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I love my 2 gallon sprayer filled with roundup.
and the tractor mounted sprayer when i'm working at the "park".
I just know that in a few days those fence lines and weeds/grass will turn brown.
well, most of the time I love it.
at the park, there are some great blueberry bushes... about 3 different varieties that come in over an extended time, providing sweet fruit.
my able bodied assistant has not been so able bodied this spring/summer and the grass really sprang up in the blueberry patch.
all of our plants are in one area..
my assistant removes grass in this area by "mechanical extraction" which is a fancy phrase which translates pulls them out by hand or with an implement.
I don't have the patience assistant does, so I was spraying drive and fences and very very carefully sprayed the grass/weeds in the blueberry patch with roundup.
now the bushes that are on one side are dying. (half of them)
I asked an associate what could be causing the bushes to die... he checked the plants and also asked about the dying grass/weeds in the blueberry patch.
answer... to the question.
"your spray drifted to the plants and they are for sure going to die."
I explained that there was negligible wind and that I was very careful with the spraying.
response... "did you put a barrier between the spray and the plants?" answer "no."
a long and sad story with 2 recommendations.
1. as with anything - diversify. have plants in 2 different physical areas. this was like shooting fish in a fishbowl. imagine a "target rich environment."
2. if you are dumb enough to spray strong chemicals near an awesome food producing plant... get a piece of cardboard or plywood and hold it against the plant
protecting the plant from spray/drift until the spray has settled.
I've had some pride in these plants... knowing the amount of produce we rec'd for immediate consumption and the jelly jars that were in the storeroom.
something like "don't aim that gun at something you ain't willing to kill phrase comes to mind."
and the tractor mounted sprayer when i'm working at the "park".
I just know that in a few days those fence lines and weeds/grass will turn brown.
well, most of the time I love it.
at the park, there are some great blueberry bushes... about 3 different varieties that come in over an extended time, providing sweet fruit.
my able bodied assistant has not been so able bodied this spring/summer and the grass really sprang up in the blueberry patch.
all of our plants are in one area..
my assistant removes grass in this area by "mechanical extraction" which is a fancy phrase which translates pulls them out by hand or with an implement.
I don't have the patience assistant does, so I was spraying drive and fences and very very carefully sprayed the grass/weeds in the blueberry patch with roundup.
now the bushes that are on one side are dying. (half of them)
I asked an associate what could be causing the bushes to die... he checked the plants and also asked about the dying grass/weeds in the blueberry patch.
answer... to the question.
"your spray drifted to the plants and they are for sure going to die."
I explained that there was negligible wind and that I was very careful with the spraying.
response... "did you put a barrier between the spray and the plants?" answer "no."
a long and sad story with 2 recommendations.
1. as with anything - diversify. have plants in 2 different physical areas. this was like shooting fish in a fishbowl. imagine a "target rich environment."
2. if you are dumb enough to spray strong chemicals near an awesome food producing plant... get a piece of cardboard or plywood and hold it against the plant
protecting the plant from spray/drift until the spray has settled.
I've had some pride in these plants... knowing the amount of produce we rec'd for immediate consumption and the jelly jars that were in the storeroom.
something like "don't aim that gun at something you ain't willing to kill phrase comes to mind."
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