Just as Vermont’s home gardeners were gearing up to harvest their much-anticipated July bounty — tomatoes, peppers and zucchini — a historic deluge hit the state. Floodwater can be tainted with parasites, bacteria and heavy metals, meaning for many, a plentiful summer harvest isn’t likely.
In Burlington’s Intervale, an incubator for local food projects, hundreds of gardeners — including dozens of participants in the New Farms for New Americans program — are still awaiting the OK to return to their decimated plots. For some, whose gardens provide food security, the stakes are higher than simply losing a beloved hobby.
As the waters recede, home gardeners around the state are wondering what to do with their plots: Can they still harvest from their garden, and when can they start planting vegetables again?
On Wednesday, at a question and answer session hosted by Vermont Garden Network — a nonprofit supporting the state’s community gardens — experts weighed in with some guidance.
Deb Heleba, the statewide outreach and education program manager for the Community Horticulture Program at the University of Vermont Extension, said there’s a plan to hold a free lead soil-testing event in White River Junction sometime in September. Gardeners can also have their soil tested for heavy metals for $17 through UVM Extension, which Heleba thinks is a good idea “for peace of mind.”
Once back in the garden, gardeners should wear close-toed shoes, gloves and potentially even eye protection and wash their hands after touching contaminated soil.
The Vermont Garden Network experts advised people to treat each plot individually, considering a few different factors: how long it took flood waters to recede, if vulnerable populations are being fed from the garden — such as seniors or children, who might be more susceptible to contamination — and what contaminants were in the water that flooded their garden.
As a general rule of thumb, edible plants that have been in contact with floodwaters, including root vegetables, should be discarded. And contaminated plants should not be added to homemade compost. Instead, they should be thrown out or brought to an industrial-grade compost facility to avoid contamination.
If edible parts of a plant did not touch floodwaters — for example, an eggplant that grew after flood waters had saturated the ground — the food may be OK to eat. But experts advise, “When in doubt, throw it out.” The main concern is about microbial contamination on the surface of plant parts, which can lead to foodborne illness.
Plants saved for seed, such as garlic, should be tossed out if contaminated by floodwater. Flooded perennials — a plant that grows back every year and does not require replanting — should not be harvested this year. Next year, gardeners can cut back their perennial crops to encourage healthy regrowth.
Gardeners can make a plan to rehabilitate their flooded gardens to allow their soil to recover for next year. Carolina Lukac, garden education manager for Vermont Garden Network, likened soil remediation to taking probiotics to repair gut health after a round of antibiotics. With some work, the health of the soil can be restored.
She suggested tilling the soil, aerating it, applying compost and growing cover crops. When soil floods, oxygen is pushed out. Cover crops allow oxygen and vital nutrients to once again build in the soil. Lukac said annual cover crops, such as oats, are a good option for those looking to restore the health of their soil in time for next year.
More information is available on Vermont Garden Network’s website about best practices for gardens recovering from flooding.Related Stories
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2023.
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