My son accidentally used a Phosphate Free cleaning powder instead of plant food on my vegetable garden....A T. to 5 gallons of water was used and each plant received a little over a quart of the mix....Within 10 minutes i "flooded" the garden with water and also all the leaves and vegetables....Will this kill the garden and or will i need to throw out the vegetables?

Um, could you be a little more specific than "cleaning powder" please? Laundry soap? Cleanser with bleach? Polishing compound?

Best to look on the label and see what the ingredients are, first. (please tell us, too) You can also Google the Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheets for most products and see exactly what's in it and if it is toxic in any way. Just enter the product name, with MSDS after it, and it should appear.

If it's some sort of soap, I wouldn't think a T. to 5 gallons could possibly hurt the plants or you, especially if you further diluted it. Soap is commonly used for insect control, so you may have killed off some bugs in the soil, but they'll probably be the only casualty.

I doubt if the plants will be harmed, and due to your quick action, they probably did not absorb enough of the cleaner to ruin the vegetables.

porkpal said:I doubt if the plants will be harmed, and due to your quick action, they probably did not absorb enough of the cleaner to ruin the vegetables.

1 T (I'm assuming that means 1 tablespoon, right?) to 5 gallons would be quite a dilute solution to begin with; and then flushing with water would further dilute any effects.