Soft sided planter bags
Various trade magazines have been reporting that garden accessories which promote grow your own vegetables have been performing well for garden centres.
This is great of course - everyone is getting back to basics and learning how to grow a turnip or two.
Meanwhile other articles are reporting another trend. More and more gardens are being identified as contaminated from old industrial uses. Allotments are also at risk.
Local Authorities are now requiring soil contamination tests to occur on residential properties. But tests are usually only required before the sale process of a property can be finalised or when a planning application is made for home renovations.
It seems that some residential properties that were deemed safe for residential use prior to 2000 are no longer considered safe.
According to Toxic Land Check this requirement is due to a regulation that was introduced in 2000 but is only beginning to be enforced by government now. The regulation is Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and came about with the UK's membership to the European Union.
The regulation requires more rigourous soil investigations (than has previously been required) to determine if a site is suitable for residential use. But unless you decide to move or extend your home you may not be aware that your land is potentially contaminated.
So are these two trends worth worrying about?
Well, if you live in an area that was once industrial or used for intensive farming it may be prudent to contact your Local Authority and check if your property has been identified as potentially contaminated.
Apparently 5-10% of all UK residential properties fail the new requirements.
A part from ingesting your own garden vegetables these contaminants can also affect children and pets if they are playing with the soil.
For further information on soil testing refer to Toxic Land Check http://www.toxiclandcheck.co.uk.
If you find (or suspect) your soil is contaminated it may be wise to grown your vegetables in containers using imported soil.
There are plenty of new planter options available this season including a wide range of soft sided planter bag designed specifically for vegetables and herbs. Check out http://www.gardenbeet.com for further details.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
