"Doug" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 20:20:52 -0400, "Dvd"
Neighbour planted tomatoes, peppers and cosmos in a new bed. In less than
a
week everything has died. There appears to be some accelerated growth,
such
as occurs with herbicides, but there have been no chemicals used anywhere
in
or near the yard. Could toxic chemicals from a brand new plastic hose
have

In theory, anything is *possible*, but it's not likely.

The chemicals in your standard garden hoses will leach out, but the
volumes aren't that great and they will diminish over time.

You mentioned this was a new bed, with new plants. A few thoughts ..

- If there was too much fertilizer, that can get plants on the fast
track to death.

- Is there a wood border to this new bed? If so, was the wood secured
to the ground with rebar? Occasionally people will drive the rebar
through a natural gas line in the ground. Although natural gas does
give off an odor, when the line is pierced with rebar and there's a
fair amount of soil ontop, the gas will reach the surface slowly
(little odor) and will be disbursed. BUT, as it works it's way through
the soil it's a shoe in to kill plants.

Even if there was no rebar used, as it's a new garden bed (digging,
poking, prodding, etc.), they might have pierced a line.

Doug.

Thanks, but no fertilizer or gas lines or weed and feed.