Weed killer has struck again, with one gardener sharing on Reddit how harmful chemicals sprayed near his plants caused extensive damage to his garden.
Spraying herbicides has long been known to be an unhealthy practice that poses risks not only to the targeted weeds but also to plant, animal and human life.
The indiscriminate application of these chemicals often draws the ire of the gardening community, especially when they are sprayed by landlords who ignore tenant consent or homeowner associations who dictate what can be done on other people's property.
In a post on the subreddit r/vegetablegardening, one user lamented that the exact same thing happened to them:
While the homeowner was spraying herbicides on nearby land, the resident's garden was caught in the crossfire. “Most of the blackberry flowers have died and the rest of the plants are in a terrible state,” the resident said.
The posters claim that the homeowners didn't intend to spray the garden with herbicides and were waiting for favorable winds to blow, but their carelessness and the destructive power of herbicides are part of a wider problem.
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Renters who invest in tending their yards and growing native plants often find themselves plagued by indifferent or resistant landlords and homeowners associations who resist making changes to the property or make thoughtless mistakes like spraying the yard with herbicides, preventing residents from practicing a more sustainable lifestyle.
If you're finding yourself with these common issues, we encourage you to check out The Cool Down's guide on how to work with your landlord or HOA to make sustainable changes to your property while renting.
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People in the comments section seemed to have the same two issues: landowners and herbicides.
“That's horrible,” one user said. “I'm so sick of these chemicals being used so carelessly.”
“If it's been damaged by herbicide, it will never recover,” another wrote. “I would show the homeowner the damage and ask for compensation.”
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