I'm not falling for that much overplayed troll Franz, even for your
80th. birthday, but I can tell you that I looked at the item advertised.
It works a bit like a soil ph test and it is priced at £10/11.95.

I don't doubt that it does what it claims, i.e. it measures the amount
of roughage in the soil, but that does not have a lot of meaning in the
context of organic gardening as a style of soil and plant management.

I'm left wondering what the gadget would make of testing a piece of
coconut matting - packed full of fibrous matter, but useless to plants?
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Arjen wrote:
:: There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
:: Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
:: excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.
:: See:


They're not really of any use for gardeners or farmers - they are primarilly
used by civile engineers and construction companies to find if any organic
matter exists in sand and aggregates prior to using them for concrete
etc...organic matter will eventually disintegrate, thus leaving the concrete
severely weakened...of little importance for a garden path, but immensely
important if your building a motorway bridge or multi-storey office block.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes

What is the definition of "Active Organic Matter"?
It all sounds remarkably like a rip off. Is it?


I'm not falling for that much overplayed troll Franz, even for your
80th. birthday, but I can tell you that I looked at the item
advertised.
It works a bit like a soil ph test and it is priced at £10/11.95.

I don't doubt that it does what it claims, i.e. it measures the
amount
of roughage in the soil,

What is "roughage" in the context of soil?
How does the apparatus measure it?
And I am still in the dark about what "Active Organic Matter" might
be. In what way would it be contrasted from "Inactive Organic
Matter", or "Active Inorganic Matter" or indeed "Inactive Inorganic
Matter". To be blunt, the term used by the OP consisted of a string
of weasel words.

but that does not have a lot of meaning in the
context of organic gardening as a style of soil and plant
management.

In other words, you agree that it is a rip off.

I'm left wondering what the gadget would make of testing a piece of
coconut matting - packed full of fibrous matter, but useless to
plants?

Quite.

I have just had a look at the link. Now I am absolutely certain that
it is a rip-off. It is a clear case of a snake-oil seller doing his
patter.

Franz

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes
The message
from Alan Gould contains these words:


I'm left wondering what the gadget would make of testing a piece of
coconut matting - packed full of fibrous matter, but useless to plants?

Why waste a piece of coconut matting? I'm composed entirely of
"Active Organic Matter", just send me £11.95 and I'll send you proof by
return of post.

You mean that £11.95 is enough to activate your organs? ;-)
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In article , Franz Heymann
writes
In other words, you agree that it is a rip off.

No. Vintage F.H. but I'm still not falling into your trolltrap.

I thought you might point out that coir is seen as 'green' because it
can be a peat replacement, thus even a coconut mat has gardening uses.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Arjen wrote:
:: There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
:: Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
:: excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.
:: See:


They're not really of any use for gardeners or farmers - they are
primarilly
used by civile engineers and construction companies to find if any
organic
matter exists in sand and aggregates prior to using them for
concrete
etc...organic matter will eventually disintegrate, thus leaving the
concrete
severely weakened...of little importance for a garden path, but
immensely
important if your building a motorway bridge or multi-storey office
block.

That is as maybe. What bothers me is what property of "Active Organic
Matter" it is which causes it to colour a test liquid. Remember, it
must be a property common to *all* "Active Organic Matter", and absent
from all other organic matter, or indeed all other matter.

Franz

Franz Heymann wrote:
:: "Phil L" wrote in message
:: ...
::: Arjen wrote:
::::: There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
::::: Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
::::: excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your
::::: allotment. See:
:::
:::
::: They're not really of any use for gardeners or farmers - they are
::: primarilly used by civile engineers and construction companies to
::: find if any organic matter exists in sand and aggregates prior to
::: using them for concrete etc...organic matter will eventually
::: disintegrate, thus leaving the concrete severely weakened...of
::: little importance for a garden path, but immensely important if
::: your building a motorway bridge or multi-storey office block.
::
:: That is as maybe. What bothers me is what property of "Active
:: Organic Matter" it is which causes it to colour a test liquid.
:: Remember, it must be a property common to *all* "Active Organic
:: Matter", and absent from all other organic matter, or indeed all
:: other matter.
::
It is - it matters not what the organic tissue is, whether it's well rotted
manure or eggshells, only that it is present and will weaken any concrete
made from sand/aggregates - they are useless from a gardeners POV....if you
tested it on a kilo of baked beans it would report a 100% organic matter
reading - try growing some radishes in it.
:-p

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes
In other words, you agree that it is a rip off.

No. Vintage F.H. but I'm still not falling into your trolltrap.

I thought you might point out that coir is seen as 'green' because
it
can be a peat replacement, thus even a coconut mat has gardening
uses.

Of course.

Franz

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Franz Heymann wrote:
:: "Phil L" wrote in message
:: ...
::: Arjen wrote:
::::: There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of
Active
::::: Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
::::: excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your
::::: allotment. See:
:::
:::
::: They're not really of any use for gardeners or farmers - they
are
::: primarilly used by civile engineers and construction companies
to
::: find if any organic matter exists in sand and aggregates prior
to
::: using them for concrete etc...organic matter will eventually
::: disintegrate, thus leaving the concrete severely weakened...of
::: little importance for a garden path, but immensely important if
::: your building a motorway bridge or multi-storey office block.
::
:: That is as maybe. What bothers me is what property of "Active
:: Organic Matter" it is which causes it to colour a test liquid.
:: Remember, it must be a property common to *all* "Active Organic
:: Matter", and absent from all other organic matter, or indeed all
:: other matter.
::
It is - it matters not what the organic tissue is, whether it's well
rotted
manure or eggshells,

Calcium carbonate is not an organic tissue {:-((

only that it is present and will weaken any concrete
made from sand/aggregates

I dson't dispute that for one minute.


- they are useless from a gardeners POV....if you
tested it on a kilo of baked beans it would report a 100% organic
matter
reading - try growing some radishes in it.

My point was that I do not understand what process can determine the
amount of arbitrary organic matter in a sample by simply shaking a
suspension of the sample in a liquid and looking for a colour change.

Franz

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes

Ha, you can't trick me into giving away any AOM information for free
on a newsgroup. You'll never know unless you send the £11.95.

I'll take your word for it :-)
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes
In other words, you agree that it is a rip off.

No. Vintage F.H. but I'm still not falling into your trolltrap.

I'm not a troll. I'm an amateur debunker

I thought you might point out that coir is seen as 'green' because
it
can be a peat replacement, thus even a coconut mat has gardening
uses.

Thanks for pointing it out. It has, however, unfortunately, turned
out not to be a very good peat replacement, judging by the reports I
have read.

Franz

In message , Franz Heymann
writes

My point was that I do not understand what process can determine the
amount of arbitrary organic matter in a sample by simply shaking a
suspension of the sample in a liquid and looking for a colour change.

Probably something like: a fairly powerful oxidising agent, a catalyst
and a suitable indicator. It may be more specific than that - targeting
the acidic peaty component that is guaranteed to rot and change volume.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown