| Guidance For Gardeners Post Hurricane Sandy November 2012(reposted from GreenThumb)
Many gardens have been flooded and/or damaged by Hurricane Sandy. To contribute to the recovery effort all around NYC, GreenThumb, in consultation with the Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities Project Team, offers the following advice for gardens affected by Hurricane Sandy.Do Not Eat Produce from Flooded GardensMany if not all of the flooded GreenThumb gardens are in Zone A. That includes all gardens/farms from Red Hook/Coney Island/ Greenpoint/Williamsburg in Brooklyn; from the Rockaways in Queens; and from the Lower East Side in Manhattan.
Below is a short overview of additional advice and recommendations:
• Flood waters can deposit germs (such as bacteria and viruses) on soil and garden vegetables
• Practice good hygiene (wear gloves, carefully wash hands, etc.) during and after working in the gardens.
• Wait 30-60 days before planting in areas that have been flooded.
• Soil testing is likely not needed, and results would likely be difficult to interpret, except in situations with visible chemical contamination (staining or sheen), significant sediment deposition or other unusual circumstances.
This advice closely follows the New York State Department of Health guidance for residents affected by flooding. The full guidance document is available at http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/weather/hurricane/faq/docs/faqs.pdf
Sections of that document pertaining to gardens include Pages 20-22 (“Flooded home gardens and crop fields”) and Page 31 (“Sediment on outdoor properties”).
For All Other GreenThumb Gardens/Farms (with no flooding)
All gardeners in other areas should evaluate their gardens for signs of flooding, and follow advice above if there is evidence of flooding. In the absence of evidence of flooding, no special precautions are necessary other than to take care when cleaning/removing fallen limbs and other debris from gardens.
Please be safe when cleaning up your gardens and continue to submit your inquiries to us for the BIG cleanup jobs. We are now back at 49 Chambers Street and are quickly responding to all calls and emails. And remember it is always a good idea to follow the general healthy gardening practices that we recommend.
Edie Stone
Director, GreenThumb |
Leave A Comment