Separating Vegetables from Chemicals

Question

I want to plant a garden where there has been tree seedlings planted for a small tree farm. There have been chemicals previously used for weeds, fertilizer, etc. Can I put down plastic, to seal off the ground chemicals, then put new soil on top (6-12 inches), and safely grow vegetables?

Answer 1

Pesticides and herbicides have a break down period where they break down and are no longer present in the soil. Most likely, this time has passed for that area, so I would recommend making a dedication to organic gardening in that space going forward, as the chemicals that were in that space are no longer an issue.