On Wed, 3 Jan 2007 22:20:49 +0000, Clive Dive wrote
(in article ilgate.org):
Well, I did wonder about that one. But the vine took a few weeks to
die and it was not from the bottom up, more like random areas of the
plant, with some areas black and leathery and the others fading to pale
yellow. I know it is a bit hard to pin point as the vine naturally
rambles. Are the 2 that you mention poisonous to animals? I only ask as
we have 3 dogs, and if that was the case then then I feel a 'bricks and
windows' moment coming on. They are particularly dosey and I do not
think they would have it in them really. Any thoughts on a different
type of plant??
Thanks
Roundup would certainly kill from the root tips upwards. It is marketed as a
"trans-located product" meaning that application to the growing plant is
transferred by the plant to the root tips.So you would see a progression of
"kill" from the ground upwards. Gramoxone is different in its approach. It
kills only down to soil level and the plant will then recover. I used to
sell a lot of gramoxone to potato farmers who would spray the planted field
the moment the potato plant tips appeared above the soil. This way they
would kill any weed in the field and the resultant potato growth would
suppress any weed growth without too much affect on the actual crop.
Both weedkillers are supposed to be rendered inert with soil contact.
Gramoxone in particular is or was a fairly common method of suicide in places
like China and Sri Lanka. Drinking it would cause death, but not for many
weeks. Quite bizarre.
But yes, they are both very dangerous to animals and humans.
See the following URL's.
http://www.syngenta-crop.co.uk/PG/GRAMOXONE100/
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/paraquat.htm
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GTARW.php
I am always amazed at the casual use of these products by non-professionals.
I'm quite sure that "Joe Public" is completely unaware of the dangers he
faces by using them without the correct protective equipment i.e. breathing
masks, fully body protection, gloves etc, etc.