Should You Be Concerned By Garden Herbicide Contamination? (Aminopyralids)

Herbicides, like aminopyralids, can be a problem in gardens. Herbicide residue can damage and kill plants. Understanding potential issues with garden herbicide contamination can relieve fear for gardeners and provide different planting options. (Video #267)
Helpful Research:
www.ncagr.gov/SPCAP/pesticides...
apvma.gov.au/sites/default/fi...
www.beyondpesticides.org/asse...
lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/03/herb...
extension.oregonstate.edu/cro...
www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/d...
Join the Gardener Scott channel to get access to perks. Click the "JOIN" button or link here:
/ @gardenerscott
You can also support the channel with Gardener Scott merchandise like T-shirts and mugs at the Gardener Scott Store: / @gardenerscott
Click this link to SUBSCRIBE: / @gardenerscott
To order a GreenStalk vertical garden system, click on this affiliate link:
lddy.no/kdvq
Use code"GARDENERSCOTT" for a $10 discount.
You can help support the Gardener Scott channel in five ways that won’t cost you anything extra:
1.) Be part of the community by liking videos, subscribing, clicking the bell, commenting, and sharing.
2.) Watch the ads whenever you can. It just takes a few seconds and helps me a lot.
3.) If you use Amazon and want to buy anything at all, click through with this link: www.amazon.com/?tag=gardenersc...
4) Check out Gardener Scott's Recommended Gardening Books at: bookshop.org/shop/gardenerscott
5) Click on this affiliate link to get Audible books that you can listen to in the garden: amzn.to/32bpgd7
Your support helps me pay for plants, gardening supplies, and all of the other costs associated with running a KZbin channel.
Thank you for your support!
#EnjoyGardening #GardenerScott
Links included in this description and referenced in videos might be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you for those affiliate links and your support allows me to provide free content every week on the Gardener Scott channel. Thank you!

[@norseknowhow]

I love how clearly Gardener Scott speaks both language and logic wise. It’s super easy to understand and remember each point. He is no doubt one of the best teachers for gardening. Absolutely WORLD class! Looking forward to your new videos!

[@anniecochrane3359]

I"m very glad you have spoken on this topic. About 9 months ago I had 5 long raised beds created in my garden, and filled them with $700 worth of garden soil and mushroom compost from our local landscape supply centre. I have been gardening almost all of my life, and now that I am 73 years old, this was an attempt to make gardening easier for me as I grow older. I filled the beds, last spring (september in New Zealand), with my own seedlings. Imagine my horror when the tomatoes became stunted, twisted and curled. Dahlias likewise, and other plants such as strawberries and some capsicums exhibited the same signs along with peas and beans. I did some research and found that this is Aminopyralid poisoning in the purchased soil. The landscape supplies (victims also) however, did not want to know and put it down to my poor gardening skills. Hmmmm. Since then I have found many other gardeners with the same problem, including Charles Dowding of No Dig gardening fame. This autumn, in the hope that the poisoning may have abated I planted broad beans (which show the poisoning if present). But no, all plants are twisted. It is very distressing that such contaminants are allowed to be used at all, and that even when used minimal legal control is in place to protect home (or commercial) gardeners. I understand it can take up to 6 years to dissipate. Charles Dowding recommends the planting of mustard in contaminated beds to speed up healing, and I will add your recommendations to my attempts to rid my garden of this poison. I will no longer bring in any soil, compost or straw from sources unknown. My mulch will mainly come from shredded dried leaves. Yours is the first American channel I have found to discuss this huge problem - thank you!!!

[@benthere8051]

Waterpenny Farm, Sperryville, Virginia suffered herbicide in hay mulch in 2007. The hay they bought had been sprayed with Grazon. They lost 12,000 plants with a harvest worth $80,000. Grazon is another of the growth regulator herbicides like the Triclopyr we were blighted by. I am going to restrict my mulch to wood chips, and my compost to MY lawn trimmings and leaves that I collect in the fall.

[@nightmares4everprops87]

My new favorite KZbinr

[@jojoba35]

This guy is 👍 between him, Justin Rhoads, migardner, and charles dowding you could start from 0 and watch in spare time for a few weeks and take off running. Even end up answering lots of questions at the garden center

[@beachforestmountain4269]

Another good channel is called 'Next Level Gardening'.

[@LowcountryGardener]

I first learned about this when Scott Head lost his garden from it. Thankfully I have a small enough garden to where the two oak trees I have give me plenty enough leaves for mulch and making compost to where I don't need to buy manure or straw.

