I'm so sorry to hear about that!
Try wrapping some tin foil around the base of the plants. My grandmother taught me that trick and I've seen a few others on here suggest it too. I did it this year while the plants were new and it appears to have worked, because none of the plants got ate through. Usually, you don't need to leave the tin foil on the whole time, just in the beginning while the plants are still babies, but it won't hurt them to leave it on if you want.

That is sad about the 85 year old as there might not be many more gardens.

I have noticed that cutworms like young tender stems...as stated above. Since I raise my own plants anymore, I seldom have cutworm damage. I think the thing is that I have hardened my tomatoes more and have them in larger pots before setting out and the stems are tougher by then.

Back to the question at hand. In my experience, Weed-B-Gone does have a pretty significant residual effect, the one year recommendation is probably not too far off. Removing the top however many inches of soil seems extreme, especially since you have no way of knowing, or determining, how far into the soil the WBG has penetrated. Is there another area you could till up just for this year, or could he garden in pots or a temporary raised bed? Sorry not to have any better advice.

Steve

Maybe a few raised beds with new soil brought in? I wouldn't try taking soil out of the existing bed, since it's hard to keep contaminents out, when you water...and the roots will probably go deeper than your replaced soil.

I would try building a few boxes and making some raised beds. If your father has more years of gardening in front of him (hopefully) it will be new beds for him to improve and pass down to others. Raised beds can be laid out in a very basic design, or spruced up a bit with a bird bath or other features included.

As for the cutworms, my mom saves toilet paper rolls and cuts each one into four or five pieces, placing those around the baby bush beans to keep the cutworms from eating them. It worked very well for her and she had much less damage, last year. Something similar should work for the peppers, eggplants and tomatoes. Best of luck with your dad's garden :)

How sad!

I'd be making Ortho pay for new beds.

I'm so sorry that happened. That just breaks my heart. As others have suggested can you garden in another area? How about container gardening, or a community plot as another option?

Do you live nearby? Could he garden in your yard this year? If not, LL's suggestion of new raised beds or containers would probably be his best bet.

I'm so sorry! I like the idea of making lemonade out of lemons. If there's a way you can create raised beds or containers that would end up easier for your father to tend and maintain, maybe this year wouldn't have to be his last.

Thanks for recognizing the problem, Steve and have passed along the good suggestions from you and Lavendar Lass regarding raised beds. I have sent him your comments as well as some ideas of my own about how he will benefit by this in the future. He says this is his last garden, but if he's working with raised beds, I'll just bet he'll spend this coming January with his head buried in the seed catalog again ! Thanks for your helpful comments.

I don't have any advice to offer, but just for encouragement - my 98-yr old great-uncle still gardens (with help). My dad put up a small pre-fab green house for him last year, and DH just helped expand the blueberry patch (fenced and screened) in November. He even was out pruning a fruit tree, saw in one hand and cane in the other, earlier this spring when I stopped by and took over. Says farming keeps him young - he's definitely planning on continuing to grow his own food and PYO blueberries (he can't pick) for the next few years!

So many kind comments regarding Dad and his garden...or lack there of ! GardenWeb family is like no other ~ thanks to all of you for your helpful comments. Will post when there is a plan of action, but this has certainly gotten the ball rolling !

I think containers would be a good idea. They might also be easier on him if he has mobility issues.

An update to this story is that Ortho has agreed to pay for the damages their phone tech caused in giving incorrect information but not the labor to correct the problem. At least that's something. Dad has decided to go the 'raised bed' route, so we are now trying to figure out the best frames and filler in the least amount of time. He hopes to be planting by Sunday ! Thanks for all your encouragement and ideas.

I just came upon your post, It just made me so sad to read about your Dads disaster. You are such a wonderful person that you are going to make his dream happen. Thats not as common as it once was. And if I may offer my humble advice, when constructing the raised beds set them further apart than 2 feet. Um...... thats from my personal bad judgement. I tried to cram 11 raised beds in my small back yard and when things really get growing there is no room for me to get by. I hope that does not come off sounding like a know it all. I am sure you already know since he has been growing all these many years. Good luck and I hope he gets bumper crops of everything. Deanna

I have an excess of tomato and pepper plants, started by me, that I would send to you for your father if it would help.

