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Round-up, Rodeo and Vinegar


Let me lead off by stating that I am required by my job to hold  a 
pesticide applicators license. I receive several updates a year required to  keep my 
license.  I am licensed in 4 categories, ornamentals, greenhouses,  
parks,and swimming pools. 
   Some of the recommendations I have been seeing  here on the list make me 
cringe. First and foremost, the label on ANY type of  pesticide, organic or 
not is the LAW! Using it in a manner not on the label is  illegal. Dipping 
your hands into Round up with gloves is one of them.  Using latex gloves, no 
matter how many layers does not protect you.  Puncture resistant nitrile 
gloves or rubber gloves are recommended for spraying.  So are long sleeves and 
pants, and protective eyewear.
If you choose to use vinegar as an herbicide, purchase  horticultural 
vinegar which is a 20% solution rather than the 5% you buy at the  grocery store. 
It is a contact herbicide which will only kills leaves, not  roots. For 
perennial weeds you must reapply as directed. The same for clove oil  and other 
herbicides in the same  genre.
 I have used BurnOut in the garden. It is expensive and  I've had limited 
success with it, mostly on annual weeds. Remember that any type  of 
pesticide, organic or not is designed to kill something. Just because it is  organic, 
doesn't make it safe for humans, it leaves less of a footprint in the  
environment. It still kills something.
  In a perfect world, all the organic herbicides would  kill such nasty 
invasives such as Japanese Knotweed, Japanese stiltgrass, poison  ivy, tree of 
heaven, Oriental bittersweet and the list goes on. But they only  have 
effect on the leaves, not the roots. Tarping has been recommended for  knotweed. 
That is fine if you have several years and a small area. When you are  
battling miles of it, that is just not practical. If municipalities had enough  
workers to spend their days weedwhacking the stuff, that would certainly cut  
down the use of herbicides but all you have to do is watch the news to see 
that  jobs are being cut back everyday. 
  If you are going to spray a chemical herbicide, Round up  is the one to 
use as opposed to stronger herbicides. There are going to be  times  when 
they will be necessary.  I use Round up personally for  ornamental beds and a 
right of way behind my house that is never maintained. I  use Serenade for my 
roses and honeysuckle. I have used hort oil on scale on  certain plants. I 
don't use insecticidal soap for insects because I see too  much phytotoxic 
reaction on plants. Many times I just squish them or hose them  off the plant.
  Rodeo is glyphosate without the surfactant making it  safer to use around 
water. It is a better choice if there is a chance of  runoff.  You don't 
want to use vinegar around water if there are amphibians  and the same goes 
for clove oil and the like.
denise
  
"There's a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt  over your 
left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for  good 
luck, and fall in love whenever you can" 

"Practical  Magic"
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