Luckydog, I fear you're correct about the Grazon contamination. Here is a notice from NCSU.edu
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/ncorganic/special-pubs/herbicide_carryover.pdf Here are the
full Google results.
Contaminated Soil Detox ProgramI used coastal hay for bedding for my dogs until my vet said it could be problematic. I used to put the old hay from their stall into the compost. Now I don't use the hay at all, the dogs sleep on old cotton rags bundling for bedding. Though it wasn't a huge volume in my compost, if it was treated it may have had an impact. I had a couple of years when the crops were small and the plants not so robust.
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flygirlkaff, it sounds like your neighbor wasn't doing you a favor with that chemical. Be careful how you dispose of that tupperware container. Find a community toxic waste collection site to hand it over. You said you've been "spraying ever since" - spraying with what?
Weed killer is a classic mistake for killing trees. Look at the detox program to help the soil. Also look at the recommended
organic weed control methods if you must spray (instead of simply pulling weeds). Also, "professional" tree planting is no guarantee that trees will survive. For some trees it is the kiss of death if all they do is dig a hole, drop in the tree, and spread pretty mulch over the top. Soaking the roots, untwisting roots wrapped from being in a pot, using native soil only and making sure not to plant the tree too deep (since it is probably already too deep in the pot). Read the
tree planting newsletter and think about planting your own trees next time. And consider smaller trees - planted properly they'll quickly catch up to the larger trees you can buy, and they'll be easier to handle when planting.