Keep it Clean: Soil Quality and the Urban Garden
April 25, 2010

Recent spurts of warm air and spring rain here in Chicago are blooming lilac bushes and bulbs and making the coming summer season of farmer’s markets and backyard vegetable gardens more attractive than ever.

But the soil beneath the grass of your walk-up might not only be less than ideal, it could be toxic. Metropolitan areas and residential neighborhoods not far from heavily-polluted superfund sites (such as the Gowanus Canal of Brooklyn) frequently hold onto large swaths of soil containing lead and other heavy metals, pesticides or even petroleum hydrocarbons and solvents.

A soil kit from your local garden center can help you determine whether the PPM (parts per million) of lead and other toxic chemicals is too high to safely grow edible produce out of, or in some cases—isn’t even safe enough to stick your hands into. Those interested in phytoremediation—or a process that aims to use plants to return polluted soil environments to their original, uncontaminated state—can plant and remove mustard greens, sunflowers, and collards to accumulate toxins in the soil.

According to The Food Project, this alone could take over 7-10 years to make a significant impact on soil. It’s still a step towards leaving the toxic past that remains in your backyard behind—and an alternative to the high expense of other professional remediation methods.

Photo Credit: Moriza / Creative Commons