The risks of salvage, for tomatoes

[ScottinAtlanta]

I learned a good lesson this year. Be careful when you dumpster dive.



I took a white plastic bin from a dumpster. It seemed innocent and clean, and I washed it well with the hose before taking it inside to use with potted up seedlings.


The seedlings that went into that white bin were stunted, with curling leaves and yellowing fronds. Many died. The only common element was the bin.



You can see the picture below of the stunted seedlings in the front, and normal seedlings, 2-3 times larger, in the back.



I am guessing that the bin held some kind of chemical that poisoned the seedlings, and washing it was not nearly enough to get rid of the contamination.



Lesson learned. I have moved the seedlings to different bins, re-potted the survivors, and some are returning slowly to life.

[Tormato]

And, did you think about the risk to you? If you weren't wearing a Hazmat suit, then you were exposed to whatever stunted/killed your tomatoes, if the stunting was caused by that white plastic bin. Hopefully it was just something like nicotine. I've seen enough dumping of who-knows-what to say it isn't worth the freebie.


I should add, I don't smoke other than a rare instance of second-hand, and my avatar has been kindly pointed out to me.

[Soilsniffer]

Originally Posted by Tormato

I should add, I don't smoke other than a rare instance of second-hand, and my avatar has been kindly pointed out to me.

Here you go. Fixt:

[Labradors2]

Bummer! You think you are recycling something and that is what you get for your trouble .

Linda

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by Soilsniffer

Here you go. Fixt:

That's actually correct. I can't tell you how many times I put a seed stalk in my mouth, back in my youth.

[TomatoDon]

Surely, you aren't that desperate for a container to put seedlings in.

[Labradors2]

I'd have grabbed it too! There's a certain satisfaction in recycling something useful!

Linda

[Tormato]

I don't think I'm ready to dumpster dive behind that Radiation-R-Us building.

[GrowingCoastal]

Yes, discrection is a rewarding part of scrounging.
I have a collection of coated electrical wire odds and ends that are so very useful in the garden over and over again.

[jtjmartin]

I'm a proud dumpster diver!

I'm currently collecting driftwood along our river to make some garden tables and chairs. The golden retriever gets to swim - and I get to retrieve weathered trees and boards. We're both happy!

Jeff

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by jtjmartin

I'm a proud dumpster diver!

I'm currently collecting driftwood along our river to make some garden tables and chairs. The golden retriever gets to swim - and I get to retrieve weathered trees and boards. We're both happy!

Jeff

wait a minute... shouldn't that be the other way around... you get to swim and the retriever gets to retrieve?

[jtjmartin]

Originally Posted by Scooty

wait a minute... shouldn't that be the other way around... you get to swim and the retriever gets to retrieve?

Not while the water temp is 54 degrees like today!

[Labradors2]

Sounds like lots of fun, but do watch out for "cold tail". I always dry my Labradors well where the tail meets the body, just in case.

[jtjmartin]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Sounds like lots of fun, but do watch out for "cold tail". I always dry my Labradors well where the tail meets the body, just in case.

Miles is almost 2. I lived in fear of swimmer's tail for the first year! He's never shown any sign of it even when there is shore ice. (And no, I'll never let him out if the ice is more than a foot from shore.)

In the summer, there are sometimes 15 dogs swimming early Saturday morning - no reported cases there.

Wonder if its age related at all?

miles.jpg

[Labradors2]

Nice picture of Miles swimming . Strange how cold-tail happens sometimes. I don't remember how old my girls were when they had it. The two purebred labs have both had it, but not the two lab mixes.


Linda