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Drew Lawson[_2_] · 25-03-2014, 02:32 PM posted to rec.gardens

In article
(Dan.Espen) writes:
(Drew Lawson) writes:

Roundup is taken up by green leaves and (as I recall) no longer
works once dry. So by the time the old lawn is dead, so is the
Killer Power. I mostly reserve it for poison ivy.

I use it on my brick path ways, and patio.
I'll hand pull, but the Roundup makes most weeds go away for
a longer time.
I tried painting it on poison ivy with no obvious effect.

Poison ivy is tough, especially if it has managed to get established.
The problem with RoundUp on it (and other perennials) is that RoundUp
does not kill plants. It inhibits an enzyme the roots need. If
the plant has food stores, it can just go dormant, wait out the
RoundUp and come back a little weaker. That (as far as I can tell)
happens with poison ivy. My impression from many years back is
that dandelions do the same.

Unfortunately, I react strongly to poison ivy, so digging it out
is often not an option (especially if it is rooted on the neighbor's
side of the fence).

Todd's suggestion to use vinegar (acetic acid), gets some endorsement
online. I'm not 100% convinced, it's an acid, wouldn't that mess with
the soil PH?

I've never tried the vinegar method. The suggestions I've seen
usually are for surface application (or pouring in hollow stems).
That might not change the soil much. I don't know.

I have roof moss and Roundup just doesn't seem right, maybe I'll
try the vinegar there. I tried dilute bleach and got a subdued
reaction from the moss.

I don't know whether RoundUp works on moss. My botany is too weak
to say whether moss uses roots the same way.

Is there always something in the soil to break it down to neutral?
It is CH3COOH which seems pretty innocuous, just carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen.

--
Drew Lawson | What is an "Oprah"?
| -- Teal'c
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