Wind Drift / Protection from chemicals?

[LKwiat]

We are new at this organic gardening and are looking for ideas for protecting our raised beds from wind drift when our neighbors used pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, etc. Specifically, we have a cherry orchard across the street which sprays heavily from now until through early July. Best case scenario is that we will be notified before they spray. Any ideas on what is the best way to protect our soon to be planted garden?

New Gardener in Michigan

[hendi_alex]

I don't think that there is very much one can do in that case. The certification for organically grown produce evem includes mention of the fact that chemical drift, run off, residuals in the ground can not be eliminated. That is one reason that I would be very hesitant to live near any commercial agriculture activity. Also, those city dwellers love to bring in the lawn contractors who use chemicals for fertilizer, weed control, and pest control. Of course even in our rural setting where there are no active farms and no near neighbors, from time to time aircraft fly over newly seeded pine forests doing something. I hope that they are disbursing seeds, but more than likely they are dispursing a chemical to retard competing vegetation. The utility company drives by every other year, spraying roundup or similar chemical on the entire right of way, that runs beside our house. Just can't get away from the stuff!

[applestar]

I have similar issues with neighbors, so I was thinking PVC pipe supports and lightweight plastic sheeting/tarp used to cover floor and furniture when painting if on a cloudy day -- which is usually when you're supposed to spray anyway. Wear disposable gloves, carefully bundle tarp into a trash bag and throw away (I KNOW! In trying to protect my garden, I would be creating SO MUCH questionable waste!) If it's going to be sunny, then only thing I can think of is the summer weight floating covers, maybe double layer. Not ideal and that wouldn't completely block the spray, but you don't want your plants to cook inside the impermeable plastic sheeting in the sun. Better than COMPLETELY unprotected.... You'd HAVE to make sure that the cloth doesn't touch your plants in any way since that would seep through. Unless you are directly spraying it, I don't think you have to worry about dripping through.

I TRIED to think of something you could wash and reuse, but there were insolvable problems with that -- primarily, Wash WHERE? Not in MY washing machine !!!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Running a sprinkler for long periods isn't exactly green, but it would precipitate a lot of drift out (One test for drift actually collects in a mist of water). Obviously set up away from your plants, between the target crop and your innocent by-standers...

Ought to be a law

HG