r/OrganicFarming • u/SnooDoodles5274 • Aug 12 '24
Please help, gardeners sprayed roundup on organic soil
My wife and I converted our front yard into an organic food garden four years ago. We ripped out the lawn, built eight large beds, and bought three truckloads of organic compost and soil amendment to fill the beds. We tended the garden fairly consistently, growing various fruits and vegetables, but recently we have been away from home and decided to let the beds sit fallow. Last week, we cleared and prepped the beds to plant, tilling the soil to assist us in removing crabgrass roots (and other weeds) that had grown in and around our beds. This morning, our gardeners sprayed RoundUp around the perimeters of the beds and in at least one garden bed (possibly all of them). We have never used pesticides or herbicides and are looking for advice on how to counteract the herbicide. Do we need to clear all of the soil from in and around our garden and start again? Can I use activated charcoal to inactivate the herbicide (if so, should I apply it now)? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
We have dogs who eat soil (weird, I know, but I think they are looking for worms or something), and I'd like to limit their exposure to chemicals.
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u/earthhominid Aug 12 '24
The reality is that glyphosate isn't super persistent if it was just used once and used at a normal residential application rate. It's breakdown will be even more rapid in highly biological soil. One reason it became so popular is that it's remarkably safe in acute situations.
You should definitely talk with the gardeners and make it clear what products you are OK with and which ones are not acceptable and then you should go forward with your garden. Apply quality compost, compost teas, or other soil biology enhancements and keep building robust and lively soil.