At the end of last season all of that herbicide-tainted compost that ruined the potted tomatoes was dumped in a pile with the thought that maybe a year's rain and further composting would leach away the problem. So yesterday I filled a 3 gallon pot with it and planted some Provider bean seeds in it. Bean seed is supposed to be really sensitive to herbicide and so is a good indicator if there's any still there.

We'll see what happens. I'm really hoping the soil is good to use so I can amend some quick draining nursery mix I'll be getting this year.

Hopefully your situation will be resolved. I had a similar fiasco with tainted straw mulch. At the end of last growing season all the bad straw was removed and I tried the bean thing. They did germinate and grow so maybe the herbicide has been reduced enough for a good growing season. Good luck with your garden.

How old do you think the tainted compost actually was? I don't remember the specifics.

The township stuff I get is supposed to be 5 years old. I've never had a problem with it, but I'm sure there are some herbicides in there, since lawn clippings are a part of it. I've never been concerned about it before...

https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/ ... ides-faq#1

https://theprepared.com/blog/aminopyral ... 20at%20all.

A couple of links exploring herbicide contamination in materials used in home gardens and some testing protocols to determine if your soil is free from meaningful contamination.

Excellent information…thanks. In 50 years of gardening last year was the first experience with herbicide tainted compost or mulch. Hopefully the last.

What was the specific herbicide? Different herbicides break down faster in aerobic or anaerobic environments or sometimes alternating cycles of each.

Hornad wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:51 am What was the specific herbicide? Different herbicides break down faster in aerobic or anaerobic environments or sometimes alternating cycles of each.

I can't tell you as I wasn't going to fork out $150 each for three different tests at a lab. But the damage was definitely from herbicide, says the Extension agent.