Q&A – If my vegetables have herbicide damage are they still safe to eat?
Question:
Last year, 3 weeks prior to planting the garden, I used Round Up to kill invasive weeds. Most dead weeds were raked up, but some were tilled under. My yard is also serviced by a lawn company and I used grass clippings in between plant rows. Each spring the grass clippings are tilled under. Last year, some tomato plants experienced herbicide damage, This year, all 8 tomato plants and some others experienced herbicide damage. If my vegetables have herbicide damage are they still safe to eat?
Answer:
There are no studies on this, so it is best to play it safe and not eat the vegetables.
As for why the damage is happening, the herbicide is likely coming from the grass clippings you are putting on your garden. Once you stop putting the clippings on the garden it will still take several years before the herbicide is no longer in the soil. You may need to use raised beds until that time.
Related Resources:
Diagnosing Herbicide Injury on Garden and Landscape Plants
Herbicide Damage to Vegetable Plants
Herbicide Damage to Landscape Plants
Last year, 3 weeks prior to planting the garden, I used Round Up to kill invasive weeds. Most dead weeds were raked up, but some were tilled under. My yard is also serviced by a lawn company and I used grass clippings in between plant rows. Each spring the grass clippings are tilled under. Last year, some tomato plants experienced herbicide damage, This year, all 8 tomato plants and some others experienced herbicide damage. If my vegetables have herbicide damage are they still safe to eat?
Answer:
There are no studies on this, so it is best to play it safe and not eat the vegetables.
As for why the damage is happening, the herbicide is likely coming from the grass clippings you are putting on your garden. Once you stop putting the clippings on the garden it will still take several years before the herbicide is no longer in the soil. You may need to use raised beds until that time.
Related Resources:
Diagnosing Herbicide Injury on Garden and Landscape Plants
Herbicide Damage to Vegetable Plants
Herbicide Damage to Landscape Plants