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Soil contaminated by diesel fuel

josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
in Problem solving

I'm forever pulling bindweed out of the edge of my garden next to a non-gardening neighbour.  It grows knee-deep on her side, plus goosegrass.  This year I decided to tackle the problem at source, and she readily agreed to let me come in and pull it on her side.  I did this several times, cramming a 50cm squared bag each time, and she kept talking of getting a gardener in to deal with the weeds.  Now she tells me her brother has "dealt with the weeds" by dousing them in diesel fuel.  She seemed quite surprised when I said she wouldn't be able to grow anything else there. 

What are the chances of the diesel soaking through the soil into my side?  We are separated by a wooden fence on top of cast concrete gravel boards, I think they're called, which rest on the soil surface.  What, if anything, can I do to protect my plants?  I have a collection of ivies growing up that fence, plus summer and winter jasmine. 

I think I preferred the bindweed.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    What your neighbour has done is against the law. I’d be horrified if it had been done along my boundary and her son should be told never to do it again. 

    The proper way to deal with it is for contaminated soil to be removed and taken for decontamination and the soil replaced. 
    I imagine you probably don’t want to call the Environment Agency to report your neighbour, but they’re the people who have the information you need. 

    i think that at the very least I would insert a vertical barrier of some sort into the soil alongside the fence ... but I’ve no idea how deep it needs to be or what material you can use that is impervious to diesel ... a nasty situation ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Thanks for this.  I thought about putting a barrier below the fence, but that would mean digging out the soil on my side to put it in.  I can see two possible consequences of that: .some of her contaminated soil falling into the trench, and my plants suffering from having their roots disturbed.  I might do more harm than good.  However, the environment agency might be helpful, I will give them a call.  I don't know how much diesel was used, I will ask my neighbour.
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    I had to contain several diesel spills when I worked on a military off road fuel tanker. The advice at the time was to dig up and bag the contaminated earth as mentioned above (and dispose as contaminated).

    I would have thought if copious amounts of fuel were used you would still be able to see and smell this on your neighbour's side? I would expect the earth to look different from uncontaminated ground if the ground had been soaked with diesel when dry. The diesel could have spread further outwards on the top of wet ground or standing water. Is it possible the fuel was just splashed on the weed foliage which can be removed?

    I imagine a 5 to 20 litre container would have been used to dispense the fuel and even if all tipped directly on the earth it could still be contained especially if your ground has been dry.

    Please be aware of the safety issues with regards inhaling fumes and presence of diesel on the skin if cleaning up yourself. It is a flammable liquid although not one of the more volatile.

    Hope that helps :)
    Wearside, England.
  • Hampshire HogHampshire Hog Posts: 330
    If it has got into your garden it's not a total disaster. 

    Studies have found that.

    "Diesel causes reduced biological activity, but after about 18 days this starts to increase again and germination activity of the soil was seen to recover 200 days after the spill."

    Apparently if you feed and aerate the soil these times can be reduced even more and some of the best materials that help are     wastes tea leaf, soy cake, and potato skins.
    "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Thank you for that reassurance!  I saw my neighbour yesterday, she said the diesel hasn't killed the weeds, and was quite shocked when she realised the potential harm.  She apologized profusely and said she'd make sure he didn't do it again.


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Phew!  Glad that she didn't take umbrage ... these things can cause upsets which is the last thing you want.  Hope she gets the weed  problem resolved in a better way and that no lasting damage has been done.  :)

    Thanks for letting us know ... these things lurk at the back of my mind sometimes.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    It's good news that the amount of diesel used wasn't sufficient to kill her weeds - because that suggests it won't affect your plants either, with luck.   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I think I might whisper "glyphosate" in her ear.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Good result josusa - all round  :)
    As Dove says - it's often the sort of thing that can cause a bit of tension. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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