About 5 years ago, the garden in our yard was infected with rat poison by the homeowner, by burying the poison into the soil. We wish to revitalize the 3 x 4 metre yard with both vegetation and other plants - and are aware that we would need to change the soil. Therefore, my question pertains to how much soil would be required and how much soil needs to be removed (i.e. depth) thank you
This is an issue you should probably discuss with whatever university agricultural extension agents are in your area. There are many variables here, and I don't think I can give you a perfect answer. This article is about disinfecting contaminated soil:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/sanitizing-garden-soil-after-pets.htm
and this one can help you solarize your soil:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm
However, rat poison is a serious issue. If your area has a poison control center, they may be able to help you with this,
Yes I have a question about gardening. I am a first time gardener and very excited to get started. My husband and I just moved and, luckily for me, the previous owner was a gardener and built these beautiful beds. Over the years that the house was unoccupied weeds grew in the bed and unfortunately my husband sprayed them with weed killer without telling me. I’ve heard that the solution to that is digging up 6-12in, putting cardboard down, and putting 6-12in of garden soil on top. I’m a bit nervous because I won’t have the earth soil to mix with my garden soil. Is there another type of soil that I can mix with my garden soil to substitute?
You can use the same soil that had weed killer in it. The weed killer breaks down quickly and does not remain in your soil. You could mix in some compost or aged manure if you want to give it a boost, then plant away. (You can check on the bottle of weed killer for days to wait to plant.)
We had our roof cleaned 2 days ago. The company used a combination of 3% sodium hypochlorite (Clorox) and surfactant (RoofSnooty). While they took care to protect the plants in the area by continually dousing them with water (they look fine), some of the solution made it over the roof and onto our vegetable garden. The next day we noticed some burning of the leaves on a variety of plants most all appear to be alive (see attached picture). We washed the plants and the area down several times with water and today, a day later, they appear unchanged (no better but no worse). The question is did we take all of the appropriate steps to save the plants (tomatoes, zucchini, beans, perennial and annual herbs), and are the vegetables safe to eat going forward? Is there anything else we need to do to remediate the soil?
It sounds like you have done all that you can. If there is enough in the soil to do any damage, it will not allow for your plants to make it far enough for you to consume. If you get anything from your plants, it will mean that there isn't enough in the soil to make a difference.
Unfortunately, there is not much to be done in this situation.
My wife is concerned if I use weed killer on our lawn. She feels that the chemicals will eventually seep into our vegetable garden which is at the bottom of our property. She believes that it would be unsafe for us to eat the vegetables. Are her concerns valid.
It should be safe if you read and follow all the instructions and warnings on the label. Many people fail to dress appropriately or take precautions with the spray, resulting in unsafe usage. It tells on the label how quickly the chemicals become inert.
I put white mushrooms in the soil of my gardenia as I repotted it. My gardenia is growing strong and beautifully, one month later the stench from the soil and water draining is horrible. Did I do something stupid and wrong? Is my plant going to die and how can I fix this? Ps: I am a beginner
This, really, depends on the type of mushroom that you put in. There are thousands of white mushrooms, so it would be difficult to say if they were of any harm or not.
Bad soil smells, typically, indicate poor drainage and sulfur reducing bacteria. Overwatering, and wet soils will be the cause of this.
You may need to repot into fresh potting soil, and be sure to water when the soil is dry down to a depth of 2 or 3 inches or so.
A fungicide will be necessary. This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/gardenia/gardenia-plant.htm
It looks like a growing mold or mushroom like thing, little orange balls
Unfortunately, I am unable to identify the issue, as your photos did not come through.
There are many mushrooms that can fit this description, but a photo will help.
In the meantime, this collection of articles will offer information on fungi:
My space is 75 x 60.At one time there was 4 sheep and two dogs. Only one sheep and one dog now. Had some of them there about 1 1/2 yrs. Old vegetable garden enclosure. Want to reclaim space as a veg. garden. How long should I wait before doing that? Years? Never? Dogs never wormed nor vaccinated.
There is no set rule for animals that consume meat, but the only problem is dog feces. Being a meat eater, they can carry some pretty wild diseases and pathogens that CAN be transferred to humans through consuming contaminated crops. Generally, for fresh manure, this is a 90 day period, but since we are talking about dog feces- Better safe than sorry.
The only, true, way to be sure that nothing remains in your soil is to have it tested. Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/test-soil-for-pests-and-diseases.htm
There are a few things that you can do to help the process along, though. This article will help: