I really try not to use chemicals but I used Round Up on a 20 by 40 foot bed to have done by the 4th of July (per wife)... It's been down for 5 days and the grass looks "light" green, not brown. May I still lay 6 in. of compost/topsoil to start my bed tomorrow? The last thing I'd want is grass growing thru.
P.S. No rain, mid 70's days, low 60's nights
Thanks!
P.P.S. Most times I just dig or lay newspaper
Wait until the grass is brown and dry...why take a chance? The round up affects the grass by increasing the rate of evapotranspiration - this needs sunlight to have maximum effect.
Just out of curiosity, you're not planning on growing food crops in this new bed, are you?
Oddly enough, here in NW Georgia, if I use mulch, I don't have to spray my grass. I just cover it with lots of mulch and use landscaping cloth around the edges. So far, out of what used to be a big patch of lawn, I get a few sprouts of grass that come up now and then, but they are easy to spot and pull. Generally, I spend about 10 minutes each morning pulling weeds -- it's easy to tell the grass from what I've planted -- and I have had few things grow through. I use a lot of mulch, though.
This is my first major gardening attempt, and I've only had these beds since the first of the year, but so far I've been pleased with the result. But then, I enjoy doing a little weeding in the mornings.
I don't have any problem with using Roundup, as people here know. I use it all the time to spray for poison oak and ivy, and for clearing a
1/3 mile gravel driveway. However, it *is* expensive, and my mulch is free. Given the choice of spending $50 on some Roundup and $50 on a cool plant, I'll choose the latter.billo
I do see some inconsistencies in your question. Firstly, your boss...I mean your wife, wants it done by July 4th....so asking if you can still lay 6 in. of compost/topsoil at this time is a phart in the wind. Next time tell her that you won't use chemicals period or that "Yes dear, it will be ready for July 4th/2005!!". What I did when trying to clear an area for my vegetable garden was to get some strong fencing...mesh-like chicken wire (+-) but much stronger. I built a horizontal frame about 10' by 5'. I added 2x4 legs to keep it off the ground and up into the 'sun'. I nailed/screwed the mesh/fencing to the top. As I dug out the grass/weeds/sod from the garden I threw them on top of this mesh. The sun did the rest. (don't pile them too thickly...) The nice thing about this method is that the worms dropped back into the ground...I hope...and were not killed by chemicals and I had no concerns about residues left by roundup or other pesticides when planting my vegetable garden. So in other words, don't use the short term easy way out by using chemicals. (Worms don't like it) use elbow grease...a sustainable product. Your wife will be impressed..."Look dear, muscles!" :) Gary Fort Langley BC Canada
To reply please remove...yoursocks...
Was it a "ready spray" or concentrate? If you mixed it "heavy" thinking it would kill quicker, it won't. It actually has a slower, lesser kill when you don't follow the ratio...Probably 6 oz. per gal? Round-up will kill anything green,(non-selective) and it dissipates when it reaches the soil, so it is safe to plant anything 7 days later....It kills to the root of whatever it gets on, but it is rain-fast after 2 hrs., so if it is mistakenly sprayed on something it can be washed off. The USDA is actually developing fruit crops to be glyphosate (Round-up) hardy for weed post-application...
you hit the nail on the head... I now know for the furture if I need to use this produnt again...
thank you
If you mixed it "heavy" thinking it
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