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Florida Gardening

Maybe this is why my potted plants didn't thrive

7 years ago

I just read this article about a compost faciity in SC (more bad news from my home state...imagine that) that has run into a problem with heribicide contamination. I've been buying potting soil from Dollar General, and I've used it for years, with no ill effects. However, I'm now wondering if maybe the compost they used was contaminated in that batch, and that's why my tomatoes and peppers simply would not grow. Some had deformed leaves too.

Buying organic potting soil won't help, because this place sells to organic farms. I'm going to go back to making my own potting soil with peat, perlite and vermiculite until I can get some leaf mould made. Now I'm wondering if the cole crops I just planted in that same soil will be o.k. Hopefully, the watering has washed out any residues left in it.

Here's the Article

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Comments (6)

dangermouse01 (coastal central FL 9B)
7 years ago
My sister that lives in Oklahoma suspects that herbicide contaminated compost caused all their vegetable garden failures this year. Many of their neighbors had the same problems as she did.
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writersblock (9b/10a)
7 years ago
I would totally expect contamination in compost from a source like that. I think you may have hit it.
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User
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I know one year I used compost from the dump in North Port and it killed everything vegetable in my garden. Seems it wasn't "composted" at all. They just chopped stuff up really fine and added sand to it. Some of my potted plants were full of white grubs.

I used to make potting soil out of Black Kow, perlite and organic peat (not peat moss, just peat), but I have a hard time finding organic peat anymore. Oh, for the good old days before RoundUp took over the world.
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User
Original Author
7 years ago
Someone just said that organic peat is now called organic topsoil. Strange. I remember we used to sell it at Duke Garden Center in Venice to plant roses in. Now it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
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carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I recall issues w/ clopyralid in commercial compost some years back - apparently, it's still a big problem. This page has some tips on how to determine & deal w/ it...

https://extension.umd.edu/learn/gardener-alert-beware-herbicide-contaminated-compost-and-manure
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User
Original Author
7 years ago
Well, my seeds are coming up fine in the already used soil, but they aren't tomatoes or peppers, they're greens. I'll try some beans and see what happens.
0

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