[@xyzsame4081]

Sounds like apologetics. When you expose a bale of stray to the sun (always assuming you are at home on the sunny days in spring) only the outer surface of the bale or heap of compost is exposed to light. And it is not a small damage if a (market) gardener, homesteader, farmer loses most of their seedlings and cannot risk to grow MOST of the plants that they would usually grow. Some plants like tomateos or peas are very sensitive, I very much doubt you can use the soil one year later and be fine, when the herbicide ruined this years seedlings. so other gardeners that have suffered an aminopyralis scare or (bad) losses and cannot risk (another) loss, test every batch now with seeds / seedlings and a comparsion group in small pots before they spread any material that comes originally from grasses and that they have not handledin person - so they cannot know for sure. *_Charles Dowding,_* he rang the alarm in 2019 or 2020, and suffered a few losses, luckily it was not too bad, he had not widely spread the batch of compost that was poisonous to his seedlings. A test in a lab is too expensive and takes time, so the only realistic scenario is to see how seedlings or seeds are doing in the new soil / compost versus a safe soil or compost, when they have the same conditions. If the seedlings start out much smaller and with curled leaves - they are not going to bring much if any yield. Or if a producer of compost unintentionally sells compost to customers, they bring out the compost and then lose one year's harvest. There are areas where you have a long season but in the temperate climate zone, if you lose the spring and all your seedlings and the bed at least ! for one year for normal crops that is not only a major disapointment, it is also a major financial issue. A few plants tolerate it, beans I think and all grasses (corn, rye, ...) but typically the small operations have veggies, lettuce, herbs, ... strawberries. _You can leach it into the ground_ - first you need to have time and space to let it leach into the ground. The reason for buying soil or compost is that you do not have the space or time to prepare it on the ground. The herbicide does NOT break down from digestion or even hot composting. And it can also last as long as 10 years and some plants are quite sensitive. Also, with widespread use the poison will accumulate much faster than it will break down in real life. The realistic scenario is that you lose the affected beds for at least ! one year (if you spread bought or homemade compost with free manaure of hay / straw) before testing it.

[@Nat2uDragneel]

Great video! Cute little bunny at 10:55 in the upper left. Watch out!

[@frankanselmo5479]

Very good video with important information. I reuse my straw mulch as often as I can so I don’t have to take a chance on a new bale. I just uncovered my tomato beds today and filled two large plastic garbage cans with the mulch that sat over the winter on the beds. As soon as I plant the tomatoes the mulch will go right back on.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks, Frank. That's a great tip.

[@ecologytoday]

Thank you for an informative and useful video. This type of contamination is a subject that I was becoming aware of recently. All of the local gardeners and suppliers still believe in better living through chemicals, so no local information nor support was available. In fact, any question or concerns I had were dismissed.

[@xyzsame4081]

There is an ecological / evolutionary aspect to it. Like glyphosate aminopyralides are an overkill - expect some hardy weeds to take over the meadows in around 10 years. The herbicide _seems_ to be convenient, one does not need knowledge to have meadows that have only grass and get rid of most of the weeds, and they do not have to bother with regenerative methods, rotational grazing, and the setup for that. In recent years "weeds" have popped up that can be poisonous for lifestock. So if you get it into hay ... And there are no weeds that are also triggered by giving soluble nitrogen fertilizer. Or overgrazing only leaves the brushes that cows do not eat. Goats would eat them and gladly so - but that would be regenerative and likely a smaller farming operation. So for the stock value of Dow chemical and for big ag production of cheap meat and milk they throw the doomsday herbicides around. For broad leaved plants it IS a doomsday scenario. and as always the cells will then release restraints from the DNA that usually prevent a lot of mutations. If the plant is highly stressed it becomes a survival situation and if that happens to many plants - one of them WILL develop the mutation that make it immune against the killer herbicide.

[@whatdidyouthinkwouldhappen1203]

I bought some tomato plants this year from a name brand store, usually I start my own. The tomatoes I bought had that leaf curl and would not grow out of it so it made mt think maybe herbicide might have been the issue, I rinsed the soil off then replanted in soil I had sitting and they flourished. Thank you for your videos, they are very informative.

[@gardenfarmgrow]

I remember David the Good reporting on this last year and it really affected my tomatoes. The leaves were so strange. I never saw anything like it.

[@xyzsame4081]

Did they produce tomatoes ? Were they more susceptible to disease ? And did you raise the seedlings in affected soil or were they good until you planted them in a contaminated bed ?

