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
leached into the water that wa used on the plants? (Husband says no, wife
says water appeared milky). Anyone experienced anything like this? Weather
has been fine -- no frost, not particularly hot, and sufficient rainfall.

Thanks,

"Dvd" wrote in
:

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 leached into the water that wa used
on the plants? (Husband says no, wife says water appeared milky).
Anyone experienced anything like this? Weather has been fine -- no
frost, not particularly hot, and sufficient rainfall.

Thanks,


Unless the hose is rated for drinking water, I wouldn't rule it out.

-- Salty

Salty Thumb wrote:
"Dvd" wrote in
:


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 leached into the water that wa used
on the plants? (Husband says no, wife says water appeared milky).
Anyone experienced anything like this? Weather has been fine -- no
frost, not particularly hot, and sufficient rainfall.

Thanks,



Unless the hose is rated for drinking water, I wouldn't rule it out.

-- Salty


I think it's more likely they burned up the plants with "hot" compost, or
too much high-nitrogen fertilizer, or "weed-n-feed" fertilizer.

Best regards,
Bob

In some parts of the country, compost has been contaminated with an
herbicide used mostly on golf courses. The clippings have been composted at
municipal facilities, and the resulting compost when sold to the public has
resulted in dead tomatoes, etc, such as you're describing. There have been
some warnings now, and supposedly golf courses are being told not to compost
their clippings, but your neighbors might have gotten a contaminated batch
and used it to enrich their new bed.
"Dvd" wrote in message
...
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
leached into the water that wa used on the plants? (Husband says no, wife
says water appeared milky). Anyone experienced anything like this? Weather
has been fine -- no frost, not particularly hot, and sufficient rainfall.

Thanks,

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.

On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 20:20:52 -0400, Dvd wrote:
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

Commercial compost brought in? Bagged manure?

"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.

You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been eaten by
cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost still had enough
picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night shade family or solanacea.


On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:07:25 -0700, "gregpresley" wrote:

In some parts of the country, compost has been contaminated with an
herbicide used mostly on golf courses. The clippings have been composted at
municipal facilities, and the resulting compost when sold to the public has
resulted in dead tomatoes, etc, such as you're describing. There have been
some warnings now, and supposedly golf courses are being told not to compost
their clippings, but your neighbors might have gotten a contaminated batch
and used it to enrich their new bed.
"Dvd" wrote in message
.. .
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
leached into the water that wa used on the plants? (Husband says no, wife
says water appeared milky). Anyone experienced anything like this? Weather
has been fine -- no frost, not particularly hot, and sufficient rainfall.

Thanks,

"animaux" wrote in message
...
You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been eaten
by
cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost still had
enough
picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night shade family or
solanacea.

For newbies: Peppers & tomatoes are in the solanacea family.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in
.net:

"animaux" wrote in message
...
You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been
eaten by cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost
still had enough picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night
shade family or solanacea.

For newbies: Peppers & tomatoes are in the solanacea family.



Any idea why the water would be "milky" or should the wife get checked for
glacoma?

"Salty Thumb" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" wrote in
.net:

"animaux" wrote in message
...
You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been
eaten by cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost
still had enough picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night
shade family or solanacea.

For newbies: Peppers & tomatoes are in the solanacea family.



Any idea why the water would be "milky" or should the wife get checked for
glacoma?

If it was milky for the first few seconds, and I was on a game show and had
to make a correct guess, in return for a new car....I'd say they'd powdered
the inside of the hose for some reason during manufacturing. Tell her to go
to the store where she bought it and stick her finger in an unused one. And,
while she's there, get the manufacturer's phone number from the display
card.

You said "new garden". How long has this neighbor lived there?

Salty Thumb wrote:

"Doug Kanter" wrote in
.net:


"animaux" wrote in message
. ..

You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been
eaten by cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost
still had enough picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night
shade family or solanacea.

For newbies: Peppers & tomatoes are in the solanacea family.




Any idea why the water would be "milky" or should the wife get checked for
glacoma?


More than likely the water in the pipes was cold and had dissolved air in
it. The hose was warm, and the air came out of solution because of the
decrease in pressure and the increase in temperature. When the hose cooled
to the same temperature as the water, the dissolved air coming out of
solution due to just the drop in pressure wasn't enough to make it cloudy.

Also, if it was a rubber hose it may have had a thin coating of talcum
powder or cornstarch inside leftover from manufacturing.

Bob

Couple of years but never gardened

You said "new garden". How long has this neighbor lived there?

Yup, familiar with the regular reasons for milky looking water.


More than likely the water in the pipes was cold and had dissolved air in
it. The hose was warm, and the air came out of solution because of the
decrease in pressure and the increase in temperature. When the hose
cooled
to the same temperature as the water, the dissolved air coming out of
solution due to just the drop in pressure wasn't enough to make it cloudy.

Also, if it was a rubber hose it may have had a thin coating of talcum
powder or cornstarch inside leftover from manufacturing.

Bob


Yup, familiar with the regular reasons for milky looking water. I have since
learned that lead is added to the plastic in hoses to keep them flexible.
This shouldn't be a problem for the plants, but it makes you wonder about
the use of recylced plastics in manufacturing.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 13:49:24 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote:

"animaux" wrote in message
.. .
You are talking about picloram. This persistent herbicide has been eaten
by
cows and horses, composted at 150 degrees and that compost still had
enough
picloram to do major damage to (mostly) the night shade family or
solanacea.

For newbies: Peppers & tomatoes are in the solanacea family.


Ooop, sorry, I forgot to be more specific.