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'Accidentally' Put Weedkiller on Earth...

Discussion in 'Container Gardening' started by joh98.mac, May 22, 2018.

  1. joh98.mac

    joh98.mac Gardener

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    Hi there,
    I have let our garden get a bit of a mess of late, so at the weekend, I popped to B&Q and got myself some weedkiller. I went out into the garden and filled an old watering can with a solution of this, and went a bit crazy.

    Unfortunately, before I gave it any thought, I had doused the weeds inside the little 'container' of earth at the end of our garden, in which I was considering planting some strawberries or such.

    Have I contaminated this earth and if so, how long will the earth be unusable?

    Thanks.
     
    joh98.mac, May 22, 2018
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  2. wiseowl

    wiseowl FRIENDLY ADMIN Staff Member

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    Yes you have contaminated the soil,but as you said its a little container why not dispose of the soil(Carefully in a bag) wash the container thoroughly and refill with some new and fresh compost:smile:
     
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      wiseowl, May 22, 2018
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    • ricky101

      ricky101 Total Gardener

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      Hi,

      It partly depends on exactly which product you used ? some are more persistent than others.

      If its a pure Glyphosate they say the soils safe after 14 days, but many killers are a mix of several chemicals, you need to read the label and instructions; also view the manufacturers site for more info.
       
      • Agree Agree x 2
        ricky101, May 22, 2018
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      • joh98.mac

        joh98.mac Gardener

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        It was this one -- Roundup Fast Action Ready to Use Weed Killer 1L | Departments | DIY at B&Q
         
        joh98.mac, May 22, 2018
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      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        Roundup (contains glyphosate) becomes inert as soon as it hits the soil so no worries.
         
        JWK, May 22, 2018
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      • Verdun

        Verdun Passionate gardener

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        Whatever the weedkiller is ...glyphosate is theoretically neutralised in the soil....you need to remove it joh98.mac.

        I would not plant anything edible there for this year. There will be residues remaining in the soil that may not affect plants but not worth the risk on your strawberries.

        Why not buy yourself a cheap container or two and put your strawberries in the affected area but place them there? :)
         
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          Verdun, May 22, 2018
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        • JWK

          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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          Soil will be fine as I said before but be very careful about this watering can, do not use it to water anything else. Label as 'Weedkilller Only' and only use for that purpose. Many plants including Tomatoes and potatoes are very susceptible to the slightest whiff of glyphosate , even if you get some on your clothes and brush against such plants.
           
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            JWK, May 22, 2018
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          • Verdun

            Verdun Passionate gardener

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            Strawberries absorb everything......I would not want my loved ones eating from possibly tainted ground joh98.mac
            Put into containers for this season then move them into the soil in the autumn :)
             
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              Verdun, May 22, 2018
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            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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              I understand your concern Verdun and you are right to worry about the effects of pesticides. Apparently glyphosate is being found in bread, some farmers use glyphosate to desiccate wheat crops before harvesting for example, so you would need to buy organic bread to avoid that scenario. There are many other pesticides that are still used more than they should. This is one reason I try and grow my own, but it's impossible to grow all a family's needs - especially wheat , pasta etc.
               
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                JWK, May 22, 2018
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              • Jimb0b

                Jimb0b Gardener

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                I use a weed killer based on pelargonic acid which is found in geraniums the only other ingredient is maleic acid and so far its doing a great job
                 
                • Informative Informative x 1
                  Jimb0b, May 23, 2018
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