Writing from the Chicago suburbs. My husband and I have a big garden, 12 raised beds, surrounded by a 2 1/2 foot pea gravel path, but right outside the path is the lawn. And our lawn has exploded with weeds this year. We know our neighbors are not so happy about the weeds, and we felt overwhelmed dealing with it ourselves, this is our first house, first yard, 1/2 acre lot. So we hired a lawn company that is supposed to be a more natural lawn care company, but they still used chemicals to kill the weeds. They use something called "power zone" I believe. They came on a day that we weren't home so I could not see how they sprayed. I actually covered all our beds with thin plastic drop cloths. But unfortunately did not have the blueberries in pots on the patio covered. Then it also rained that day so when I pulled the drop cloths off, I tried my best not to let the water run into the bed for fear of any weed killer being it in. We don't have a ton growing right now, and everything that is growing looks fine. I had a few marigold seedlings planted that died but may have been from light frost? Strawberries in the same bed look great. Now after the fact I have found safer, less toxic weed killers that I could probably use with less worry about our garden. But now I just don't know, are my beds contaminated? Is it safe to eat what I am growing and will grow this season? Having a lot of anxiety about it. Ugh I wish I had done more research before I called that lawn company. I thought this is just what people do all the time.

I'm wondering why you didn't just mow the unwanted plants...
I have yards in town where the idiot turf guys keep killing stuff with poison... Flowers that I hand weed, they come back in and spray!

Hopefully you'll give up on hiring this kind of work done by companies like this.

stone said: I'm wondering why you didn't just mow the unwanted plants...

We mowed all last year, it does not kill the weeds, they came back full force and spread even more this year. Two many, too much to hand pull. So I needed a different solution. We are newer gardeners and brand new home owners/yard owners, so learning along the way. But looking for an answer to my question.

You'll probably receive many different replies and still be uncomfortable. Here's what I would do. Call the company & voice your concern. See if they will be specific about the chemicals used. Then you can research & make a decision about what to do.

I'm a total skeptic & prefer plants to people so I personally wouldn't eat anything I suspected might be contaminated. I might let it play out in the lawn & flowerbeds to see what happens. Either way, sorry you are experiencing this, especially as a new homeowner/gardener. Good luck.

If what they used was"Speed Zone" the active ingredient is 2,4-d. Very important would be HOW they sprayed. I would ask.

porkpal said: If what they used was"Speed Zone" the active ingredient is 2,4-d. Very important would be HOW they sprayed. I would ask.

Supposedly they spray just right over the top of the weed, spot spraying, close to the ground, but I was not home to watch.

If the marigolds were 2 inches high or more and were touched by the herbicide, they would show obvious symptoms first, before they die, even this early in the season. Curling, deforming leaves, and it would begin 4-8 days in the cooler weather. They would die soon after (say 5-10 days). Frost damage would show itself the next day, or the next day it gets above freezing.

The smaller the marigold seedlings are, the more they are vulnerable. If they just had one or two sets of true leaves (the fern-like ones, not the first single long narrow ones), they could be killed in a day.

Powerzone contains the effective chemicals to kill broadleaf weeds like other lawn weedkillers, plus another that works better in cooler weather. I don't know about Speedzone. I am not saying that chemicals are necessarily good or bad for the lawn, but the company was smart to use Powerzone, IMO, as they could use less chemicals overall.

Everyone has their own level of comfort with herbicides, but you did a lot by having the forethought to cover your beds prior to spraying. Most would not have done it, and things are usually fine, I'd say for 75% of people. If it were me, I wouldn't worry about it, even with vegetables. Still, if you do find vegetables with abnormal, deformed curling or cupping in the leaves, I would discard the plants and all veggies that would have been similarly exposed. Not that it would kill you if you ate them or that you would even get sick, but you just don't know. So be safe. Tomatoes are very sensitive and are good indicators of contamination. For non-edible plants, if they don't die, they usually just grow out of it with time.

If you are worried about an area where you dumped some of the water from the sheet plastic into the beds, again, it is the chemical comfort level thing. For vegetables, it will take 3 years for possibly contaminated field to be labeled organic. (It may also depend on what chemical is there.) Myself, I wouldn't worry after a year for vegetables in your case. I wouldn't worry at all for non-edibles.

Thank you for being as thorough as you could with your explanation. I couldn't have been as extensive with my answer with out it.

Email and ask the company how far to keep it away from flower and veggie gardens. That's what I do. This is the answer I got from the weed-b-gon company when I emailed them a few years back:

Thank you for contacting us and for the opportunity to help you with your pest and weed problems.

Mr. R, Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control Ready-to-Use2 is not registered for use on or around any edible crops. Do not apply this product under the branch spread (root zone) of any edible trees, shrubs or garden plants. We suggest keeping this product 24 inches away from any edible plants. Should Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control Ready-to-Use2 be applied in a garden area, you must wait one year to plant edibles. If this product is used inside the root zone of fruit or nut trees, you must wait 1 year to harvest.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in our products. Please feel free to contact our company anytime we may be of assistance.

Tonya
Brand Ambassador
The Scotts Company and Subsidiaries
14111 Scottslawn Road
Marysville, OH 43041
800-225-2883
Ref # 13073495

sarahlynntom said: Supposedly they spray just right over the top of the weed, spot spraying, close to the ground, but I was not home to watch.

Most companies are careful but you should always be home when it is done to be sure you do not get the outlier.
If spraying get up on the covers, find a different company.
Too mamy people confuse weed spraying with fogging like they do for mosquitoes.