Relatively Safe Death

[solarbird]

I've just hit a bunch of horsetail with garden-syringe injections of concentrated Finale. (Just a few drops each, placed in the central stalk after cutting off the top.) Now let's see what happens!

(Finale is similar to Roundup, in that, insofar as these things go, it's pretty safe. Some organic gardening sites suggest it as a "if you must use something, use Roundup or this" solution, and for horsetail, it's the best shot you've got that isn't a brutal killer of everything that lives.)

Comments

[wildshadowstar.livejournal.com]

That's one thing I like about living in a rural area, you don't really worry about weeds and the such. Of course, Aunt Eileen mows her yard, but the other part she just lets go, but that's mainly in the back part of the house where not as many people can see it. The drawback to this issue is allergies, which are about to drive me crazy with sinus pressure and other related problems.

[solarbird]

I don't, in general. Just in the actual planted garden, and mostly where it's horsetail, which spreads dramatically and is almost impossible to kill. I'm hoping this new-to-me thing will do some good against it - it worked for a neighbour.

It's important that you can use it where you're going to plant food crops, because that's one of the places where it's worst. (And to show how bad it is: this is in a raised bed.

Mostly, I garden very gently - no insecticides, extremely limited use of herbicide; I mean, I've gotten rid of English Ivy, which is no mean feat up here, entirely through dig-up and persistence. But you simply can't dig up horsetail. It's amazing.

[aerialscribe.livejournal.com]

I am very tired. It took me a long time to figure out what you were saying. I thought you were injecting yourself. After three reads I finally figure out it was only plants.

DEATH TO HORSETAILS!!!!

Relatively safe death..and otherwise.

[(Anonymous)]

Two jobs ago,the preferred weedkiller was a Roundup/fuel oil mix. Never sprayed it myself, but I occassionally had to fix one of the sprayers. Either the Roundup,fuel oil or the combination would soften and destroy the sprayer's hoses in few months-rough on copper alloys,too. No finesse in application-hose the place down with the stuff. Some of the ballfields were literally hosed down in it,fencerows and sidewalk cracks got zapped with a lug-the-jug type hand sprayer.
Another common mix was the stuff that's chemically similar to Agent Orange(might've been..they got it surplus) and used motor oil diluted with diesel fuel...talk about a stink! Generally, most of their "chemical warfare" was used on the outdoor sport areas..(ballfields,running track,golf course sand traps,and fence rows around these areas.) I*think* the EPA now really frowns upon the use of petroleum based carriers..this was back in the early '80's. Scott

Re: Relatively safe death..and otherwise.

[solarbird]

Roundup plus fuel oil?! What the fuck? I mean seriously, why use the safe thing if you're going to mix it with the nasty? Why not just throw in some PCBs?