One property owner was crushed when they learned their carefully chosen plants had all been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, turning to Reddit for help on how to recover.
"Today the gardeners for the neighborhood came and sprayed. … I'm absolutely devastated," they detailed in the post. "I've spent so much time, energy and money on my plants and have never used any kind of chemicals on them."
They went on to say they were excited for their plants to become a haven for native insects. "I had just started seeing leaf cutter bees, praying mantises and ladybirds, now I'm scared to see if they are still there. … Is there anything I can do? Should I try and spray them all with water to wash it off??"
Unfortunately, rogue sprayings like this are all too common. Sprays can waft over fences, and companies can spray unexpectedly.
There are two main categories of herbicides: selective and non-selective. Selective herbicides target certain types of weeds, though the OP noted that "many of my food plants are considered 'weeds' such as chicory and purslane."Â
Non-selective herbicides, on the other hand, kill plants indiscriminately. If this poster can find out what sprays were used, they should have more information about the safety of their plants.
"The numerous adverse health effects associated with chemical pesticide exposure include toxicity, carcinogenicity, dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological, respiratory, reproductive, and endocrine effects," researchers from the University of Malaysia, Kelantan, wrote in a study published in 2023.
Several people asked about these "neighborhood gardeners" and if they were trespassing. "Unfortunately they are hired by the neighbourhood landlord so I had no say in it. Living in Europe, not USA, so no trespassing isn't really respected as much here," the OP explained.
Other garden enthusiasts were as disappointed as the OP.
"I would try spraying with soapy water as soon as possible," one person responded. "Try to find out what the biocide is/was and then you'll be able to find out how long that can affect insect life."
"Yes, wash off as much as possible as soon as possible. Cover the pots so none of the runoff gets into the soil," someone else commented,
Hopefully, these suggestions work, and they can save their plants and keep their garden safe for beneficial insects.
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