Allotments 4 All

Our local dealer has Roundup, SBK and Glyphosate. Price per litre (rounded up) Roundup = £50, Glyphosate = £16, SBK = £13. I was debating about Glyphosate and SBK when he pointed out the price of Roundup. I said it was B***** ridiculous, he thought so as well. I could buy 3 litres of Glyphosate and still have change from five tenners, while for 3 pounds more I could have 4 Litres of SBK.

Roundup is Monsanto's brandname for Glyphospate...that's what you're paying for plus you pay for the amount of active product.

If you only have broadleaf weeds to kill buy the SBK but if you're wanting to get rid of your couch grass youre buying the wrong product.

Couch-grass, bindweed, docks, brambles, horsetail are all no problem. I have cleared a lot of my garden of them by digging them out roots and all. My problem is Japanese Knot weed, that can't be dug out the same.

  Robbo.

Just a bit of info re the proposed ban on glyphosphate. I believe a number of active ingredients are under review at the moment, which is a regular event. They have to show no environmental damage etc and to be reapproved.

Glyphosphate is one of these, along with another dozen or so. I don't know whether it definitely be reapproved but I think its highly likely given it is one of the few active ingredients that degrades extremely quickly.

Suzanne the reason I heard that glyphosphate was being banned was that further research showed that the degradation data was found to be incorrect and it was found to be polluting water courses.

If they ban it, it doesn't necessarily mean a total ban. They could ban the sale of it to anyone who doesn't hold a spraying licence. That means that you would have to get a professional in to do the job. I'm glad I've still got the old Sheen 300X Flamegun.