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SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
+9
AtlantaMarie
Marc Iverson
mollyhespra
slimbolen99
sanderson
camprn
littlejo
at2wooden
dstack
13 posters
Square Foot Gardening Forum :: Square Foot Gardening :: Outside The Box :: Non-SFG Gardening discussion
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SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Yesterday our next door neighbor had their pool repaired and scrubbed out with bleach. When they drained it the water came under the fence and around this poor papaya plant. I've stripped off the flowers and most of the leaves. Then I watered it very well hoping it would dilute or push the bleach past the roots.
The youngest leaves at the very top still look healthy, but that might change quickly. Any other suggestions?
The youngest leaves at the very top still look healthy, but that might change quickly. Any other suggestions?
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
That's terrible!!
Do you think it might help to shade it from direct sun for a couple of days to reduce stress? Maybe fertilize her a bit?
I'll be following your progress.
Hope for the best!!
Do you think it might help to shade it from direct sun for a couple of days to reduce stress? Maybe fertilize her a bit?
I'll be following your progress.
Hope for the best!!
at2wooden- Posts : 65
Join date : 2014-01-03
Location : Zone 10 - Palm Beach County Florida
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Bleach, when it is put on organic matter(dirt) forms a type of salt. Dilution is very good. I would put a dripping hose on the papaya ground. And prepare for someone to replace the plant and probably the grass too.
I don't know the laws where you are, but in SC, no one is allowed to just release chemicals any ole where. They must be contained and removed to somewhere else, in a truck, etc. At the very least, they should have neutralized the chemicals before releasing upon you. You know, some folks could have a breathing problem.
I used to have a pool, and there are lots of expenses and laws that pool owner and cleaning companies have to follow.
Jo
I don't know the laws where you are, but in SC, no one is allowed to just release chemicals any ole where. They must be contained and removed to somewhere else, in a truck, etc. At the very least, they should have neutralized the chemicals before releasing upon you. You know, some folks could have a breathing problem.
I used to have a pool, and there are lots of expenses and laws that pool owner and cleaning companies have to follow.
Jo
littlejo- Posts : 1573
Join date : 2011-05-04
Age : 70
Location : Cottageville SC 8b
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Dig it up, rinse the roots, maybe trim the roots a bit to promote new growth and pot it up in fresh growing medium. The area where the bleach has flowed is poisoned. I hope you can perhaps get a replacement plant from the neighbor.
Maybe call the Extension service for some advice.
Maybe think about how to manage the water the next time they drain the pool. My guess is that what the neighbor did isn't exactly legal.
I'm sad for your loss.
Maybe call the Extension service for some advice.
Maybe think about how to manage the water the next time they drain the pool. My guess is that what the neighbor did isn't exactly legal.
I'm sad for your loss.
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
The neighbor offered to buy a new plant, but I've got another in a pot that I can use to replace if it doesn't make it. I just hate that this one was just starting to form fruit.camprn wrote:Dig it up, rinse the roots, maybe trim the roots a bit to promote new growth and pot it up in fresh growing medium. The area where the bleach has flowed is poisoned. I hope you can perhaps get a replacement plant from the neighbor.
Maybe call the Extension service for some advice.
Maybe think about how to manage the water the next time they drain the pool. My guess is that what the neighbor did isn't exactly legal.
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
I'll see if I can rig something for shade. I just gave it some fish emulsion.at2wooden wrote:That's terrible!!
Do you think it might help to shade it from direct sun for a couple of days to reduce stress? Maybe fertilize her a bit?
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
camprn wrote:Dig it up, rinse the roots, maybe trim the roots a bit to promote new growth and pot it up in fresh growing medium. The area where the bleach has flowed is poisoned. I hope you can perhaps get a replacement plant from the neighbor.
Maybe call the Extension service for some advice.
Maybe think about how to manage the water the next time they drain the pool. My guess is that what the neighbor did isn't exactly legal.
I'm sad for your loss.
Camp's idea for digging it up and rinsing sounds pretty good. You have sandy soil so maybe the slow continuous irrigation will wash the chlorine down. But what about the neighbor's soil right on the other side of the fence. I don't think I would plant in that area for a few weeks / months of good rain. Then use clean fill with nice organism-filled compost.
