Pesticides contain harsh chemicals that destroy the microbiome of your soil and disrupt the local ecosystem. Adding these toxic chemicals to your garden can have devastating effects. But what if you didn't fully realize this until the deed was done?
Since spraying their vegetable garden with Roundup, a gardener has not been able to successfully grow any produce in their yard. According to the gardener, their lettuce, cucumbers, and pea plants have all died.
"How can I make my soil healthy again?" asked the gardener.
Redditors discussed the dangers of Roundup and offered potential solutions for reviving the soil.
"You may well need to replace the soil, depending on how much herbicide you applied," wrote one user.
"Maybe try planting a quick germinating cover crop aka green manure, adding bulky organic matter e.g. compost, manure. Repeat," suggested another Redditor.
Instead of using harsh pesticides to treat weeds in your garden, consider using natural remedies, such as garden herbs that repel pests and encourage plant growth while also adding to your bounty.
Gardening and switching to a native-plant lawn helps promote the growth of the entire local ecosystem. By adding more native plants to your garden, you attract key pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, that promote the growth of your vegetables.
Tending to a garden is a great way to save money on groceries and reduce your total carbon footprint. The more you grow your own produce, the more you reduce the demand for mass-produced, globally shipped food.
Adding native plants to your garden also conserves water and reduces your total water bill. By switching to a native-plant lawn, you can save $275 on water, $50 on fertilizer, and $50 on pesticides and weed control each year. Be sure to check out TCD's rewilding guide for more tips and helpful info on this subject.
Redditors emphasized the importance of natural gardening methods.
"Add a lot of leaves to your garden to cover the soil," one user advised. "It'll help re-enrich your soil a bit. I wouldn't get rid of any soil though. It'll eventually bounce back."
"I wouldn't eat anything from that garden for at least an entire season," cautioned another Redditor.
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