Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi, I am hoping that someone can shed some light on this. I have a new neighbour at the allotment and have been aware that he is really keen on using weedkiller etc. He seems to spray most weekends and I have noticed that the paths in his plot are blue with slug pellets. I prefer not to use chemicals unless I am really desperate but each to their own - I reason that as long as the spray doesn't get onto my plot I am not too bothered.
However... today, when we were chatting, he said that he was going to treat his paths with some sort of chemical which "seals" the soil to stop anything growing there. Apparently the council use it in some areas (and guess what, he works for the council). The more I think about this the more I am worried. What could this stuff be? It may be OK for ornamental areas but I bet it isn't for use in veg areas. I am worried that it will contaminate the soil. Am I being paranoid? One of the reasons I grow my own is that I know there are no nasty chemicals in the food I am giving my family. What on earth could this stuff be?

Dear Haggis, i think i would just ask him out right, what weedkiller he is using. And also get his guarantee that the weedkiller will not creep into the ajoining allotments.

Morning Haggis

I googled "chemical to seal soil" and the first result I got was your post! The second was this American product. I wonder if it's something similar he has in mind. It would be interesting to know where he will get it from. Is he perhaps going to "liberate" some from his employer?

On the subject of "chemical junkies", I recall about fifteen years ago when I was allotment gardening we had a plotholder (a Mr Tate) whose constant complaint, when referring to pesticides, was along the lines of: "The big boys can get it, but it's not available to us amateur boys!" That included DDT, aldrin, dieldrin and so on. One Sunday morning when I was manning the allotment shop I mischievously told him that we were getting a new pesticide in stock. "What's that?" he asked. "It's called Tatex," I replied. "And what does it do?" "Kills every living thing!" Needless to say he didn't twig the joke and was forever resentful we didn't manage to get any Tatex in stock.

Probably one of the pathclear type weedkillers which prevent subsequent germination of new weeds.

That or Sodium Chlorate!

Thanks guys for you replies. He did tell me the name but I can't recall it - just remember that it sounded "nasty". Think I may have to get some Tatex
By the way we have just had hailstones again today. My poor plants!