Re: Planting around old trees after glyphosate

**H*@aol.com**

It's my understanding that glyphosphate becomes completely inert in  
organic soils in about two weeks.  In sandy or clay soils that may be  different.  
There was a practice of using Roundup to kill an old lawn if it  was going 
to be completely renovated.  The routine was to apply the Roundup  then wait 
two weeks before tilling or seeding.

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener is a  registered trade mark and is published every 
Thursday in The Southampton Press,  The Press and the Easthampton Press 

In a message dated 7/7/2011 1:37:22 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
ffarm@rogers.com writes:

Sheri  Ann,

I don't know about how long one should wait before the Round-up  has been 
sprayed to safely plant; perhaps someone else has the answer to  that.  
Personally, I would wait a full season.  

In regard to  the legality, I would just talk to her and ask her to stop 
since you will be  making a garden around the tree.

I do know that creating a raised bed  around the trunk and root zone of 
trees is not a good idea, according to what  I've been taught.  Not only does 
it compromise the trunk (think moisture  promoting rot, and a place for 
chewing critters to safely hide), but it  suffocates the delicate feeder roots, 
making them struggle for oxygen and  potentially eventually killing the tree.

If it were me, I would  top-dress and amend the soil around the tree trunk 
with an inch or two of  compost and then mass plant Geranium macrorrhizum 
(IMO one of the best  perennials when you require shallow rooting and dry 
shade  tolerance).

Ailsa Francis
Gardening columnist, Ottawa Citizen  newspaper
Horticulturist, garden writer and  blogger
www.hortus2.wordpress.com
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