[@gardenfarmgrow]

@@xyzsame4081 I got very few tomatoes. Like 3. They were ok but small. The leaves had under grown parts and grew all gnarly. I purchased steer manure and they were growing in containers.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

We try to keep all our garden inputs in-house (doubly so during the pandemic), with grass clippings, leaves, tree trimmings, etc, it's a steady stream so we keep it spread out over the entire garden so we get the most use out of it before it turns back into dirt~

[@amysnipes4245]

This is great info. Horse manure I get has hay from around the country. They have no idea if it is treated though suspect so.

[@threadbarerag336]

Alliums like onions, chives, leeks, and garlic are also monocots that won't be effects by these herbicides.

[@geraldineheywood1728]

Thank you. This was something I never thought about. I will now.

[@brightantwerp]

Same here.

[@user-cv1xe9yf3f]

My pastures were sprayed with Grazon 4 years ago. It got rid of the weeds, and still there are very few weeds so yes it is quite effective for a long time. It will do the same to your garden if you use the manures from it.

[@Neldidellavittoria]

Another great video, very useful information. Mr Scott, you rock!

[@susanjordan2130]

Thank you. You are one of my 5 favorite gardeners to learn from.

[@derekcox6531]

Great episode mr Scott.👍 I had this problem when I had my very first garden (about 6 years ago) An anonymous neighbour left a note on my front door stating that there were too many weeds on my front yard. (Dandelion mainly) so having just moved to the neighbourhood,I felt bad and got a lawn care company to come and fix the weed problem. They used a product that was “environmentally” friendly. I used the grass clippings as mulch and almost my entire garden just shriveled up and died. I didn’t even know why. It was very discouraging. I later came to understand that the “green” product used on the grass was the problem. I now only have the front yard taken care of by the lawn company and my back yard has weeds and I don’t care.

[@sandieblack4860]

Sorry, You are way more easy going than I would have been! I would have , firmly but politely pointed out to my neighbour how good the lowly dandelion is for the garden, for our health and for the bees just to name a few. I really wish people would do their homework and mind their own business. Also, I would NOT have continued my relashinship with the lawn company after they had assured me the product was "green and environmentally friendly". Don't be afraid to take a stand for what you believe in. Take care and stay safe, Sandie from Ontario Canada.

[@michaelmarchione3408]

Thanks for a very worthwhile video and the way you explained the content. Big thumbs up! Take care!

[@juliepizzolato1911]

Great info...once again! Loving all you share from North Idaho zone 6a 💚🌻🌿

[@maggiemanzke7926]

Great info, and the primary reason why I bought organic straw this spring.

[@ericverdusco8969]

Thank you so much. This like the other videos of yours that I have seen, was very informative. I appreciate the fact that you are helping me to grow food for my family.

[@jefffarris1288]

Hi Scott, thanks for the video. I have to say, though, I bought 5 yards of "compost" last spring, and spread it over all of why raised beds. I mostly noticed the leaf curling with tomato plants. And it was quite a few of them, so yes, it's possible it was the leaf hopper infecting the plants. The interesting thing is the pole beans grew fine. So my instinct tells me it might have been contamination, but likely was some other factor with those tomato plants. And, I have used that compost for lots of flowers around the yard, and they all do fine.

[@njoyn1909]

Love your videos! Also, love the ability to change playback speed because I’m so impatient. X1.25 is the sweet spot👌🏽

[@flatsville1]

Scott- Edit - The info/answer to my initial question was easier to find than I thought. Herbicide "half-life" is analogous to radiation "half-life." >>>The half-life of a herbicide describes the length of time it takes for 50% of the herbicide to break down to secondary compounds. For example, if one pound of a product with a half life of 90 days is applied, we would expect 0.5 lb to remain 90 days after application.

[@GardenerScott]

Because the information comes from university research, my understanding is that the half-life reference is not a metaphor but is the scientific point that half of the compound is broken down. It may not be completely safe because there is still residue, but it is less likely to pose the same degree of problems.

[@savingmayberry387]

Your a good teacher , thanks for the help Scott.

[@heidiclark6612]

Thank You for talking about this. It is never talked about. I was fortunate to be able to purchase organically grown straw from a organic nursery in a town near me. My husband calls our garage our " Barn" because I store art in there. Lol

[@randyketcham3840]

Thanks for the video Scott. Appreciate the full content of your video and discussion of what to do for the residue and how you gave the potentials and included the variance in time frames for break down.