Ortho went the cheapo route, they could have gone a little further and should have and I think could be made to do so if sued since they look to me to be responsible for those damages they are weaselling out of, but it is obvious to me that they are not there for their customers and after this story I will be avoiding their products.
I hope your Dad has a wonderful new garden. No thanks to Ortho, the cheapskates.

Check out square foot gardening and mel bartholomew for info on creating raised beds. The forum there is great too.
Keski

You don't even need frames - just mound new soil up, don't plant anything with really deep roots that would go into contaminated soil if you are putting the beds in the same spot. My mentor in a USDA-sponsored class for beginning women farmers has all her stuff that needs lots of water/weeding/attention in raised/mounded beds near the house, none of them have frames and they are planted rather intensively ala Square Foot Gardening. We're going to be doing the same sort of thing once it dries out enough - but doing tomatoes, cukes, etc. in long rows rather than 4'x4' beds, think it would be easier to trellis long rows (20'-25' long x 1-2' wide, with 2-3' paths) than beds laid out in a grid, since we're growing for market.

I've even seen pix on this forum of so-called "self-watering containers" (though I don't get the self-watering part), basically a big plastic container filled with dirt so maybe your dad can use those for the next year? The surface/ plant would also be higher than most raised beds (think 18-30 gallon containers) so would be easier for him to reach, and I think you could apply SFG to those. If it's just for him (not extended family) I would think you wouldn't need a whole lot of containers either.

You'll have to post pix of the garden once things start growing. I'd love to see what he harvests this year!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mounded beds

I don't know how to post more than 1 link and I just grabbed the first one that came up in a search. This one has more details. HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: Raised bed construction

I don't know if I can find it or not -- my searching skills are horrible -- but someone around Gardenweb has raised beds that are REALLY raised. The beds have legs so that the top of the soil is about table height.

Just thought that if he thinking that this would be his last year due to knot being able to get around on the ground...this might might be something to consider. Or make them chair height, so that he can sit and work in the garden.

As someone said earlier, give some thought to how close you put them and definitely look at Square Foot information. Mel Bartholomew says 6 inches is deep enough for your plants---I can't confirm that, as my beds sit on the ground, have nothing between them and the ground, and are between 10" and 24" deep.

6-8" is probably good enough for anything but root veggies (maybe radishes, but not carrots, potatoes, etc.) or something like corn. Though indeterminate tomatoes get so big, I don't know, their roots might grow longer.

But you might want everything higher, like in the Rubbermaid containers or a table as wonderpets said, if he has trouble bending over, even 8" is low from a chair. Though indeterminate types aren't the best choice for those containers since they will then be too tall to harvest without a ladder!

All depends on what he wants to grow.

Bless his heart, and thank you for helping your dad figure out an alternative - how thoughtful. I hope he has a great garden this season! I wish I was a little closer and I would help with the "labor". I always used to help my mom every year since she loved gardening but could no longer do it herself. She got a lot of pleasure from it and those are precious memories.

Your father sounds like a perfect candidate for a small, maybe 10x12 greenhouse. He could be growing something year round even if it is just salad greens. I would think it would be a pleasant place for him to spend his time on sunny days during the colder months.

I would be very afraid to grow a food crop in the old garden EVEN in raised beds.

I also think that that is so wonderful of you to help your Dad. I would also go at least 3 feet between if you are doing more than 1 bed, and don't forget that older arms have limited reach and would benefit from narrower beds. Especially when you are seated, 2 feet is about how far as you can go (which would mean a 4 foot wide bed would work if he can get to either side of it.) Best of luck to you both! (And certainly, shame on Ortho!!!)
Edie

Well, the news is good and the tomatoes are in! After passing along all your helpful ideas to my dear old Dad, he hired a wonderful Guatemalan family to build some raised beds and fill them with compost rich soil. By Sunday night, the garden was finished and the veggie starts were in just in time for the rains. He commented this morning that it's a better looking garden than he's had in years! He was especially touched by the kindness of my GardenWeb family . . . as am I. Thanks to all. Annie

I would suggest he plant directly in soil bags, I have had good results with this and the cost should definitely be passed on to them for the soil and seeds or starters.