Another retired health inspector story: A school well was located within 20 feet of a tree. They had to disinfect the well so they put one gallons of common bleach down the pipe. They pumped to flush the bleach out and the leaves on the tree turned yellow. It was months before it was green again.
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
One thing you might try, and I have never tried it before with terrestrial plants, is flush it with a dechlorinator that treats chloramine and chlorine. You can buy this stuff at a pet store. Get a 16oz or larger bottle and dilute it in a gallon of water (save some back, so you can do it again -- 16oz would probably treat 300 gallons, but you need to do at least half a bottle initially), and flush the roots. Then continue with the water rinse (dechlorinated water would be best).
Chlorine will evaporate, if exposed to air, in 24 hours. Being saturated in dirt or sand will probably extend that amount of time...and thus the use of a dechlorinator would help.
Best of luck. I did the same thing to a bush, but mine died quickly.
Chlorine will evaporate, if exposed to air, in 24 hours. Being saturated in dirt or sand will probably extend that amount of time...and thus the use of a dechlorinator would help.
Best of luck. I did the same thing to a bush, but mine died quickly.
slimbolen99- Posts : 185
Join date : 2013-01-15
Location : Shawnee, KS
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
It's good that your neighbor at least offered to buy you a new plant, but what's going to happen the next time their pool needs cleaning?
Do you think they "get it" that what they did (or the company that they hired did) is the equivalent to dumping poison into the ground?
And let's say they decide to use weed killer on their lawn and you get a heavy rainstorm (a common occurrence in the Sunshine State), you might find yourself wondering why the plants on that property line are struggling and not know the cause.
Maybe while the iron is hot, so to speak, you might be able to prevent further issues by explaining to them that the consequences of their choices reach past their property line.
AND, come to think of it, a call to the company that did the work might be in order, too. (Grumble-grumble-grumble) I get really irritated when I hear stories like this. Just think of how much chlorine and other chemicals that company must be dumping on a daily basis into the ground. Makes me sick just thinking about it.
You could also file a complaint by filling out this form if you don't think you're getting anywhere.
I realize you just want to save your plant, but you'll be saving more than one poor papaya in the long run if it turns out that this is routine practice for them.
Good luck.
Do you think they "get it" that what they did (or the company that they hired did) is the equivalent to dumping poison into the ground?
And let's say they decide to use weed killer on their lawn and you get a heavy rainstorm (a common occurrence in the Sunshine State), you might find yourself wondering why the plants on that property line are struggling and not know the cause.
Maybe while the iron is hot, so to speak, you might be able to prevent further issues by explaining to them that the consequences of their choices reach past their property line.
AND, come to think of it, a call to the company that did the work might be in order, too. (Grumble-grumble-grumble) I get really irritated when I hear stories like this. Just think of how much chlorine and other chemicals that company must be dumping on a daily basis into the ground. Makes me sick just thinking about it.
You could also file a complaint by filling out this form if you don't think you're getting anywhere.
I realize you just want to save your plant, but you'll be saving more than one poor papaya in the long run if it turns out that this is routine practice for them.
Good luck.
mollyhespra- Posts : 1087
Join date : 2012-09-21
Age : 58
Location : Waaaay upstate, NH (zone 4)
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
This woman is putting the house up for sale, and she's moving out of state. He son that lives with her is the one who drained the pool. We get along with our neighbors, but no one, including us, get along with these people. We'll all be glad to see them go.mollyhespra wrote:It's good that your neighbor at least offered to buy you a new plant, but what's going to happen the next time their pool needs cleaning?
Do you think they "get it" that what they did (or the company that they hired did) is the equivalent to dumping poison into the ground?
I was in the yard working the garden the whole time the son and one of his buddy were cleaning the pool. They talk so loud that I could easily hear every word, so I knew what they were doing. It's so unfortunate that I didn't see the bleach water sooner, but as soon as I did I plugged up the gap under the fense, and got what I could of the water away from the plant and into the pathway.
