Weed Killer, But what one???

[skinny_bum]

SB here again, I need to get hold of some weed killer, I would like it to be organic (well as much as you can be using weed killer ) and have been told about this stuff called Glyphosate, it is not on the organic list but I have been told that it is safe to use on the plot.
Has any one used this produce and if so how long after using it can I plant out ( I have to turn the soil 1st) but am hopeful that it wont take long.
Also do you buy it just called Glyphosate or is it under a brand name.
Cheers SB

[Tony Hague]

Glyphosate is certainly not "Organic" (please, let's not start any arguments ...), but it is one of the more benign options if you need a weedkiller. It is absorbed through the plant leaves, killing only what it makes contact with, and degrades quickly* in contact with soil, so no need to wait before re-planting a treated area. Indeed it can be/is spot applied to weeds amongst growing crop.

I think the known hazards of Glyphosate are mostly respiratory problems from inhaling.

It is the active ingredient in many branded products, but Monsanto's "Roundup" is probably the best known label.

*But not as quickly as the manufacturers would like you to believe. It is also an emerging problem that whist it does degrade in soil, it doesn't degrade so well if it washes directly into waterways.

[lez]

Hello
I have used glysophate and have found it very good. The one I have used is 'round up'. I have recently used one that is supposed to show results in 24hrs. The name escapes me but it is in a blue bottle. They are expensive but do work. I always wait till the weeds are dead (3 weeks for round up and about 2 for the other) I rake off the dead growth and dump it. I have turned the soil and planted straight away with no ill effects. Only use the smallest amount required and never near ponds etc. As for being organic, well that is a personel thing and using some of the spray concoctions they suggest horrifies me. I would not eat produce sprayed with them but then thats me. Gardening is a very individual thing, what works for one does work not for another. Anyway I have suggested two I have tried and tested so its up to the individual to please themselves. I ahve had no probs and am happy to use it with precautions and care.
cheers now

[Chantal]

I use Glyphogon which is the same stuff apparently. I buy it concentrated in a 5lt bottle which lasts me for years and is only around £14. Much too expensive to buy ready prepared when you have a large area.

I can't help with the "how soon can I plant" question as I only spray around the edges and underneath gooseberry bushes etc where I can't get at the weeds. Everything brown within 2 weeks.

[skinny_bum]

Great I have been to my local store and purchased some "round up" and you are not wrong about the old purse strings being pulled, I nearly died when I saw the price, but I have used it now and am now just waiting for the whole thing to die off, its only been 4 days and it already seems to be taking forever
I have to say that I did start to lift part of where I put weed killer as the top of the grass/moss/weed/everything is like a matt and when I put the folk in it "just to see if I could dig it", it all lifted as if I were going to de-turf it, really it was just like a matt, so I had a thought and would like your views on it, seen as I have put the killer down and it should have taken it down to the roots by now, can I just lift the matt off the top and then put all of that in the compost or to the side to die off, but the real question is should I lift it? Does anyone see any reason why not too?
SB

[skinny_bum]

HI Chantal I have tried to buy Glyphogan on line but I cant find it anywhere can you tell me where you got yours from and if it was online?
SB

[lez]

Hi Skinny Bum
I would not put your mat on the compost but to one side on its own and cover it with some black bin liners or such. Round up they say takes two to three weeks to show signs of working which is why I like the idea of the 24 hour one called
'RESOLVA'. It showed signs in two days but takes two weeks to kill of weeds properly. These weed killers are pricey but do work. Good luck.

Lez

[Monika]

Hello, SB,
Yes, glyphosate works well but for it to be effective, plants have to be growing so the best time to use it is during spring or summer. As afar as I know it works on the chlorophyll within the plant and if the plant is growing vigorously at the time of application, it will succumb much more quickly. I would therefore wait until next year before using it!