[@xyzsame4081]

I think his assumptions are WAY too optimistic. The state of Oregon (see link to study) is not going to offend Dow Chemical or the cattle ranchers that like to use the latest herbicide from hell. It makes their life easier w/o having to develops skills like regenerative farming and rotational grazing (which also deals effectively with weeds, see Joel Salatin). He almost sounds apologetic: There are only a few plants left that you would typically grow in a garden that you _can_ grow and that is going to last for 1 - 2 years. Aminopyralide kills most vegetables and also many flowers. Except grasses - rye and corn are grasses, too (but corn is a demanding plant, heat nutrients, soil, so that leaves you with cabbage and kale that also tolerate the herbicide) That cozy situation where the risks and damage is offloaded to small farmers, homesteaders, hobby and market gardeners, and producers of compost will last maybe 10 years. Then weeds will pop up that have mutated to withstand that herbicide. See Glyphosate. you can't beat the survival of the species processes of evolution. btw: with Glyphosate there were also studies proving it was harmless and would break down fast. They had to be foreced to admit that it causes cancer.

[@npmerrill]

🎯 ​As of March 28, 2023, the link to the Oregon study leads to a “restricted access” page with the following statement: “The page Aminopyralid Residues in Compost has been withdrawn for review by the team responsible for it. This may be because it needs a review for accuracy, clarity, or other issues. You can check back here to see the reviewed version if/when it is published.” In fact, each of the last three links - all to university extensions - are currently dead links. The link to Beyond Pesticides is still good, and their main website is an excellent resource, too.

[@jennyd9543]

Great video. Very informative.

[@danielmansour7230]

Great information. Thank you!

[@mytinygarden3555]

I bought something contaminated-I think it was the compost. Everything that touched that soil died or had stunted growth. I have since quarantined that soil. As a new gardener, I thought it was me. I kept one string bean plant 🌱 and gave it new soil and it has started to grow back.

[@hanzketchup859]

Gardener Scott, I really appreciate your common sense and know how, I’m a late comer to the home garden world, and I’ve seen reports of sewage sludge aka bio solids being sold at the box stores as ‘compost’ this is very difficult to ascertain because the EPA regulations 503 do not mandate sellers to label it on their products. If this is true (the internet is notoriously bad) how are people supposed to differentiate if everything is ‘Compost’ again thanks for the additional information on herbicides used on straw and hay, Cheers!

[@GardenerScott]

Biosolids are becoming more common in compost. You're right that it can be virtually impossible to know if a bagged product is made from sludge. The best way to know if what you're using is made from plants is to make it yourself.

[@earlshine453]

Isn't there a way to minimize our external inputs (and risks of pollution and costs) by setting aside a piece of garden for growing our own fertilizers, soil improvers, compost ingredients, woodchips and mulches? Something like growing rows of Cumfrey, Sorghum Sudan Grass, Alphalpha and some fast growing trees for coppicing and shredding and/or making biochar? I admit there is a difference between starting a garden on top of bare dirt and maintaining an established garden.

[@Melissa-gn3dv]

I think that's a good idea. Also, letting some of your grass grow a bit longer and then raking it up after it's cut to use like straw.

[@eulaapostolopoulos8158]

Thank you very much! Great info

[@suffolkshepherd]

This is extremely interesting video. Very helpful with the straw. I have everything else organic secured but was wondering about the straw. Here in Tennessee I see some farmers spray the wheat with round up to kill it in time to harvest it and still have enough time to plant soybeans. Wheat straw is the most common here so there is a chance the straw has round up on it. It is my understanding that round up dissipates quickly?. Thanks.

[@enjoylife52016]

Thanks for elaborating that

[@crazysquirrel9425]

Thinking that leaving the bales out all winter will allow snow and rain to wash out the 'cides'. Sunlight should eliminate some of them too. Also, composting should eliminate the 'cides' as well. I am doing both right now. Most stores (big box anyway) have idiots working there. Not a one of them can tell you the source of the straw nor if the bales are contaminated.

[@stephenluna7932]

Great info

[@mywoolmitten]

Very helpful, thank you. After years of growing, baling and bedding livestock with our own straw, we now have to purchase it. But, it goes in the compost pile for at least a year so I'm feeling a bit better now!

[@xyzsame4081]

Composting it does NOT break it down. Nor does passing it throught the digestive tract of cows. If you think about it a cow is a bioreactor on 4 feet.

[@xyzsame4081]

That video downplays the problem, it is going to AGGREGATE. ONE year in soil is the optimistic scenario and you are very restiricted in what you can even grow on affected beds. Only soil bacteria break it down. The exposure to sun is nonsense, obviously most of your compost heap or staw bale is NOT exposed to sun only the surface, most of the content is not hit by light. And heat does not destroy it, not even hot composting helps.