When I knocked on the door the mother answered. I showed her a photo of the droopy plant and she tried to tell me it was only rain water. I said, no, when you're son and his buddy cleaned the pool they used bleach...
I even brought her over to see the damaged plant, and she was apologetic. Don't you just hate being lied to?
The great news is that this morning we're getting a heavy rain! It hasn't rained like this all month! We're suppose to have rainy weather both today and tomorrow, so that fixes the shade issue, as well as dilution.
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
update
After sporadic rain today I'm glad to see the plant doesn't look any worse than it did last night. The terminal bud still looks healthy.(Knock on wood.)
So if this manages to survive and start producing fruit, do you think the fruit will be ok?
So if this manages to survive and start producing fruit, do you think the fruit will be ok?
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
So far so good. Hope you don't have it happen again.
I don't see how there would be a problem with the fruit.
We get plenty of rain here in hanging Chadland to flush the ground if it was just bleach and not something more toxic.
Your house water probably will have more chlorine in it.
Just my best guess for what it's worth.
I've been having some trouble growing papaya that I start in my cold frame.
The little plants just turn yellow and waste away.
Gotta be the wrong amount of water or sun.
What's your secret?
I don't see how there would be a problem with the fruit.
We get plenty of rain here in hanging Chadland to flush the ground if it was just bleach and not something more toxic.
Your house water probably will have more chlorine in it.
Just my best guess for what it's worth.
I've been having some trouble growing papaya that I start in my cold frame.
The little plants just turn yellow and waste away.
Gotta be the wrong amount of water or sun.
What's your secret?
at2wooden- Posts : 65
Join date : 2014-01-03
Location : Zone 10 - Palm Beach County Florida
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
I've had a lot of success growing them in straight home-made compost. I even had to stop composting the seeds because they were popping up throughout my MM! You can also mix in Miracle Grow potting mix, and cow manure. Then they do really well in a mixture of sand, compost and manure. Once the males bloom I discard them. They have clusters of multiple blooms, and won't produce fruit. They're not worth the space and effort, unless you want it as an ornamental.
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
No room for ornamentals in my garden!
Thanks. I'll try a different mix.
I've been using straight potting mix.
Might have better luck out of the cold frame now that things have warmed up.
Thanks. I'll try a different mix.
I've been using straight potting mix.
Might have better luck out of the cold frame now that things have warmed up.
at2wooden- Posts : 65
Join date : 2014-01-03
Location : Zone 10 - Palm Beach County Florida
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Dstack, so you don't grow the papayas for fruit?
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
I absolutely do grow them for fruit. It's the males that I discard, because like at2wooden, I also don't have room for ornamentals in my garden.sanderson wrote:Dstack, so you don't grow the papayas for fruit?
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Sanderson,
yes you need both females and males for fruit, but it is a common tree around these parts and I don't believe my females wouldn't be pollinated.
However, if there wasn't a "local stud", you are right, I'd need to keep one. (In which case, he wouldn't be ornamental)
Time will tell. As always, thanks for your comments!
yes you need both females and males for fruit, but it is a common tree around these parts and I don't believe my females wouldn't be pollinated.
However, if there wasn't a "local stud", you are right, I'd need to keep one. (In which case, he wouldn't be ornamental)
Time will tell. As always, thanks for your comments!
at2wooden- Posts : 65
Join date : 2014-01-03
Location : Zone 10 - Palm Beach County Florida
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Sanderson,
yes you need both females and males for fruit, but it is a common tree around these parts and I don't believe my females wouldn't be pollinated.
Really? I'll have to respectfully disagree. Here's why I'm pretty certain these ladies don't need the boys. At least in the variety that I have, because once these plants are mature enough almost every flower produces fruit. And I don't have enough pollinating insects in my garden. All of my squash, zucchini, melons, etc. I have to hand pollinate, or I won't get anything. We had so much papaya to eat last year for about 6 months without the hand pollination, and without any males anywhere around.
Yum!
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
GAME CHANGER: IT WAS MURIATIC ACID
I told my neighbor I need to know how to treat the plant, and so I need to know what was used in the pool to clean it. I was told they did an acid wash.
