Reddit is one of the most helpful places on the internet. It's a place where people can ask for help and brag about cool thrift finds. One gardener took to the site to ask for help after a greenhouse catastrophe.
The post, shared to r/gardening, showed several photos of small pieces of plastic strewn about the dirt and a partially collapsed greenhouse.
The poster wrote, "I live on a homestead with my parents, and we're all pretty new to this. Last spring we built our greenhouse, but my dad had purchased the wrong kind of plastic for it. Once winter hit, the whole thing caved in, and since then the plastic has broken down and gotten EVERYWHERE."
"I know we've really screwed ourselves here," they went on, "and that it has been entirely our fault, but I am dying to get some spring crops going, and I just have no idea what to do about this. Any advice or suggestions would be incredibly appreciated!!!"
Gardening is a great use of yard space and a way to get fresh and healthy produce. Growing your own food can also help save you money and trips to the grocery store. With less than a $100 investment, many gardeners will be able to grow around $600 worth of fruits and vegetables each year.
Solid quality can be an issue for a garden, though, so the original poster's concerns about plastic contamination are valid. Homeowners and renters alike have to contend with their mistakes and the mistakes of previous inhabitants when growing a garden.
Luckily the folks on Reddit had some advice for the original poster.
One person suggested, "I'd use a shop vac and spot vac wherever it's super crumbly."
Another commenter said, "Getting this clean will be SO annoying but you can do it! use a broom. It's effective, surprisingly! Broom up the largest pieces, then use your hands (blech, but.) make yourself a soil sifter in order to get the smallest pieces."
Someone else gave another option, "I'd soak it with a hose for a bit and just use a flat shovel to take a few inches off the top. Put everything in the same pile, and then sift the pile later."
With some work, this gardener should be able to get their yard back in shape and grow some delicious produce.
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