My organic garden and my neighbours non-organic bonfire?

I have a great little organic veggie patch at the bottom of my garden, toms, lettuce, beetroot, leeks and stuff. My next door neighbour likes the odd bonfire at the bottom of his garden, plastic, metal, household waste and all sorts. When he sets a fire going it realy stinks, it smells very toxic. My question is....are my veggies safe to eat? how much would one very toxic bonfire effect my garden, if at all? I wanted to go out and pick lettuce and corriander today, but with the smell of smoke still in the air I realy didn't fancy it.

My organic garden and my neighbours non-organic bonfire?
Your veg will be OK but what he is doing is against the law.

Next time he has a bonfire phone the fire brigade, he can and probably will be fined for it, he will never know it was you who phoned.
Reply:Major bummer! That *** is essentially nullifieing all your endeavors in your attempt to balance nature. I suggest that you deliver all your goods to his front door for his consumption.He may begin to respect your efforts after many bouts of mysterious fevers and sickness. Tender compassion may sway him.
Reply:Well, i'm no expert but i am sure that if you wash them thoroughly then they will be ok.

Good luck, and i hope they taste great! :-)
Reply:I wouldn't eat the veggies now if I were you. All your hard work has been undone by your thoughtless neighbour. You can't wash the toxins off the plants because they have been 'ingested' through the leaves etc. and also the minute particles that constantly fall from a bonfire will have been washed into the soil thereby making it non organic. Try moving the veggie plot to a different part of the garden and perhaps covering it with a cloche to keep the worst your neighbour has to offer, at bay. I have been gardening 'organically' for quite a few years now and to be perfectly honest I don't think you can be 100% organic no matter how you try, mainly due to outside interferences.
Reply:First off it aint organic i dont think as there would be chemicals in the smoke probably reaching your veggies if you could smell it, And prabably not edible as you said they were burning plastics which is really bad!!!



Get an expert to check it all out as your nabhor has probably comited an ofense by burnig rubbish!!!



I would actualy talk to your local council to see if you can get compensation as it could of damaged your health or killed your veggies, but this may cost you and i could well be wrong about you having a leagle case!



Good luck! Hope this helped!
Reply:Hi - Just make sure that everything is thoroughly washed before consumption. Perhaps you should consider getting the Environment Officer from you local council involved, there are strict rules relating to what can, and can't, be burnt on a bonfire. Some areas don't permit bonfires of any sort.
Reply:Poor you :-(



I would think it is quite safe - make sure you wash the veg though first.



May be worth checking with your local council whether it is actually legal for him to burn this type of rubbish - I know there are various byelaws throught the country dealing with bonfires which range from making them completely illegal to limiting what can actually be burnt on them.



I'm guessing asking him not to do this is out of the question?
Reply:They should be fine to eat if you give them a wash and rain water should wash of the ash and soot anyway.



You say the fire smells toxic, you aren't allowed to burn rubbish, just garden stuff on a bonfire. Also if it can be proved the fire is causing a nuisance the council can also take action.



We had a neighbor stopped from light fires sometimes twice weekly that were obviously plastic or similair as it was putting out black smoke that was very noxious.



Best to try and negotiate with your neighbor first though.
Reply:listen acid rain will do more damage, to your plants.

the smoke isnt nice, but maybe you could ask , them just to stop, and tell them why , they mite not .really understand , what they are doing ,



it wont hurt to ask , even offer some free, organic veggies. if they quit burning ?

will all veg it best to wash them before eating right?
Reply:Our area allows burns also. I have an organic garden and I just spray off the veggies and they are fine. Smoke won't effect your garden, don't worry, enjoy.
Reply:Just wash them and you'll be fine.I think you should not believe everything you read in the stay fit, be healthy, everything is bad for you books.