Re: brugmansia/Gasoline in soil


>Now the biggy.  I am attempting to amend a small flower bed which was
>taken over by Queen Anne's Lace.  Digging it up and Round Up failed to
>eliminate it and I came home the other night to find the Other Half
>finishing pouring gas over it.  It is now dead but......... what about
>the soil?  Should I remove the top 4 or 5 inches and replace and how
>long before I can safely replant.  The Other Half figures the gas will
>evaporate and the soil be okay but that sounds too easy.

I say shoot your Other Half.  The volatile parts of the gasoline will
evaporate but will leave deadly oils behind in the soil and those oils
could last for years.  In addition, your Other Half has just made a
contribution to our air pollution problems.  If he has refuses to accept
the fact that gasoline in soil is a big problem, have him go to the trusty
internet and look at all the huge companies that do bioremediation of gas,
oil and other hydrocarbons in soil (try typing "gasoline contaminated soil"
in to www.askjeeves.com). Some companies offer products, other offer
services and they don't come cheap.  Here in San Diego, there is even a
huge processing facility where people truck in soils contaminated with
hydrocarbons to be cleaned.

To address your small problem, I suggest you dig down in the soil and see
if you can tell how far down the contamination goes.  Once you've
determined that, tell your Other Half that it is HIS job to remove and
dispose of ALL of that soil and bring in new soil to replace it.  Should
teach him a good lesson.   Reminds me of that adage "haste makes waste..."

Nan

PS  Sorry to be preachy, but this kind of thoughtless approach boils my blood.

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Nan Sterman
San Diego County California
Sunset zone 24, USDA hardiness zone 10b or 11

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