I understand this is more toxic than bleach, so this complicates things, right? It's looking like the plant might survive as the terminal bud's tender leaves still look healthy. I didn't want to dig it up, as Camp suggested, because at that point the plant was so traumatized that it probably wouldn't survive a transplant. But now I may pot the plant temporarily until I know how to treat the soil, or replace as much of it as I can.
Thoughts?
I understand this is more toxic than bleach, so this complicates things, right? It's looking like the plant might survive as the terminal bud's tender leaves still look healthy. I didn't want to dig it up, as Camp suggested, because at that point the plant was so traumatized that it probably wouldn't survive a transplant. But now I may pot the plant temporarily until I know how to treat the soil, or replace as much of it as I can.
Thoughts?
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Find out what brand/product they used. See if they still have the container. Then try to get the MSDS data sheet from the manufacturer and go from there.
( Rrrrrrr! This kind of thing just makes me so mad...)
Good luck!
( Rrrrrrr! This kind of thing just makes me so mad...)
Good luck!
mollyhespra- Posts : 1087
Join date : 2012-09-21
Age : 58
Location : Waaaay upstate, NH (zone 4)
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
I asked him and he only repeated that it was muriatic acid, as if to say, "does it really make any difference?" I don't think he knows.mollyhespra wrote:Find out what brand/product they used. See if they still have the container. Then try to get the MSDS data sheet from the manufacturer and go from there.
( Rrrrrrr! This kind of thing just makes me so mad...)
Good luck!
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Well, I found one company's MSDS for muriatic acid. Maybe Sanderson will weigh in, but by now you've probably done what you could do by flushing the soil well. The MSDS did say it would alter pH, which makes sense, so maybe a soil test is in order?
...and you could still use that "nuisance complaint" link I posted earlier...
...and you could still use that "nuisance complaint" link I posted earlier...
mollyhespra- Posts : 1087
Join date : 2012-09-21
Age : 58
Location : Waaaay upstate, NH (zone 4)
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Muriatic acid. The MSDS states that baking soda can be used to neutralize the acid. It also clearly states to discharge muriatic acid to a sanitary sewer! NOT the ground.
Dstack, You could take a pH test of the soil now and then decide what you want to do. If flushing seems to be bringing it back into neutral range, you may want to hold off on adding a baking soda solution. Acid + base = a salt + water.
Here is a simple pH indicator that I made for a science class when I was doing my student teaching.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbase1/a/red-cabbage-ph-indicator.htm
http://www.teachengineering.org/collection/cub_/activities/cub_air/cub_air_lesson06_activity1_cabbagecolor.pdf
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=red+cabbage+as+ph+indicator+color+chart&id=ECAFDEF194268D2D47BADAF930FC546A5E3A247D&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=3F2930840B3D94640DDA80928689F3D1C6E2B59C&selectedIndex=11
Dstack, You could take a pH test of the soil now and then decide what you want to do. If flushing seems to be bringing it back into neutral range, you may want to hold off on adding a baking soda solution. Acid + base = a salt + water.
Here is a simple pH indicator that I made for a science class when I was doing my student teaching.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbase1/a/red-cabbage-ph-indicator.htm
http://www.teachengineering.org/collection/cub_/activities/cub_air/cub_air_lesson06_activity1_cabbagecolor.pdf
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=red+cabbage+as+ph+indicator+color+chart&id=ECAFDEF194268D2D47BADAF930FC546A5E3A247D&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=3F2930840B3D94640DDA80928689F3D1C6E2B59C&selectedIndex=11
Re: SOS! Bleach water drained in my yard and is killing my papaya plant!
Thanks Sanderson. Today I'm going to dig up the plant, rinse the roots and pot it for now. A helpful neighbor recommended baking soda also. But was warned that it may have a hot reaction, and that I should prepare to stop. Also that the reaction may be too much for the plant.
Since the neighbor.keeps offering to buy a replacement, I may take up the offer.
Since the neighbor.keeps offering to buy a replacement, I may take up the offer.
dstack- Posts : 661
Join date : 2013-08-20
Age : 56
Location : South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale), Zone 10A
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