[@xyzsame4081]

I think you should check out the Charles Dowding for a less pollyanish view. Gardnener Scott gave a few tips the most important (and realistic) is to test before spreading any material in your garden.

[@kmiller6002]

Phenomenal video as Always Gardener Scott. I'd thought about this.. Thank You for sharing your knowledge and experience with us 💯💯. Everyone stay safe and God Bless you and your family from middle GA 🙏 Kendra

[@Melissa-gn3dv]

Great tips! I will be trying them. I would think you could test the manure or straw on some broad leaf weeds. I wonder how long before a problem would show up.

[@TJtheHAWK]

Very interesting topic Scott. I've always been concerned particularly about the presence of the herbicide Glyphosate in our food and our soil. Studies have shown they have negative impacts on soil microorganisms. There has been conflicting studies on its safety on human health but something doesn't smell quite right here with the amount of money made off Bayer products. Would be interested to hear your opinion on Glyphosate.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks. I'm thinking of doing a similar video in the future on glyphosate.

[@jojoba35]

Always a great watch after garden chores! It sounds like the gain on your lav mic is a bit on the high side.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks for the input. It's a brand new mic and this was the first time I used it. Still figuring it out.

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

in this part of europe we cant use starw at all because of ALL the farmers using roundup . we use all woodships or cocodups,as a mulsh . the manure is not so much of the problem we use it all ... specialy horsemanure when the horses dont lick on a saltstone . they use saltstones only here for pregnant horses . so i have a lot of horsemanure in my garden to use it next year as all the dangerous patogenes are out of it . glad to see your video but amerka is not poisend europe by monsanto . ps see the monsanto papers on you tube by dw documentary

[@tommymckiddy7872]

I think it's a little bit "funny" that a major chemical company that sells synthetic fertilizer also sells an herbicide that ruins the best organic fertilizer available. You can call me a "crackpot" but I'm willing to bet that these chemicals were engineered for this purpose. Why not come up with a product to encourage the use of your other products?

[@kimiyemlsmallgardendream8115]

Great video learn patience. 💕🙏🏻

[@tatts4life838]

We’re doing a garden this year and almost all our tomatoes and beans have curled leaves and stunted growth. For now our tomatillos, squash, pumpkin, and cucumbers look fine. I guess we just have to forget growing beans and tomatoes this year and let whatever is in it go away. That should also give me time to make my own compost and figure out how to lighten the soil that’s super dense for some reason

[@williamwilson4642]

I got aminopyralid contamination from bags of store bought manure. I got the bags at Home Depot. My tomato and pepper plants really suffered. It took me a long time to figure out what the problem was.

[@jamiecope5382]

If it does harm.... It does harm...

[@therevelation19]

Informative video, as always! But something went wrong with the sound, sounds like ou are speaking through a pillow...

[@mike1968442]

Plant a bean plant. It will show you if it’s has it in there or not.

[@joannhollis5683]

We are on year two after putting hay on our garden. Our green beans look better this year, but the leaves are curling up a little again this year. Never again will I use hay in my garden.

[@flatsville1]

My growers group had to take a production bed out of service when a newbie dumped questionable Berkeley Hot Composting Method manure based compost on it against our best practices. He did not keep time, temp & turning records for E coli concerns nor bother to properly source the materials to avoid pesticides. We had to scrape off the compost & segregate it & cover the bed. We'll try some sacrifice seedlings to see if herbicides are an issue. If not, we have to assume he mis-handled the manure compost & E coli is a concern. We'll leave it lie fallow until Aug/Sept for fall crops. Based on reading/homework, a 2-4 mos cure time for cow manure compost that didn't spike to 160-165 degrees and/or have adequate turnings at sustained high temps should be long enough to eliminate E coli concerns. Some people can't be trusted with poop.

[@GOLDSMITHEXILE]

I cannot believe just how timely andreassuring this video is. As a beginner, I had started to panic about certain compost materials I have been using, and been less than cautious (actually completely unaware) of the reliable provenance of them. When you say"dissipates" Does that mean the chemical breaks down harmlessly, or does it seep into the ground? Also does burning contaminated plant matter destroy the harmful chemical? (ie is the ash still contaminated?) All the best from Norfolk (UK)

[@GardenerScott]

Dissipate means it breaks down or leaches through the soil. Burning may or may not destroy it, depending on the chemical.

