I don't know why anyone would want to use that chemical crap Roundup. Its synthesized chemistry lab frankenstein compound will never work within the ways of nature. Plus, the makers of the product are criminals with no conscience whatsoever. If people knew more about them, their activities, and their products, I'm sure they'd go out of business. Sorry, it had to be said.

No, JimR you are not sorry for saying it, and no it did not need to be said.
Round Up is a perfectly legal and acceptable product to use for its intended purpose. There are valid reasons people chose to use it, perhaps you have not faced the same situations they have?

If you chose to not use it fine, but it was unkind and uncalled for to insult those who do, especially without offering any suitable suggestions or alternatives.

Many of us here, have used or will use that product and others like it for situations where they are the ONLY acceptable solution to a problem.

Merrybookwyrm,

It does get frustrating doesn't it?

I know from experience that Round Up does not work on the nutsedge. It laughs, then coughs and then dies. BUT then re-groups and has the last laugh.
You'll have to find another product for that. :(

It will eventually kill off the bermuda, but it may take multiple applications. It will also leave ugly yellow/brown dead grass along the beds and out into the lawn area. :(
Hubby will never do that again! :)

I do not have experience with japanese honeysuckle, perhaps someone else might.
I think Whitecap is using it to get rid of some native morning glory vine or maybe it was some other difficult to get rid of vine.

(or maybe I have mixed up who is who again?)

Merrybookwyrm, I use Ornamec on bermuda when it invades my flowerbeds. Sometimes takes more than one application.

I've been using Image on nutgrass for several years - it's slowed it down, but hasn't completely iradicated it -- yet, but I'm determined! ; )

The consensus of scientific (as opposed to promotional) thought seems to be that no known herbicide can kill the nutsedge rhizome. You can kill the foliage, but not the "nut." The only alternative means of attempted control I've come across is to dig up the ground to a depth of 16 inches or so, and carefully sift the soil. I would think that a screen with a 1/8th inch mesh would be quite adequate.

I've found it quite easy to kill Japanese honeysuckle with Roundup. For field bindweed, aka wild morning glory, I've been experimenting with trying to induce the underground runners to drink a brew concocted with Roundup concentrate with a 45% glyphosate content. This is best done with a sinister cackle.

whitecap, I was the one with the sinister chuckle several years ago when I dug out and screened the soil from one of my beds. I thought surely I had the nutsedge whipped. Ha! The laugh was on me. I must have missed some because the nutsedge reappeared - not a lot though. I persevered with Image on those few and I may have eradicated it in that one bed. I'd do it with my other beds but it's not feasible. So I keep using Image. I'm not one to give up. Hopefully I'll be the last one standing. Eventually.

First let me state that I suffer from terrible allergies. I've been house-bound for the past month because of my allergies. Regarding weeds, well either do the actual weeding, hire someone to do it or use 9% vinegar. And there are lots of other organic ways to take care of weeds.

Excuse me, but I so agree with Jim! Have you done any research on Round Monsanto? Without doubt Monsanto is the devil! Do a search! You might not want to ever use anything that they make. Check out the following for just a few web sites about them:

Monsanto Threatens to Sue Vermont over GMO Labeling Bill

The Lethal Dangers of "Roundup" Made by Monsanto

Millions Against Monsanto: The Food Fight of Our Lives

I will leave with weeds if necessary over using anything made by Monsanto!

Just took a look at my cannas, and I have never seen the leaf rollers this bad. Gonna water with Bayer.3.in.1 and see if I can't break their cycle. Won't have a decent bloom otherwise.

ltcollins,
Excuse me, but I _have_ read it all. Doesn't change a thing in my mind. I don't believe even half of it.
There is serious evil in this world, and this just isn't it.

Good manners are good manners, and people shouldn't be belittled or berated for using a product that works for them just because YOU (or lots of yous) won't use it.

There are some things "organic" doesn't have a good answer for, and some of us can't physically pull it out, or afford to pay someone else to do it for us.

Living with it isn't an option either.

If I thought depleted uranium would kill bindweed, I'd use it.

I'm a big fan of round up! I use it wherever it is needed. You know, "Better living through chemisty" and all! I know it is fashionable to be organic, but I've never been very trendy!

On the nutsedge subject, I've controlled my with pulling. As soon as I see it, I pull it, then keep monitoring that spot and pulling it as it comes back. Eventually I get it all. I have used Image and Manage too, and would do that again if I had a large area full of it.

I'm trying something different this year instead of pulling weeds out of the beds. I took two shoe polish bottles with the little sponge on top, and filled one with Round Up and the other with Image. Use the Image on nut sedge and Round Up on everything else.

I worked for Monsanto back in the late seventies. They treated their employees better than any company I ever worked for.

Jim

Hey BossJim!!
WOW!!! That sounds like a a wonderful way to apply the chemicals! Easier than an eye dropper or paint brush!

You are not the first I've heard say that Monsanto is a great company to work for.

Jim, could you recommend an organic product? I've only used it where weeds come up between the slabs of the sidewalk/driveway. I *would* prefer organic, even if it's something I have to mix up myself. TIA

Anybody else seen those "weed popper" contraptions they've been showing on the DIY network? The program illustrates the "last word" in gardening tools. It looks like the tines of this device just may penetrate the soil deeply enough to extract the nutsedge rhizome.

I've seen them but not sure how stout they are. Can they hold up to our heavy clay soil?

This looked like a more solid piece of equipment than the devices I've seen at Home Depot. I think the program is Cool Tools: Landscape Special. I didn't pay much attention to it, first time around. Time Warner will be airing it again at 5:00 pm. I've hit the "record" button, and will take a closer look at it this evening.

I have the one called 'Weed Hound'. It does great on some weeds - you don't have to twist it, just step on the lever and pull out the weed. Sometimes it gets gummy in moist clay soil and you have to stop and clean out the tines. You have to position the tines going straight down when you have a deep rooted weed or the tines will go down at an angle and miss part of the root. So for certain shallow rooted weeds, it's great. For some weeds, I'd just rather grab a shovel - less strain for me than hand digging or sending the Weed Hound down twice.

Ok, the product I saw demonstrated on DIY is the Fiskars Uproot Weeder. It looks quite sturdy. You use your foot to force the steel tines down around the roots, then extract the mass of dirt and roots by bending the handle downward. There is an eject mechanism.

I have no idea where one might find this device other than at Amazon, priced at $30.00. There are 154 consumer reviews, almost all of them positive. One user groused about the size of the holes it leaves, another about it lasting only a year.

Thanks for the info Whitecap!

I will invest in one when hubby loosens his grip on the wallet. He's more likely to be agreeable when I tell him it is for the nut sedge war. :)

Merrybookwoyrm (love the name)
To be effective, glyphosate has to be applied to an actively growing plant with a reasonable amount of foliage. And it has to be applied with a spray that is heavy enough to wet that foliage.

Most failures are due to removing the top foliage (mowing or weed-whacker) and then trying to "kill the rest", or to applying to water-stressed plants in the mistaken belief that they will be more susceptible.

Whatever you are trying to kill off, water it thoroughly to get it growing, spray carefully, wait a couple of days for the glyphosate to translocate to the roots ... and THEN mow or weedwhack or whatever.

It improves your kill rate.