[Snoop]

Hi guys,

Have just handed over some money for 5 litres of glyphosate (isopropylamine salt) 36% p/v (360 g/l)

The label is in Spanish. Although I speak pretty good Spanish, I want to make sure that I'm going about things the right way, as the label has got lots of scary symbols, but not as much information as I was expecting.

I've scoured the label and can find no information regarding a surfactant. Dilution is given as 5-10 litres per 100 litres of water. Don't think I'll be needing that much! Safety period is described as "no procede", meaning not applicable, which I find hard to believe.

So, if I blast all our bindweed now and leave it over winter, then blast any that re-emerges in early spring, can I go ahead and plant in the soil later in spring? If I can, how long should I wait as a minimum before sticking plants in? And are there any plants I shouldn't put in glyphosated beds? I'm thinking, for example, of onions and carrots, the kind of plants where the bit you eat has grown underground, where any residues will be.

I have had a look on the Web, but got bamboozled by science when it's practical info I'm after. Thanks for any help.

[arugula]

Hi snoop, this one isn't too scientific. I don't tend to use Glyphosate anywhere near edibles, so I can't give you the answer from experience. What I can tell you, is that 5 litres will last you a while.

[Snoop]

Thanks argyllie. Three weeks doesn't sound too long as a planting safety period.

I have a real problem with bindweed. My plot was full of weeds (abandoned for 15 years and more). Along came a friend with a tractor, then another friend with a rotovator... Most of the weeds were killed off by the process (I managed to pick out pretty well all of the clumps of couch grass) but the bindweed moved into the gap left behind. I have tried this year to weed by hand, but it's impossible. There's just too much of it. So, much as I didn't want to use a herbicide, I've decided to bite the bullet.

And yes, five litres is loads. It was the smallest size container they had, apparently. Cost me 30 euros, but if it saves me loads of time fruitlessly weeding and improves the crops (especially the shallots, which really suffered), I'll consider it money well spent.

[Zippy]

Easy to use -

1. stand with the glyphosate neaer a dustbin;
2. open lid of dustbin;
3. place gyphosphate carefully inside the distbin;
4. replace the dustbin lid

Bindweed is a sod having said that. I tend to control it rather than try to eradicate it by pulling up any bits that show, trying to trace the roots back as far as possible; difficult as the roots go all the way down to hell you know.

If any bits start to wind their way up taller plants I just break them off at soil level and let the vines die off rather than disrupting the plant I want by trying to unwind it.  Dispose of any roots in the dustbin and don't compost any.

How about Tumbleweed or its tougher brother; Roundup? That's supposed to go all the way down to the roots and kill the plant and then break to natural components in the soil.

[DD.]

Roundup is glyphosate to all intents and purposes Zippy and some of us find it very useful despite the holier than thou attitude of others. 

You can cultivate the soil almost immediately Snoop, although you'll have to leave the weeds in for it to have an effect on the roots.

[Trillium]

I keep some glyphosphate ready in a hand spray bottle and during the growing season as soon as I see a new bindweed patch starting to grow, I carefully zap just that spot. It's really set it back for me. I do a weekly check for any new startups and zap them, so it's been a pretty good year to keep it under control.

[Snoop]

Thanks DD and Trillium. Just the info I wanted. All in all, it looks like just what I need. Might actually get to grow a decent bed of shallots next year.

I love this site. There's always someone ready to help out.

And thanks for the contribution, Zippy. Always good to hear contrasting views. But seeing as I'm dealing with a large plot, doing it all by hand is pretty well a no-no unless I give up the day job. Which I wouldn't mind doing, but my partner and the bank would object. So glyphosate-cum-Roundup it is.

[arugula]

snoop, 30 euros is good, about 45 gbp this year here. Don't worry though, the 5 litres I bought iirc 5 years ago, are still going strong.

[Zippy]

Roundup is glyphosate to all intents and purposes Zippy and some of us find it very useful despite the holier than thou attitude of others.

I suppose I am a bit up my own whatsit! 

For the record if I were clearing a large plot for the firrst time I would use Roundup as a one-off and to give me the break I needed to get some plants on the go so I'm not such a purist if it makes sense to use alternatives.

Is Tumbleweed a glyphosphate? I thought I would use this as a preferable weedlkiller as it breaks down into natural components in the soil?

[DD.]

Yes, glyphosate based.

Makes no difference breakdown wise whether is Tumbleweed, Roundup, Resolva or generic glyphosate based.

Only major difference is the packaging and price.

[cjskts]

I got given a tip of a fellow alltoment holder. Dont know if it works yet, planning on trying tomorrow.

He said to get a dish and put some had soap on it (liquid), then mix in some of the glyphosate. The crush a leaf on the bind weed and paint the mixture on it. He said that the soap helps keep the glyphosate on the leaf in the rain and crunching the leaf makes the weed absorbe the mixture and takes it down to the root and kills it.

[arugula]

I got given a tip of a fellow alltoment holder. Dont know if it works yet, planning on trying tomorrow.

He said to get a dish and put some had soap on it (liquid), then mix in some of the glyphosate. The crush a leaf on the bind weed and paint the mixture on it. He said that the soap helps keep the glyphosate on the leaf in the rain and crunching the leaf makes the weed absorbe the mixture and takes it down to the root and kills it.

Liquid soap (washing up liquid etc) acts as a wetting agent, thus:
"A substance that reduces the surface tension of a liquid, causing the liquid to spread across or penetrate more easily the surface of a solid."

[Trillium]

The soap and glyphosphate idea will work, but if you follow directions and spray well before any rain is expected, then the glyphosphate has time to be absorbed into the plant's system. If it rains 3 hours later, no problem - the chemical is already working its way through the plant and there's nothing left to wash off. If there's about an hour before rain is expected then I wouldn't bother doing either technique.

[fatcat1955]

Get some jam jars and put the diluted glyphosphate in them. Train the bindweed up canes and then slide the bindweed down into the jam jars. Go and lay on your sunbed for a week and when you return the bindweed will be killed root and all.

[Muddylou]

Last year I used Glyphosate on Bindweed in a bed that had become empty. This year I had very little return growth in that bed. This year I have used it on all my beds as they have become empty, except one as my Potatoes are still in it and it will be too late to use. Next year I'll tackle the one that has escaped me.