[@xyzsame4081]

Charles Dowding (also from the U.K.) did a few videos on Aminopyralides, he had a small scare. He has a fabulous no till market garden and offers courses, many years of experience, and a large following. He also has the space and time to test batches. He even gets free offers of producuers of compost and soil for seedlings and even among them he had contaminated batches. He tests every material now before it is spread on his beds. Because of the high output in a relatively small area he has to import nutrients in form of compost and manure. Also worrying: he always lets manure and still "hot /active" compost sit for several months, can be 4 months - to 1 year. But that does not mean the batch is safe. Not even hot composting (or going through the digestive tract of a cow which is a bioreactor with myriards of bacteria on 4 feet) breaks down this herbicide. it will accumulate and become a more wide spread problem, because in practice it does not break down fast enough compared to how much is used.

[@monicam.8006]

Dear Gardener Scott. Peace and thank you for the nice videos. I have some simple questions about pecan trees. What is the name of the poison they release into the soil? What is the antidote for the soil? How long between the time of the seedling sprouting to the poison affecting the other plants? How long after I pull the seedling is it safe to plant other plants? Thank you for your answers.

[@GardenerScott]

It's called juglone. There really isn't an antidote, but it dissipates in time in soil. I don't know how long it takes to affect other plants.

[@xcrazyxnunx]

Thank you for this clear information! What do you recommend for the plants not showing damage? The manure I used this year has clearly damaged my nightshades and peas/beans, but everything else is doing great. Should I pull everything like my herbs and squashes?

[@GardenerScott]

If you suspect plant damage it's good to pull them. If plants don't show damage and are growing fine, contamination may be dissipated and the plants can stay in place.

[@xcrazyxnunx]

@@GardenerScott thanks so much. I’m also in Colorado so I love all the tips for growing in this region.

[@reneebrown2968]

The only way I'm using hay or straw is if it's unsprayed. Grazon is a big killer of plants. It kills large leaf plants which is more of my garden.

[@hemalsgolwala]

Hello, this is a great informative video about herbicide in compost or straw.. I am dealing with same issues right now..I transplanted tomatoes and they showed signs of herbicide damage around 3 weeks later.. I removed most of the plant which showed significant damage .. however some plants I just trimmed the affected leaves as they did not look too bad. These plants showed new sucker growth which appears to be normal and not distorted.. now I am wondering if I should harvest and eat the tomatoes from recovered plants or should I not? I also have a few plants which shows some new growth affected and some is not affected.. not sure what to do about the same… consume or not to consume?? If anyone has any insight, would greatly appreciate..

[@GardenerScott]

If the young growth shows no damage, the fruit should be fine. If you have any doubts it's better to not consume.

[@hemalsgolwala]

@@GardenerScott Thank you Scott for your insight...

[@reneebrown2968]

Yes. It doesn't harm your animals but it will harm your plants. And it will for years.

[@sezginguney8519]

Hı Mr Scott. I AM using natural soil from forest and i AM mixing it with Cattle manure .then I poor the bottom of every seedling.But i dont know if its right and wattering.

[@jojoba35]

Or perhaps just the direction it was pointed

[@giverny28]

I am realizing how bad of an issue I have. I use my own animals waste hay and their manure. Some are composted, others do not "require" composting. So I put it directly on (rabbit), or compost in place after the growing season is over. Pigs manure is composted for 2 years or applied on non edibles & my very tiny pastures. I rotated my crops, increased the square ft of gardens from about 2k sq. ft. to 5k sq. ft., and converted all my beds besides my raised beds, into Ruth Stout plots. So...lots of hay! It was easier than mulching with wood chips and less expensive than black ag cloth. I did buy old waste hay. Round bales left in the field for over a year. But the waste hay... that's fresh and this year's hay. That's what I get I guess. I feel devastated. One of my neighbors has invited me to plant in a fallow plot if I promised not to bring anything from my property, so I won't be completely without. Could I dig up the plants not yet suffering and replant them? Can I dig up my potatoes as eat then as new potatoes? She asked why would you? You know they're laced. But, in truth, I eat non organic ALL THE TIME. So why would I turn up my nose. Maybe thats naive. I just feel such incredible loss! The tomatoes and potatoes look melted! Definitely herbicide damage. But now I'm afraid. I use my animals in my gardens heavily. Chickens go on my plots over the winters. Rabbit hutches go over raised beds over winter. And my goats are everywhere ask the time. Same with pigs.

[@GardenerScott]

Transplanting depends on the plant. Some transplant well and others don't. Potatoes can be harvested early and may not be affected if new leaves look normal.

