Questions tagged [poisons]
For questions about poisons - both animal and plant.
44 questions
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Is it safe to eat brassicas that are fertilized using fish waste?
Some Brassica species such as Brassica juncea and Brassica oleracea (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, etc.) are hyperaccumulators of heavy metals. If the soil where such plants grow is regularly ...
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Non-poisonous vine for chain-link fence
I'm looking for a vine species that fits the following:
Non-toxic (i.e. won't harm children if they touch or eat leaves/berries)
Can climb/grow on a chain link fence
Relatively drought tolerant, i.e. ...
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Can anyone identify this tree with green berries?
Found in mid-Missouri, pictures taken August 12th. What is this tree? Are the berries edible? I can't imagine they are unless they're just not ripe yet. My grandpa wants to know before he cuts it down....
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Paint dumped into our garden, how bad is it?
We recently had some work done on our house and it included painting a room. After the contractors left we discovered, through our security cams, that they had been using our backyard to clean their ...
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White powder-like substance on soil next to tree
So we have a neighbour who’s not very keen on our trees as they block a bit of the sun some of the times. We noticed our cypress in our garden on the side bordering with the neighbour has dried and ...
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Is it safe to grow vegetables in oleander soil?
In my garden I have a big concrete flower box with two oleanders (the box is approx. 2m L x 1m W x ,5m H)
I decided to remove the oleanders and I plan to grow some vegetables instead (mostly tomatoes)....
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Yellow substance dripping from aloe plant when cut
I have been noticing a yellow, foul smelling liquid dripping out of my aloe plant when it is cut to obtain the pulp to add to juices etc.
Is this a disease or is this yellow substance normal.
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Is it safe to use yuca/cassava skins in my compost
A whole bunch of cassava root has made its way into my house and now I have a whole bunch of cassava rinds, about a kilo or so, which I chucked into my compost bin (A trashcan full of holes) to start ...
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Poison warnings for Lupinus perennis and Consolida ambigua seeds
I was shopping for seeds online and saw a flower seed mix which looked appealing: Butterfly and Hummingbird Mix. It has a poison warning which gave me pause. I'm not much of a gardener so I don't know ...
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Is it a good idea and how to introduce frogs in my garden?
I am trying to sustainably get a grip on the flies, mosquitoes and other such insects' population. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We have a decent sized backyard (about 3000 sq ft of garden/...
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What does a plant suffering from a gas leak look like?
What does a plant suffering from a gas leak look like?
When I look this up, I often see peace lily's but they perk up within hours after wilting from watering sufficiently. Are there any visible or ...
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Can you identify this mystery plant? possibly mint?
I got this creeping plant the other day on clearance at a local walmart under the pretense that it was part of the mint family. It smells minty but it has no identification on it. I was hoping that ...
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what is this tomato like plant, with spikes under leaves and red tomatoes
a friend of mine has these growing in his garden, his not really sure where he got the seeds from.
basically it has tomatoes on it and spikes on the back of the leaf
he didn't eat any because he's ...
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Is this Poison Sumac
I am not sure if this is or isn't poison sumac (not sure judging by other questions on here), but could someone help me id this?
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Poison Sumac or something else?
I saw this growing out of a yard and onto the sidewalk. Is it Poison Sumac or non-poisonous Sumac? 11 leaflets, It has a smooth stem and leaflets so it is not Staghorn Sumac. I did not see any berries ...
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Why can't I kill bamboo roots with bleach?
This is a follow-up to my first question on the gardening stack exchange. Unfortunately the horrid bamboo continues to plague me this summer. To the point that I'm actually considering packing up and ...
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Community treatment of wild parsnip - your recommendations
Each summer in those parts of the world where wild parsnip goes to seed there are various small efforts to control the spread of this plant. The media have a field day, of course, "deadly", "toxic", "...
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Do toxic mushrooms that grow near a plant affect its edible / poisonous traits?
Some facts:
I have some Basil growing in a pot, for the past 7-8 months, with some Thyme right next to it.
Last week some mushrooms grew on the soil in-between them and under the Basil.
What I know:
...
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Is Prunus padus really so toxic?
I am amending my yard with plants attractive for birds, and I noticed Prunus padus as one of such plants. However, on multiple sites I found info that it is poisonous for humans if the fruit is ...
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Are poinsettia poisonous?
I often see warnings about this common Christmas plant being poisonous to people and pets but have never seen any definitive evidence. Of course toxicity is all in the dosage and concentration so my ...
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How hazardous is Melianthus (honey bush)?
Is Melianthus actually too poisonous to keep in a home garden? I see it all over the place, and I understand that it should not be eaten, but is touching the plant hazardous as well?
Rationale: I ...
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How long does Copper sulfate pentahydrate persist in the soil, after application?
In particular, I am interested in it's effects after it has been applied and the roots affected have been largely removed. Does it break down over time, and if so what is the time frame? What will ...
