Chemical Lawn Care Service Killed my Tomatoes

[donsabi]

This past year was my first year in my current home and I planted a garden.

The corn did great but after several weeks of being planted my tomato plants died. I took photos and a sample to my local UT Farm Extension and they quickly identified the culprit as 2, 4D. I do not use chemicals on my lawn.

I had no idea were this poison was coming from. I replanted more tomatoes and after doing well for a month they all died as the first batch. Once again I went to UT Farm Extension and again they insisted it was 2, 4D. At that point I gave up on tomatoes but my Corn was doing well and this puzzled me. Later I learned that 2, 4D will not effect corn.

One day I came home to see a serviceman spraying my neighbors lawn. I walked around the corner and there was a Tru-Green truck parked behind the house. I questioned the workman but he referred me to his manager. I called Tru-Green and they swore that their product had been tested by spraying within 3 feet of tomato plants with no effect. Every time my neighbor's lawn was sprayed I could smell the 2, 4D but the Tru Green manager insisted their product was not effecting my tomato plants.

I went on line to find thousands of complaints against Tru-Green and other lawn spray services. I read of many cases where the damaged party sued. I tried to explain the situation to my neighbor but he was less than cooperative.

I live in a community called Fairfield Glade TN that is known as a golf community. Lawns seem to have priority here regardless of insecticide and fertilizer run off not to mention the damage to wildlife and fish and the poisoning of lakes and ground water.

If you are chemically treating your lawn please become aware of the effects you are having on you neighbors and you local environment.

If you are seeing problems in your flower or vegetable gardens that do not fit the normal problems then look to see what your neighbors are doing and you may find your culprit.

Don

[OROZCONLECHE]

Wow that Sounds Horrible, The only thing that my lawn gets fertilized is Duck Poop, It automatically kills the grass and leaves it slippery but in a month its back to normal

[TexRx]

Tru-green is crap....You can smell the truck from like 20 feet away or more!

It's all chemicals and it kill practically any live worm or bacteria and fungi living in the soil and kills bugs on the plants. It destroys tons of different kinds of weeds but at what cost to the environment?

You coudn't pay me 5,000 a month to use that on a regular basis

[donsabi]

I learned that those people who took their case against companies like Tru-Green to court sued and won. However the amount of the settlement amounted to the lose of the crop. We small gardeners are not in it for the money. Gardening is a hobby, a way of life, that provides a meditative experience that cannot be bought.

Our courts side with the business entities. The amount of settlement paid to complainants is so small these business shrug it off and go on to injure others.

If you are a mother or a pet owner whose neighbor is using a chemical lawn service you should be very concerned. Long term exposure to lawn care chemicals will have devastating effects on your children or pets. These same chemicals have a nasty effect on adults too. (Imagine the damage done to the service person spraying this crap). If you really are concerned about your children, pets, and yourself you should be outraged by the indiscriminate use and application of these products.

[greenstubbs]

Sounds like it's time to start growing stuff in containers then the ground if your neighbor like them spraying there lawn. The very first time I smelled one of those trucks I thought to myself, "Man, they must use that stuff full strenght., I really see no difference in any lawn that uses that crap, JMHO.

[bellabonbon]

I don't use fertilizers because I heard that your soil can become too dependent on them. I prefer to use compost and my pets waste materials to enrich my soil. This year will be my first true attempt at gardening, so I hope that I don't run into the problems you did.

[Cola82]

Ugh, golf courses. Don't get me started. Big wastes of space that consume too many resources just so a few jerks can burn off a few hours. We have a big golf course and country club in the middle of town. I just hate it.

We have a commercial landscaping company come into our community every Thursday and mow and trim bushes and stuff. Thankfully, it's only the front areas, on the street, and my neighbors don't spray along the backyard fences or anything. Like me, they just keep the grass mowed. My mom wasn't so lucky when her new neighbors sprayed along her fence and poisoned her strawberries, grapes, and raspberries. Jerks.

[Dillbert]

You lost your tomatoes and I know how does it feels. Because I lost a lot of potatoes of my field because of chemicals. Now, I do not use any kind of chemicals.

that would certainly explain the need for licenses "Commercial Applicator: 0456104 & 0405682"

[TZ -OH6]

Is there a chance that the previous owner used a 2,4,D weed and feed type mixture or the same lawn service? Unlike Glyphosate, those chemicals stay active in the soil for a long time. The lawn care company has to be careful about their customer's flower beds and trees, so damage from drift may be less likely than contaminated soil from previous direct application.