[@giverny28]

@@GardenerScott Thanks so much.

[@jimparker7778]

What about the antibiotics and pharma residues in the animal urine and manure?

[@pamelacorsi]

I feel better about the straw I bought last fall and have let sit. How about grass fertilizer? My husband wants a nice lawn but I want to use the grass in my compost. This year I convinced him to use an organic fertilizer. He used Milorganite and did not use a weed killer. Can I use that grass in my compost?

[@GardenerScott]

The fertilizer will not have toxic effects like herbicides. The grass will be okay to use.

[@Alecmcq]

Scott, you believe Dow Chemicals on this? Seems to me they are somewhat conflicted.

[@GardenerScott]

They are just one source. I trust the university research more.

[@xyzsame4081]

@@GardenerScott Universities can have bias too when a lot of money (donations, funding - and that can be around a few corners with think tanks) are involved. Studies can be massaged in the setup to get to certain results. That is why there were studies that "proved" that glyphosate was harmless.

[@norseknowhow]

Hi gardener Scott, could you please make a video on how to increase acidity to soil for plants like blueberries? I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

[@GardenerScott]

I am planning on growing blueberries at some point and will do a video about preparing the soil then. Basically, adding sulfur is the easiest way to adjust the soil pH.

[@norseknowhow]

@@GardenerScott thank you so much for your answer! I tried to add oak leak and pine bark in my compost to reduce PH level without much effect. I’m always looking forward to your new videos.

[@j2muw667]

Pine mulch or pine needles in the hole when you plant.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

Will charcoal absorb the contamination? I bought some special charcoal that said it would do that. What if there is a different weed killer in the soil or straw?

[@GardenerScott]

Some charcoal can absorb chemicals. The weed killer in straw will most likely still be the kind that kills broadleaf weeds.

[@patriciaglass5957]

Is pine straw good for the vegetable garden and flower garden , thanks Trisha from Tennessee

[@GardenerScott]

It can be. I use it around my strawberries.

[@patriciaglass5957]

@@GardenerScott what about vegetables, are the pinestraw acidic wouldnt it be good for tomatoes, ?

[@GardenerScott]

Pine straw does not lower soil pH but can be a good mulch. I like to turn over my soil in fall to incorporate the light mulch as organic matter. Because pine straw breaks down slowly in soil it's not a good choice as a soil amendment so I just use it in beds I'm not turning over, like strawberries.

[@mike1968442]

I had my water service line replaced due to tree roots. I ordered 3 ton of topsoil to make repairs. That topsoil was/is full of posion hemlock. I manually screened it last year and spread that soil to different parts of my front yard, garden area. It didn’t come to my mind while screening it, that I was unintentionally spreading the seeds, plus “activating” the seeds were I dug up the pile to level it off. This stuff WILL kill a human in under 2 hours, animals in a few hours. A very painful way to die! So I purchased “bow and arrow (stronger than round up) 98% effective on broadleaf / posion hemlock). Once it stops raining and dries out a few days, I will spray my front yard. Dig this stuff up, dispose of it in trash. But it’s in the perfect area for my garden(non raised beds). Any suggestions? 1. Build raised beds, lining the bottom with thick plastic, then layers of cardboard? 2. I usually build my beds a bit higher since I’m getting old! 3. This stuff is poison. It could kill me or kill my dogs, so I have no choice but to spray, level off my yard and apply a second treatment. The way my property is, I have little options to garden anywhere else in my property-except for 5 gallon buckets on my driveway. Any suggestions would greatly appreciate. Stuck in Pennsylvania Thanks Sal

[@GardenerScott]

This is an good example of when to grow in a raised bed with a barrier at the bottom. With plastic you won't need cardboard. Consider growing in containers too. The buckets can be moved anywhere.

[@talesfromlastnight6109]

Those 2 thumbs down? Who was it!! I am watching these as a virgin gardener. This season is my very first ever. Hello from canada!

[@xyzsame4081]

I was considering a thumbs down for the pollyanish (industry friendly, almost apologetic) reporting. didn't in the end - he gave one sound piece of advice - to test every soil that can have biomass from grass or straw. (it does not break down with hot composting or in manure !) Forget about the dissipating and the light exposure. In a compost heap ONLY the surface is exposed to light, same with a bale of stray or hay.

