Any gardener knows the disappointment of a plant dying on their watch. But when that plant is killed due to an unruly, destructive herbicide and a less-than-careful neighbor, it's downright upsetting and frustrating.
One home gardener recently vented on Reddit about nightmarish landscaping trouble caused by their neighbor. The Redditor wrote that they were cultivating a lovely blue mist flower plant, which was doing well despite this summer's unprecedented heat. But things took a turn when the gardener's neighbor used a strong herbicide to kill weeds.
"Apparently, my neighbor sprayed Roundup or another herbicide on the weeds in the alley between our houses and weed whacked them," the Redditor wrote. "Now my plant is completely wilted and shriveling as are some of their own plants along their property edge."
The original poster added that herbicide is actually illegal to buy and use in their city unless you are a professional landscaper.
While some herbicides are federally banned for being damaging to agriculture and the environment, others are banned on the state or city level. With restrictions differing so drastically, it's easy to encounter herbicide problems no matter where you live, especially with products so easily accessible online.
Along with wiping out plants, herbicides pose a threat to local wildlife, including insects that are highly dependent on plant life. Herbicides are even linked to health issues in the liver, kidneys, and reproductive system, as well as certain cancers.
"Oof, my neighbor did the same several months ago," a commenter wrote. "It killed off plants about 3-4 feet into my yard."
Several other commenters could also relate, saying similar plant-killing impacts have happened to them.
Difficult neighbors can often act as a barrier for homeowners who are seeking climate-friendly home solutions, including those wanting to keep chemicals away from their gardens. Navigating clashes with neighbors is never one-size-fits-all, but several commenters suggested the gardener calmly discuss concerns as a first step.
"I have been going through the same thing with my neighbor," a commenter wrote in response to the post. "Open communication without getting too angry has been helpful for me. Pointing out which plants I'm growing and why I'm doing it, and letting her know that they aren't weeds and it's unacceptable to kill my plants."
Luckily, the poster writes that their neighbor is "generally great" and "very responsible," leading them to consider talking with them about being careful in the future.
"I'm guessing he might have paid a local odd jobs type person to address the alley weeds (it's a small area) and that person was less careful," the poster wrote. "My neighbor has always hand-pulled the weeds along his back fence. Luckily, my neighbor is definitely someone I can talk with."
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