Modern engineered wood decking materials do not have the chemicals of old, but they are non-biodegradable and there is nothing to leach out. Most real wood decking that I see are made of Redwood lumber bought untreated and then coated with sealant after installation. I don't know what chemicals they used in treated lumber should anyone decide to use it, but from my memory, they use petroleum based products on those, under high pressure and temperature, rendering them unpalatable for fungus and termites. With all the paranoia about old houses with leaded paint and if those old deckings contain lead, arsenic, and other chemicals, then those will not be ignored, at least not in California. Which fertilizer to use will really depend on the final price in comparison with the amount in fine print about the "toxic contaminants" on them. So must read fine print. Most Schulz fertilizer are more on the expensive side from our local store. Another very good fertilizer when it comes to price and the much needed minor nutrients perfectly suitable for citruses, and not only tomatoes, is the formulation made by GreenAll for tomatoes. It has all the commonly utilized minor nutrients (S, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Mo, Ca, etc.) by citruses. One thing that it is a lot better than the common citrus avocado fertilizer formulations is that it also provides adequate calcium, another important nutrient, while still able to acidify the soil. The reason why Calcium is added in this specific formulation is to help minimize the blossom end rot in tomatoes, also in apples, but most California soils have higher pH, so they did trick with this formulation by adding granular sulfur and acid forming nitrogen fertilizers. Most fertilizers that contain Calcium will tend to increase the soil pH, but this one doesn't.

I'm adding to this thread because it seems like many folks who are posting comments here don't have a thorough background in the toxicity of a wide variety of home remodeling materials. Unless you buy your flooring (wood, bamboo, cork, etc.) from a well-known, long-running green housing material distributor, it is likely that your flooring is filled with toxic glues, sealers, and other chemicals that produce VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Bamboo in particular has a lot of glue because bamboo stalks are so thin (look at a bamboo cutting board to fully appreciate how much glue is needed). I have a MPH degree (Master of Public Health) and one of my areas of expertise is environmental health. I'm currently renovating a new condo apartment and for every material, I had to buy it from a specialty distributor that carefully vetted their product portfolio. The benefit of buying from green supply companies -- living in a healthy home. The challenge of purchasing green, healthy building materials -- cost. Green materials are more expensive. But, if you add up all the costs related to adverse health reactions and getting medical treatment to address them...then cheaper, less healthy building materials aren't so cheap, are they? A good place to start is Green Building Supply (based in Illinois, they have a great website), which ships all over the U.S. I bought cork flooring from them, they're great. Can't recommend them enough. They carry a wide array of building materials including safe paints, safe caulks and sealers, safe flooring, etc. If you want to get advice before a purchase, check out the website, 'My Chemical Free House.' Corinne is a building biologist and her site is filled with awesome tips for choosing safe and healthy building materials. Take good care & stay safe!

Thanks for the replies, and esp. Terri, you Oregonian beauty pioneer : ) emagineer, I also appreciate your research. lynn, maybe we'll get some good 'real folks' feedback on this possibly promising technology. Part of me is very skeptical but there's also the hopeful part... Terri, you have given me an idea -- maybe I should try a bed experience for a few weeks -- it would be less than the purchase and would probably be more powerful? I've found spas around here that have infrared LED beds...I can't imagine that you wouldn't have seen results by this point, though. That's puzzling. And I second emagineer's question: have you noticed any improvement in aches etc.? I remember seeing far infrared saunas being sold for that purpose--maybe this would rejuvenate two birds with one stone? :)

Very good points gardengal. Thank you! I am one of those wacky gardeners that actually did have my soil tested. I was totally surprised (and elated) at how high my levels were! All except nitrogen. Very low in nitrogen. It could use some phosporus too. But I'm off the charts in potassium and everything else tested. I already added to the soil as directed by the soil analysis. So in my yard the alfalfa is fine for now. And the plan is it will be a source of nitrogen for the rest of my plants when I harvest it (as well as that plant hormone it has that helps growth). That's the plan anyway. We will see what happens. Plus it gives me those happy memories from childhood. We also had hills of mustard flowers growing up. I know it's a weed to most... but to me it smells sweet and happy and looks like spring. I don't even like yellow, but these little weeds hold a special place in my heart. The hills around here are covered in them now with all the rain. I stopped myself from planting a field of them in my yard though. :)