[@xyzsame4081]

The framing of Scott was interesting about what you still can grow if you have a contamination and unfortunatley spread compost to your beds. You can ONLY grow corn (if it is a fit for your garden and climate), rye etc because they are grasses. And things like cabbage. MOST other plants (incl. flowers) will not grow and some like peas or tomatoes are highly sensitive, we are talking about failing crops here. Not just a mediocre harvest. And the soil may be longer than 1 year be unusuable for many crops. In the comment section they mentioned that one farm had 80,000 USD damage, likely they grow organic or regenerative, if they use mulch or compost.

[@lorindav5549]

I've heard that they don't spray alfalfa hay and it would work in place of straw. Any thoughts on using it?

[@GardenerScott]

Alfalfa hay can work as a mulch but it's likely to have more seeds in it than straw.

[@lorindav5549]

@@GardenerScott Thank you.

[@TheZerocool3312]

Would it be better to use chicken manure?

[@sherimetschan961]

Gardener Scott, do you have anything on pesticide drift? My husband sprayed Spectracide for clover in the lawn. I covered my raised beds with old bed sheets. Would this have protected my plants and if not and i need to replant when would be safe?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't have a dedicated video on that. Covering your plants was a good idea. They should be okay, but if they die or show effects from herbicide contamination you can look at the label of the spray to see if it lists the half-life and how long it stays active.

[@sherimetschan961]

@@GardenerScott Thanks! I didn't see a video on that but I've frantically been reaching out to my extension service, pesticide hotline and anyone else I can think of and I just got a response before I saw yours. Not only did I cover the plants but hosed them down (maybe 8 hours later) after the heat of the day passed. I asked the pesticide hotline in the event that the drift may have gotten through how was it any different than eating conventionally grown produce which may have been sprayed directly or very near plants? She said it wasn't so I feel better about eating POSSIBLY tainted produce. I hope this helps someone else and if you have any thoughts I would most certainly appreciate them.

[@sherimetschan961]

Note: It was NOT the pesticide hotline that responded to my pesticide drift question but Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides so that makes me feel better.

[@Onniesprairiegarden]

What if the herbicides drift onto your plants? Is it not safe to keep the plant? Should we pull it? I just want to make sure it's safe to eat.

[@GardenerScott]

Depending on the herbicide, it will usually cause damage to the plant. You don't have to pull the plant, but it may not grow well and might not produce fruit.

[@Onniesprairiegarden]

@GardenerScott ok, thank you. It's produced some before it got it. And it still seems to be setting on. 🤷‍♀️ guess I'll wait and see. I heard that carbon can help leech out poisons so I'm going to try to spray this fertilizer that has carbon and see what happens.

[@benprum265]

Can GrazeOn affect fruit trees? Please advise.

[@GardenerScott]

Yes it can.

[@amysnipes4245]

Many horse, cow owners may use wormer treatment on their animals. Do you have any info on the effect of using manure that has wormer passed through?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't know that, but will certainly see what I can learn.

[@stevejohnson7118]

I have heard a few people say it will negatively affect the earthworm population. I use the local municipal compost on my lawn and flower beds and see worm holes every morning, they do use manure from the local stable to make the compost as well as solid waste from the sewer. I only use home made compost on vegetable garden until I hear something conclusive.

[@maggiesmith-benton5861]

would garlic and onions be affected?

[@GardenerScott]

They usually aren't. Most of the herbicides are for broadleaf plants.

[@johnny96888]

Isn’t true that herbicides like glyphosate are actually patented as an antibiotic? If that is so and you compost the hay. If it starts to break down and bacteria are thriving it should be good.

[@GardenerScott]

I haven't heard that glyphosate is an antibiotic.

[@johnny96888]

@@GardenerScott I’m pretty sure it was patented as an antibiotic by monsanto, that’s why scientist theorize it kills gut bacteria causing IBS and other gut related issues. I think don’t quote me.

[@user-cv1xe9yf3f]

Scott, do you want to eat things grown in soil contaminated by these chemicals?

[@GardenerScott]

Avoiding the contamination is the first approach. If hazardous chemicals find their way in the herbicides can kill or damage the plants before we eat them.

[@user-cv1xe9yf3f]

@@GardenerScott But are the affected plants or their fruits such as tomatoes safe to eat?

[@Jamescityboygardening]

Gardener Scott I don't know about the herbicide in the EZ Straw i can tell you I did learn a lesson about the seeds in the wheat straw. lmbo

[@anthonytriolo3643]

I think you are making excuses for the chemical company why use it if you do not know .

[@billveek9518]

I just don't garden anymore, went carnivore, it's over.

[@user-cv1xe9yf3f]

I would too but can't afford the meat.