When moving to a new home, sometimes you have to deal with the choices made by the previous residents — good and bad. You might be blessed with a vegetable patch, or you might be disappointed when you can't find any landscaping fabric. One person took to Reddit for advice on what to do if their soil quality was questionable.
There are many factors to consider when planting your garden, such as how much sun the area will get, how much rain you can expect it to get, and also, if you want to plan for success, you may want to take into account the composition and condition of your soil.
A Reddit user from San Francisco is looking for help with their soil: “I moved into this house about 8 months ago and the previous residents dumped about 10-15 cans of paint, lacquer thinner, and other chemicals over the fence in the backyard. … Is there anywhere I can take my soil and have it tested? Is there anything I should be concerned about?”
The poster also noted that the garden appears to be “teeming with life” and overgrown with “four-foot-tall weeds.” However, some plants seem to thrive in the contaminated soil. According to The Hill, “scientists have found that zinnia flowers and tobacco plants not only survive but thrive in contaminated soil.”
Several people who commented on the post suggested the gardener plant sunflowers, as the tall plant has the ability to draw pollutants out of the soil.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on one town using sunflowers to clean up soil: “Sunflower seeds are being delivered to mailboxes around town to be used to clean up the soil using a technique called phytoremediation. After absorbing the toxins, the plants will have to be cut down and thrown away.”
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Commenters suggested the original poster get a soil test done. One wrote, “The only way to find out is to get your soil tested. Call your state agricultural guidance agency and ask who can test it. Sure, it will cost money, but just because the plant is there doesn't mean it's safe to eat.”
🗣️How much time do you spend each week tending to your houseplants, garden, or yard? 🔘 Less than 30 minutes 🌵 🔘 30 minutes to 1 hour 🪴 🔘 1 to 2 hours 🌱 🔘 More than 2 hours 🏡 🗳️To see your results, click on the options and tell us your opinion
When it's safe, rewilding your garden not only saves on water usage and maintenance costs, but it also creates a refuge for pollinators that are essential to the food supply chain. Growing your own food is also beneficial, and you could save up to $600 a year by producing your own fresh produce.
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