Topic: EU Set to Ban Glyphosate

[OllieC]

the most important is weed a portion of the garden every day 1/7 of the plot a day or more without fail.

Yeah, right! Wonder how many of us manage that ;)

Not me, with the shifts i work sometimes i can go Severn day without putting a foot on my plot and like Ktlawson i bloody well am not uncommitted,so i second the reply by Ace.

Yup, Ace is spot on!

[OllieC]

I've had a rummage through the www, and can only find something from 2003 where Danish water was contaminated with roundup at surprisingly high levels...

As Jenny mentioned earlier, is there any chance we can get a bit of provenance on this story?

[Hyacinth]

Ollie....poss a mention that it was in the pipeline on Radio4 GQT? Guessing here, but I don't have tele - and I DO listen to Radio 4 a lot ;D

[thegreatgardener]

OllieC i manage to weed more then 1/7  a day but I have very few weeds by design in my garden. All the paths are lined with weed cloth and all beds are raised with loose soil filling them.
all this makes weeding easy.

My garden has been chem free by design and never needed this type weed killer.
But those who wish poison the soil will learn the lesson to late.

[Hyacinth]

TGG.....if this ban comes into force, it will affect ALL peeps living in the UK - and I'd suggest that lottie holders, etc. are in the minority here?

Many of my clients have paved (at least 4 sides to their paving slabs with weeds growing in between one and another) areas, gravel paths, drives etc. and ALL my clients are on pensions....yes,  I and others of my team COULD hand-weed ad infinitum/nauseum for them - but would they/could they pay?

And so  I stockpiled glyphosate to use on their barren concrete patches..

You/I may not like their use of their bit of England/wherever but I'll defend their right to do whatever with their patch.

If it was GQT I heard this on, it was the same programme on which I first heard of the legal limited use of Armillatox and also the legal limited use of salt, under EEC regulations?

And you know what?....I still regularly 'treat' dandelions etc with salt & wash my greenhouse with Armillatox, etc....

And I don't give a tinker's.... ::) ;D

[ACE]

But those who wish poison the soil will learn the lesson to late.

It does not poison the soil, it is neutralised by soil and if anybody was daft enough to drink it, a spoonful of soil is the antidote. It has been suggested that it inhibites nitrogen. But that can be replaced easily enough by digging your beanstalks in.

Now weed suppression fabric is another thing. Having had to remove loads from a garden once, underneath was the equivilant to a stagnant dessert. Underneath gravel drives, paths, etc is alright. But it is being used incorrectly by lazy gardeners who really should find out the facts before using it and preaching to others who use a safer method.

[thegreatgardener]

ace there are several types of weed fabric. the water permeable type is the best to use in garden.

[cleo]

I use glyphosate from time to time and have no qualms about using it. I suspect this is a rumour leading to another price rise.

Just because I am a gardener doesn`t mean I cannot be a cynic ;)

btw-Hi Lishka xx

[ACE]

ace there are several types of weed fabric. the water permeable type is the best to use in garden.

I don't think you really wanted to say that ;)

[valmarg]

I think the use of chemicals depends on what you are growing, whether ornamental or edible.

The only chemicals we use on food crops is blood, fish and bone, and tomato feed.

On the other hand on ornamentals we are prepared to use more chemicals.  An example is Armillatox,  It was approved by the University of Wales, Bangor for use as a soil sterilant against vine weevil eggs,  I grow a lot of fuchsias, and vine weevils are the bain of their existence, so I will continue to use it to control vine weevil eggs.

The division between edible and ornamental is front and back garden, so it is unlikely that cross contamination can occur.

Also, as we are getting older, the weeds are starting to get the better of us in both areas. ;D

valmarg

[Barnowl]

It does not poison the soil, it is neutralised by soil and if anybody was daft enough to drink it, a spoonful of soil is the antidote. It has been suggested that it inhibites nitrogen. But that can be replaced easily enough by digging your beanstalks in.

It is neutralised by soil but if you use a lot of it in the same place  it does leave some detectable residue so some are arguing that until the residue is studied etc etc.  A bit like the way they proved dope (apparently very different to the stufff that is sold now) was harmful back in the 70s  -  they gave mice doses big enough to incapacitate a human and they died.

But why would you keep using it in the same place over and over again?

[Larkshall]

I was in our local stockists today and bought a litre of Glyphosate, the storeman said it is to be banned. So it looks to be right.

I cab remember that farmers used to spray sulphuric acid (diluted) on potato haulm to kill it before harvesting. I expect there will be a black market in old car batteries, for the sulphuric acid as well as the scrap lead. Of course, there are other things, like paraffin (kills many weeds but not thistles, groundsel and a few others.

[Slug_killer]

There's always the 12-bore like the one Clarkson used on Top Ground Gear Force.

[OllieC]

I've had a rummage through the www, and can only find something from 2003 where Danish water was contaminated with roundup at surprisingly high levels...

As Jenny mentioned earlier, is there any chance we can get a bit of provenance on this story?

Sorry, did I mention this? Can someone please point me to the story? It's strange that there's no mention anywhere on the www...

O x

Lish, I'm a R4 junky just like you (apart from when I try digital R7) and I even thought I remembered something about this; but I can't find anything anywhere... Do you listen to the radio in bed too?!?!

[jjt]

If you mean the story about the ban I can't help you but if you mean stories about glyphosate problems they're not hard to find. Google glyphosate and lymphoma for example. I don't know what's true but it amuses me how people can kick up so much over amilopyralid and think glyphosate is wonderful. Paving with weeds in? Point it.

[thegreatgardener]

OllieC you can find a source of the info by reading the magazine article cited by the original poster.

[Hyacinth]

jjt.....my clients are all tenants and aren't allowed to hard-cover large areas of their garden (which pointing in between paving slabs would do, according to the landlords..They Who Must be Obeyed...heavens, one must get planning permission (at a cost) for a greenhouse, even a titchy 6x4 one).

Ollie! My bedtime habits?? And you a spectable married man an me a widderwoman penshner? Shame on you ::)

Do they still have the old-format early Sunday morning Farming Today with large breakfasts round the farmhouse table? It's been ages since I've been awake that early to check, and I spose you listen to TA - for the farming content, natch?

And hello Steph! (smiley winky blowing kisses thingy)..hope that you've recovered from your injury and that it's a profitable year for you? And hey! Bought myself my Very Own Apache seeds at the Wyvale Sale....can I (finally) repay your kindnesses over the years and send you a packet? For 50p....you're worth it! ;)

[jjt]

Alishka M, that's one bizarre rule you got there. Must be from the EU?

[OllieC]

OllieC you can find a source of the info by reading the magazine article cited by the original poster.

I still reckon it's Borlicks. Not everything you read is true - I should know!!!

[24hourgardener]

OllieC i manage to weed more then 1/7  a day but I have very few weeds by design in my garden. All the paths are lined with weed cloth and all beds are raised with loose soil filling them.
all this makes weeding easy.

My garden has been chem free by design and never needed this type weed killer.
But those who wish poison the soil will learn the lesson to late.

I thought glyphosate became inactive when it touched the soil so how can it poison the soil if it does this?