The gardening community rallied on Reddit after toxic chemicals killed a homeowner's native plants — and just about everything in the herbicide's path.
"My neighbor sprayed herbicide, most likely glyphosate, all around his plot into my land. Everything in the line of fire is dying. I had yuccas, ebonys, mezquites, mulberries and more native trees and bushes," the homeowner shared in the subreddit r/gardening.
"Is there anything I can do to remediate, or at least prevent more runoff? … I'm at a loss," they asked.
"You should start this conversation out with your neighbor," one person suggested, noting that the homeowner should politely ask for a solution to the issue. "... Go from there. And hopefully it works."
"My best advice if you can afford it is to find a facility that can test your soil for chemical contamination. Until you know specifically what you are dealing with, you can't effectively remediate the soil," another person said.
Gardening is a proven way to reduce mental stress and improve physical health as well as save money on eating clean. And native plants support pollinators, which in turn ensure our food crops are able to flourish.
Sadly, though, this isn't the first time that seemingly well-meaning efforts to save plant life from pests or weeds have backfired.
One landlord ended up poisoning a tenant's potted cacti after using chemicals on their property, while a gardener discovered the allegedly eco-friendly insecticide they were using wasn't all that it seemed.
The Environmental Protection Agency has said glyphosate — referenced by the OP — isn't "of concern to human health." However, a six-organization coalition recently filed a petition asking the agency to suspend approval of the weedkiller after it was linked to some types of cancer and other issues.
Redditors pointed out that glyphosate does break down in the soil, even if it will take months, sparking hope that things would get better. Others, meanwhile, offered their sympathies to the OP.
"My neighbor did almost the same thing, spraying his side of the fence and, I thought, killing some vines growing on my side of the fence. After a couple of months, the vines came back," one person shared.
"You can't use that garden safely till you find out what he used," someone else added. "But your plants are certainly a loss, plus it would be nice to get back labor, emotional distress, if you can do it."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," another said.
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