In a model trial the presumption that the course of decontamination of petroleum contaminated soil was positively influenced by the effect of incorporated organic matter with high microbial activity (compost) in the soil and the plants seeded was tested. During vegetation a decrease in NES content under the limit of hygienic safety was recorded. Simultaneously, it was found that with the increasing level of petroleum contamination of the soil the yields of dry and green matter reduced (treatments 3-5) in all the plants under study, which was caused by different conditions for plant emergence and growth in the initial stages of the contaminated soil.