Re: RoundUp & Vinegar

**N* S* <N*@PlantSoup.Com>**

I've heard other folks talk about using two layers of latex gloves for this "glove in glove" method.

One thing that is important to note.  Vinegar is a contact herbicide - it kills (burns actually) only what it touches, i.e. exposed plant parts like leaves and stems. So, it is appropriate to use to kill any plant that has fine, thread-like roots and no underground storage structures.  For these plants, once the top growth dies, there's nothing left to support the roots that remain so the entire plant dies.

There are companies who sell very concentrated versions of vinegar that are registered with the EPA as herbicides just for this purpose.  You can find them on-line.

There are also other "organic" herbicides made of citrus oil, cinnamon oil, pepper extracts, etc. that work similarly.

Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup and other products)  has an entirely different mode of operation.  

Glyphosate is not a poison per-se.  Plants take it up through their leaves and translocate it down into plant tissues including below-ground roots and storage structures (rhizomes, stolons, etc).  It functions by interfering with the manufacture of an important photosynthetic enzyme.  The plant can't survive without that enzyme, so in essence, it kills itself.   

This mode of operation makes glyphosate extremely effective on plants that have deep taproots and other types of underground storage structures like bermuda grass.  Even when vinegar burns off the above-ground portions of the plants (leaves, stems, etc), they have enough stored energy to resprout from those below-ground portions.    

Bottom line is, its important to understand the type of plant and  how/why any herbicide works in order to make good recommendations to your readers/clients/customers.  

Nan

On Jul 5, 2011, at 6:29 AM, FRIELSTER@aol.com wrote:

> 
> RoundUp: A famous horticulturist/breeder once told me how he used RoundUp in his breeding fields. He put on a long rubber glove and taped it to his arm. Over the rubber glove he put an ordinary cheap cotton gardening glove. He then stuck the gloved hand into a bucket full of RoundUp, soaking the cotton glove. He would wring out the excess, and then grab the weeds he wanted to kill, wetting whatever he could grab without touching the adjacent desirable plants. Much faster than a paintbrush, no possibility of overspray. 
> Vinegar: Some farm/ag chemical supply stores sell much stronger stuff, 20% acidity as opposed to the 5% sold at the grocery store. Good for killing algae.
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