To think DH is talking rubbish about landfill and me planting veggies?

[MrsShitty]

I want to plant a veggie patch but DH is all "oh no, no, no...our garden is full of stones and crap and was created when the house was built in the 90s with LANDFILL!"

He then looks terrified as though landfill has to contain massive amounts of radioactive rubble or somesuch.

AIBU to ignore him or is he rght to say yuk about veggies grown in earth which may be landfilly.?

He says "I will make you a raised patch."

He won't.

He always says things like that and doesn't.

No he is wrong - your back garden would have been created with clean rubble and soil, not landfill.

Our house was built 8 years ago on a site which apparently contained some land fill. There is a similar make up to our soil as there is to yours. The residents committee (hark at me) advise that you cannot eat anything you grow as they cannot be sure as to whether any chemicals are still in the soil. Apparently next century, we should all be safe.

Sorry :-S

If he's worried, have the soil tested. How long have you been in the house, because AFAIK environmental reports are part of the searches/surveys/thingies that they do.

Your husband may be right. It would be wise to get the soil tested.

You could always grow things in large pots though.

Check the environmental report. My house is built on a site that used to be a car repair garage and is considered contaminated land because oil and chemicals could have leached into the ground. But the topsoil the builders put in the raised beds should be fine.

thanks all....how do I get the environmental report though eurochick? This is a rental though we have been here 5 years!

Funnily enough there apparently WAS an old fahioned petrol station here according to an ancent taxi driver who is local...it aint looking good is it?

What containers can I utilize when if DH fails me on the raised patch thing?

If you are really concerned you could always use grow bag pots
www.selections.com/GF9810/tomato-and-vegetable-growbag-pots-3-free-planting-guard-clips/

Raised beds, potato bags, pots. All possible.

I bought a testing kit online to test for metals (was worried about lead from old paint). But lots of edible crops hardly take any containments from the soil, or so I was told. If you plant things where you eat the fruit/seeds (so tomatoes/peas/beans etc) more than spuds/onions then I think they're much less likely to suck up badness from the soil

Containers - I've used fruit crates (those thin wood ones), milk cartons, tins, plastic tubs - anything than have drainage holes drilled in. The fruit crates are perfect for salad and you can move them easily.

use grow bags

I have just googled it and I can grow them in bags...like the Bags for Life...not as pretty but kind of eco I suppose!

sue I want to do carrots, beetroot, lttuce and onions so thy do need to root...I will look out for crates though!

When I only had a balcony I grew lots of lovely stuff in thos big plastic pots, tomatoes in particular do well in them.

You can buy large planters or I have potatoes in a wheel barrow

Potatoes are excellent for clearing contaminated ground, grow them for three years and throw away the crop They absorb all sorts of chemicals and heavy metals.
Then retest the soil before planting food crops.

I am quite excited now....containers will probably be better as I won't have to dig up a chunk of lawn and can move them...I can still keep sowing them too....I am going to buy some cmpost....is that what I need? I am a true rookie....bags of compost?

Fallen good tip but we rent and I don't want to give over land for potatoes I can't eat...

Those rubber tub things are good too.

I think you want grow bags. Like here.

Lettuce doesn' need to root much and carrots are fine in the bigger crates. Better in fact, mine always split in the ground. Or old buckets.

Our yard is completely concreted over, I used raised beds to grow a selection of flowers, salad & veg as i couldn't even contemplate digging up the concrete. I bought these - www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/kitchen-garden-tools/kitchengarden/grow-beds-troughs/mini-raised-bed/classid.2000007569/ and some wooden ones for other areas where I wanted them to be more attractive. We've filled them with a mixture of compost & topsoil (warning it takes quite a lot) but they are blooming again this year (I've been feeding everyone who crosses our threshold salad) + carrots + potatoes.
Herbs & strawberries are grown in decorative pots.

If you are renting then grow bags is the way forward. I don't think its realistic to wait three years to decomtaminate the ground. Even if the test come back fine will your DH be convinced? Will the kids refuse to eat the veg because Daddy says its dangerous?

lettuce, radishes etc don't need a lot of root depth.

I grew carrots in an old bin (true story) The best things are courgettes and cucumbers which you can grow in terracotta pots. Peas need some root depth I would've thought, but prob not as ugh as carrots. Also if you grow carrots in a shallow site, they still grow, but they are funny shapes lol.

Grow bag tomatoes!!

wonkylegs They look like just the thing I am after! No landfill issue here but very heavy soil. We once tried to dig a soakaway and concluded that it must be clay right down to the centre of the Earth round here.

Did you get the liners? Are they necessary? I thought you had to have drainage in containers. I have started some dwarf beans, sweet corn and courgettes inside and peas in a couple of small troughs outside. When the beans etc. get bigger I had planned to put them out in large containers but I don't think I have quite enough for the number that are coming through so those mini-beds migt be just right.

If you do use pots then set up a water butt (or 2 or 3) as they are a very thirsty way of growing veg.