Please don't lynch me for asking about the "R" word!
I just had HUGE amounts of the worst, most deep-rooted weed-grass taken out of a rose path, and don't want to go through that again soon!
Already the monsters are poking through the 3" layer of small bark mulch I put down.
So my question is: How far does Roundup travel? My rosebushes are about 2-3 feet apart. If I put Roundup in the middle between bushes, will it hurt them?
Real-world experience appreciated.
TIA
Persephone
I've used earlier versions of Roundup (glyphosate the only active ingredient) in a sprayer to try and selectively kill poison oak. I used a 1 gallon sprayer with somewhat of a mist pattern and I'm sure there was a small amount of overspray. We didn't worry too much about the other plants in the area, which were weeds.
It depends on how you use it. If you're using it with a sprayer on a windy day, it will travel. Your over-spray may not be enough to hurt your bushes but that's very dependent on the specifics.
Roundup used to be available in a spray-can with a thick foam output; they probably used some sort of foaming agent. It tended not to run off the foliage and pretty much eliminated over-spray. I don't think it's still available. The current smaller spray bottles now have a "foam" setting which sort of foams up the spray and doesn't produce a fine mist. I'd say just foam it near the base of the weeds, and maybe spread the Roundup on the foliage with a brush.
Thanks for explanation.
I wasn't planning to spray. Looks like I don't know how Roundup works. I was just going to pour a diluted amount right on the little monsters poking their heads out.
Is this do-able?
What I really want to know is how far it travels parallel - sideways. IOW, if I pour it on some weed poking out, when it sinks in, will it move 2 feet to each side? One foot? Inches?
TIA
Persephone
It only works well on the foliage. There's pretty much no root activity. You could water plants (on the soil) with a solution of Roundup and it won't kill them. It's supposed to bind to soil and get inactivated quickly. I've even heard of some people using relatively dirty water to dilute the concentrated versions, which reduces the effectiveness.
Once it reaches the soil, I wouldn't worry about it. It doesn't affect roots, bark, or woody stems.
Rule # 1. READ THE #$%$ DIRECTIONS!!!!
Obviously you haven't. ( I am not addressing YPW.) I would assume if you are literate enough to post and read in a newsgroup you would be able to read directions. This is only an assumption, I could be wrong.
I frankly don't have a problem with Roundup being used as a last resort. I DO have a huge problem with real f****ng ignorant people. You do not POUR Round-up. You would know that if you had merely GLANCED at instructions or done a modicum of research.
As you have been told in this newsgroup; Round-up is taken in thru leaves and fleshy stems into the root system. It does NOT travel through the ground. I would use the scientific big words for this process but you obviously have sever problems comprehending the small ones. POURING does no good other than saturate a plant and waste the product. You plan to use a dilute solution? How dilute.......oh never mind, YOU are just pulling this little weed killing fiasco out of your ass, how could you possibly answer a question when you DON'T THINK!!
Since it isn't yet a felony to actually sell a moron this product I will make a few suggestions that you will no doubt totally ignore as you will any mixing or application instructions a product since it appears your SOP is "dilute & pour".
You need some sort of a sprayer type device. If it has a wand more the better, you'll be able to hold the end of the spray wand close to the ground where this grass is and eliminate most drift and give you decent control of the application. DO NOT SPRY YOUR ROSES but you can spray close to the woody trunk/stem if you keep the spray nozzle close to the ground.. Plants do NOT take Roundup in through the roots.
For the fastest and best results choose to do this in the early morning of a hot, dry day. IF you should actually happen to read the instructions they will also give you optimum time and temperatures for application. Now go get a big bottle of red food coloring and proceed. Yes, I'm serious, RED food coloring, go get a 1 oz. or 2 oz. bottle.
RTFI (Read The Fucking Instructions) when mixing this product in the sprayer.....this is NOT a seat of the pants, head up your ass "I'll just dilute some" procedure. You will find there are directions, if you RTFI, specifically for Bermuda Grass. Lastly add the bottle of red food coloring. This will allow you to see exactly where you have been spraying. The reddish color will fade away in a short while from sun light and watering. Go to the furthest point of the area to be sprayed and start there. Walk sides ways and backwards while spraying as you would paint your way out of a room.....NOT into a corner. This will eliminate the chance of you stepping in the spray and then leaving dead foot tracks through your lawn when you are distracted by butterflies and birds and go trotting off to investigate as would a small, curious child with a very short attention span. If you only have a little hand pump (trigger) type spray bottle BEND OVER and keep the nozzle close to the ground while you spray. If you buy a pre-mixed spray bottle of Roundup you can still add the red food coloring.
Let the grass get all brown and dead and crispy before you start pulling/digging it out. Bermuda Grass needs to suck this stuff down into its root system to kill the whole plant, you still may have to spray again in a few weeks when you see some stray growth appearing......then go back and read this post again before proceeding.
It's all coming back to me why I put Persephone in the PLONK file.
Val
I just get all warm and fuzzy feeling, when Val writes like that ;-)
Maybe we could turn "Perse" in to the "Santa Monica's Cooperative Natural Grocer" for dancing with the devil, they could tune her up.
But, before you set forth, in league with the divil and armed with his potions, have you considered that since you already have the bermuda grass under a 3" layer of small bark mulch, why not pull the mulch back and put plastic sheeting down over your problem, then recover with your mulch. You could even pull up what Bermuda Grass you can first, or maybe you just like "bad boys" and want to sleep with the devil;-)
Talking the talk AND walking the walk.
Screw Roundup! Why don't you try vinegar 1st?
OK! Will do. I love vinegar for almost everything, including getting rust off tools. Do I just pour it onto the crab grass?
Tx
Persephone
Put it in a sprayer. It WILL kill grass too, so watch out.
I hate bermuda grass. I tried your technique before, turning the soil and removing all pieces. Then repeat. Over and over. But like you said, it comes back at the first sign of water. I found when digging a hole that the roots go down 2 feet or more. I wonder if I will ever win. It is the one thing I hate about my garden.
stonerfish
Me too. There is no way to truly get rid of bermuda other than planting trees to shade it out. It will not grow in shade. At least in zone 8b Central Texas it doesn't. I have spent my fair share of digging and pulling and digging and pulling and continue. I saw a batch coming up through my mulch today and wiped my brow in disgust. I'm not sure even glysophate gets rid of it with one shot. Maybe three shots in blazing sun a week apart. I will have to confess that after 15 years gardening in TX I may have to paint the bermuda with glyphosate.
Oh, and never, never, ever plant a Mexican Elderberry. Never.
The weak link in the chain breaks, Armageddon is unleashed, and Monsanto wins. Good going Lucrezia.
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