With the movement to plant gardens in the backyard, I am concerned about what else might be in the dirt besides what is beneficial for plants to grow. I am concerned about toxins from wolmanized wood from outdoor structures and residential pesticide that neighbors tend to overuse. I am worried that a lot of this nasty stuff washes from yard to yard in heavy rains.I suspect that the first thing I need to do is to have the soil checked to actually see what's in there, not only for toxins, but recommendations for any deficiencies in minerals and nutrients.What's the best way to start, and any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
avoid carrots; they accumulate a lot of pesticides...same with melons, though you probably wont have room for them...most common garden crops, like tomatoes, beans and peppers, do an adequate job of filtering the intake of damaging chemicals..
try a raised garden. Cover the ground with netting from your local home depot or garden center and buy soil in bags meant for gardening. That way the soil is save and you don't have to worry about any contaminants.
I have the same sort of concerns about eating vegetables grown in the back yard. In addition to the toxins that you mentioned, there is the possibility of additional contamination from deteriorating sewer lines and whatever is washed off the roads during a rainstorm. You can have the soil tested at an environmental testing laboratory, but you will have to tell them what you are testing for. If your are testing for chemicals, they may ask you for the CAS numbers. I figure that things grown above the ground are safer -- eg. fruit from trees, grapes from grapevines, bramble berries, etc. Also, it would be safer if you used raised bed gardening. You could do this by piling up dirt into small hills for planting. Start a compost bin for your vegetable scraps, leaves, grass, and brown matter like cardboard in order to make compost to add to your garden . This also helps the soil. I once called the agriculture department in my state to ask about the kind of concerns you have about a home garden, but I didn't get a responsive answer.