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What is this caterpillar?
I found this caterpillar and was wondering if anyone could identify it. Is it poisonous/dangerous? Would it be good or bad for a garden soil? This was found in Australia. Here is a photo.
user16579
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Dyed circulars and cardboard, for weed barriers under mulch
[Box bottom listing dyes]
I have always saved and used layered newspapers (without the dyed circulars) as a weed barrier, under the mulch in my gardens. When I am done, the papers are not visible.
...
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What is this low-growing bush with variegated leaves and red berries?
Does anybody know what plant this is? I'd like to make sure the berries aren't poisonous for my cat.
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Drinking Water Safe hose reel - what to look for?
I've read this well-researched post Garden Hoses: how safe are they?
But it focuses on hoses.
My question is about a hose reel. I've seen enough "drinking water safe" hoses (usually polyurethane and ...
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Treating Azaleas without harming Bees
I'm trying to treat my azaleas for lace bugs without harming my honeybees. I'm especially concerned since it's not just wild bees. I've started a hive.
I've been looking into it and my local AG ...
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Is this a small Giant Hogweed plant?
It has white blotches on the stem and leaves. I don't see purple or hairs, but is it Giant Hogweed? It's in a bed next to my house.
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Is there a danger to combining multiple fruit tree sprays in one sprayer?
I have a few very small apple and fig trees. I planted the apple trees last year and had a huge problem with bug completely defoliating them. I bought some 'Bonide Fruit Tree Spray' and started ...
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Identify this succulent/echevaria?
Can anyone precisely identify this plant?
The pot just says "Echeveria." As you can see there are cat-tooth marks on the plant, but I had left it out because I thought echeveria to be non-toxic to ...
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What plants or gardening additives might cause the specific neurotoxin symptom 'Descending Paralysis'?
I have been involved in an event where the presumed diagnosis is botulism secondary to ingestion from hay from last year. In this case the hay is second cutting timothy hay (making it 6 plus months ...
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Is this poison oak?
Here is a picture of a plant from a forest in Northern California. Is this poison oak? I’m guessing it’s not, though it does have leaves of three and a slightly longer middle stem. Can an expert ...
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How can I tell if a seed coating contains pesticides or fungicides?
I purchased some Dichondra seeds online to plant in my large reptile's enclosure. There was no mention of the seeds being treated - but when I received them I noticed that the seeds were coated and ...
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Nothing will grow where tree was
Back in the spring we cut down a fruitless mulberry and hired someone to come grind the stump. When they were leaving they informed me that they poured a chemical into the hole where the remaining ...
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Damaged Bay Laurel: are the leaves safe to use?
Three months ago, my bay roof was re-felted. While the roofers were sealing the felt, they spilled hot pitch onto the leaves of my Bay Laurel which is in a tub, on the ground below (see photos). I’ve ...
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What is the risk of soil contamination via leaf mulch/compost?
Soil in the city I live in is quite often contaminated with nasty things like arsenic and lead. Levels are sometimes twice or more what's considered acceptable. For this reason, people usually ...
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How poisonous is Oleander?
I know that Oleander ( Nerium oleander ) is poisonous. Almost every book and webpage about this plant warns the readers. But how poisonous is this plant? I can touch the leaves without any skin ...
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Garden Hoses: how safe are they?
After noticing that some garden hoses carry a warning, "Not to be used for drinking water", I recently switched to one labelled "non-toxic". Does this only mean that the hose is lead-free, or also ...
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Paint dumping to kill tree stump, will it affect my nearby arborvitae or raspberries?
My neighbor must be advising her home painters to dump their leftover paint, for several days now, on a tree stump that she just last week said might need a pick axe to remove. This stump is along ...
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Can snail pellets be safely used in a vegetable garden? If not, any safer alternatives?
Is it safe to use snail pellets in a vegetable garden bed or will these slowly leach into the soil? Is there a safer alternative that will keep snails out, but won't be absorbed by the vegetables?
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Will dumping paint destroy a nearby tree?
One of my neighbors complained that another neighbor killed a tree in front of her home by dumping paint in the soil. (Never mind that his trees are fine and there seems no way the paint could be ...
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How long does chemically fertilized grass remain poisonous?
Here's my situation: I have a lawn that I've refused to use chemicals on because I have a dog who likes to graze. The lawn is now a mess of weeds and very thin grass. I've tried organic fertilizers ...
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How long before poisons like Round-up become inert?
If I spray some grass with a poison like Round-up or Kills All, how long before that spray is not dangerous to plants?
So for example, if after spraying, I walk through the sprayed area and then onto ...
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Is it safe to grow food plants near the road?
I have been told that debris/pollution from the road will find its way into my plants, but I don't know how much to be concerned about this.
We have a nice porch which could be used as a vegetable ...
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