How to convert poisoned weeds to veggie garden?

[Freddoge]

To make a long story short, we had a massive weed in the backyard that required a fair amount of poisoning (non selective) before it could be removed. It turned out it was also the home to tens of thousands of ants, so they had to be poisoned too, using both ant powder and some pesticides sprayed by a professional. This was a couple months ago, and now we would like to turn that area into a veggie garden. We have had lots of rain but what can we do to make sure that the poisons are gone? Would laying some plastic sheeting and then fresh soil on top of that work? Or is that land just going to be permanently ruined?

[EricL]

Hello @Freddoge 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about the poison in your soil.

Certain poisons have what they call a short life span, which means that they are only active for a certain number of days and then they start to break down or get washed away by the rain. There are others of course that stay in the soil for a very long time and don't break down despite being exposed to the sun and rain.   

I suggest looking at the first weed killer you used and reading the literature at the back to find out how long it will stay in the soil. I then propose speaking to the pest control person to get more information about the ant poison they used in the soil. They should be able to tell you if it has a long or short life span.

However, if you are worried that there is still residual poison in the soil, I suggest thinking about building a raised garden bed in your backyard. In this manner you'll still be able to have your veggie garden and avoid touching the ground soil in the process.

This also becomes an excellent opportunity for you to create a relaxation area by putting in pavers, chairs and a firepit. 

Here is a link for ideas and inspiration:  Top 10 most popular raised garden beds

Here are some fantastic entertainment areas our Workshop members have shared:

• Outdoor fire pit area with hanging chairs by @cmp3121 
   
• Fire pit area with pavers and stones by @burnsie 
   
• Fire pit entertaining area with seating and planter boxes by @raymond265 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric