Re: weeding and herbicides
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Re: weeding and herbicides
- From: L* P* <p*@peak.org>
- Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 09:32:45 -0800
At 11:58 PM 3/20/96 MST, you wrote:
>So your giving me a double messege!!!
>In one line you say that it isnt toxic at all!
>and in another line you say that you shouldn't touch it.
>
>well the good news is then. : Thank God your not a plant!
>and the bad one is :
>isn't it so that instead of killing you in 7-10 days it takes
>7-10 years to kill YOU!!!
>
>Gunnar Andersson Sthlm/sw
>> > The good news of course, is that unlike the "old generation" of
>> > herbicides, it does not lurk in the soil waiting to kill subsequent
>> > plantings. It is possible (with care) to use it to spot kill weeds
>> > and leave nearby flowers completely unaffected.
>> >
>> > And, no, it's not very toxic to humans, although one should take the
>> > usual precautions to avoid ingestion or residue on skin and clothing.
>> >
>> > ===============================================================
>> >
>> > Tom Tadfor Little tlittle@lanl.gov -or- telp@Rt66.com
>> > technical writer/editor Los Alamos National Laboratory
>>
>> This works well but you still need to be cautious about handling
>> and clean-up .
>>
>> Julie Irwin
>> bajai@mtco.com
I am inclined to agree with Gunnar's concern. There is an excellent article
in THE DIGGER June '94 and two related articles in the Fall'95 Bulletin of
the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon which among other things discuss the
posibility that glyphosate (the chemical "salt" found in Roundup) may block
disease resistance in plants, especially root rot.
I work a lot on large farms and have seen the destructive effects of salt
buildup in the soil when herbicides are heavily used. The soil looses its
tilth and develops hardpan. True, the stuff breaks down, but effects linger,
especially if cultural methods demand constant application.
My own opinion is that it has limited appropriate uses. How else to get rid
of perennial pests such as hedge mourning glory? My main concern is that
individual reactions vary so greatly. Some folk are not so genetically lucky
and might be sensitive in ways or combinations unstudied. The other most
difficlt variable to deal with is time and possible long-range effects.
Whenever I divide iris and recondition soil I solarize the soil by laying a
piece of clear plastic over it in the sun before replanting and have found
this to be an effective technique borrowed from organic gardeners.
Besides, the stuff is expensive and I would rather spend my money on Iris!
Louise H. Parsons <parsont@peak.org>
1915 SE Stone St.
Corvallis, OR 97333 USA
USDA zone 7 (at least!) Emerald NARGS, transplanted Oregrowian
