A 76-year-old grandfather from Victoria has urged gardeners to wear protective masks after inhaling bacteria from potting mix left him in a coma for 10 days and facing a lengthy recovery.
Stewart was using Scotts Osmocote Premium Potting Mix in his garden on May 15, 2026, when he was exposed to airborne dust. He later developed a rare infection involving Nocardia nova, a bacterium found in soil.
He collapsed at home, striking his head on a chest of drawers before beginning to vomit uncontrollably. “I had no idea what was wrong,” he told A Current Affair.
Doctors at Ballarat Base Hospital spent weeks trying to identify the cause of his illness. Tests eventually showed the bacterial infection, alongside two fungal infections and pneumonia.
Stewart spent three months in hospital, including 10 days in a coma, and said he had to relearn basic skills after waking. “I had to learn to walk and talk again,” he said.
His wife, Reita, said the illness had dramatically altered the man she knew.
“He’s a shadow of his former self. He’s lost weight; he’s lost strength. He’s just lost himself,” she said. “This should not happen to someone.”
Calls for clearer potting mix warnings
The couple are now calling on manufacturers to make health warnings on bags of potting mix larger and easier to notice, rather than leaving important information in small print.
“The packaging isn’t clear enough,” Stewart said. Reita added: “I would like to see a bigger warning on the packet. How often do we read the fine print? We don’t.”
Scotts said it had no record of Stewart’s case before being contacted by the programme, but wanted to speak to him directly. The company said its packaging was produced in accordance with Australian Standard AS 3743 and included safety information, instructions for use and advice on protective measures.
Professor David Eldridge, of the University of New South Wales, said the contents of potting mixes could vary because products contained different amounts of organic material. He also warned that the precise risks could not always be identified from the packaging alone.
Victorian workplace safety guidance advises people handling soil and potting mix to use gloves and an industrial dust mask, dampen the material to reduce airborne particles, avoid breathing in dust and wash their hands afterwards. Health advice also recommends opening bags slowly and away from the face.
The precautions are particularly important for older people and those with weakened immune systems, who may be more vulnerable to serious infections. Stewart and Reita say gardeners should not make the same mistake he did by handling potting mix without a mask.
