A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion New Members weed killer

hi im new to the whole gardening thing, im a chef and have thought about growing my own veg for years and have finally decided to get my garden done so i have got 3 large raised beds but the man who has done the garden has used weed killer concentrate on the whole garden about 1 month ago. will this affect me being able to grow in my raised beds and will the food be safe. as i say im a novice and would love some advice. many thanks tony

It may depend on what kind of weed killer used. If it is strictly weed killer like Roundup or weed B Gone it should be OK, but I wouldn't use any more during the growing season. If it is a systemic killer like Bayer Advance with a pest control that will travel up through the roots to the veggies themselves then no, Not for a year after use.
Is your Vegetable garden started? When will you be planting if not?

Oh and welcome Chef Tony.

hi jonni13 thanks for the reply it is a systemic weed killer and i will be very sad if i have to wait a year to grow. i havent started growing yet the garden is not finished yet, my boxes are about 2 feet high is there a way around this like using plastic sheeting and stones for drainage. im feeling gutted at this point.

I should also have said if he laid down a pre-emergent agent it could also be up to a year before you can plant seeds that will survive. And even started small plants can be affected. You can start a few radish seeds to see if they sprout to test. They are fast.

welcome chef tony.

i have to concur with everything tina had to say. and i would add, you have one other option, dig out and put in new soil. not a fun prospect, but, you can cover what you have in a pile and use it for a new bed next year. that's what i'd probably do.

This is also what I would do. Dig and start with fresh soil. It is very disheartening.
A systemic killer means it goes to the roots and through the plant to kill it. It has already invaded your soil and will take about a year to dissipate. I don't know of a way to hurry the process along using plastic or stones or if improving drainage would help. I sincerely doubt it. I am sorry.

thanks guys i am going to dig about a foot down along the length and width of the patch and line with sheeting, add some stones for drainage and fill with fresh soil. then with my boxes it should give me about 3 1/2 foot to grow in hope that should do the trick.

if you do that, poke holes in the plastic to let the water drain. even with rocks/stones, you will need some real drainage.