On Jul 24, 4:46?pm, "Alan Sung" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message

ups.com...

"Fred" wrote:
I have quite a bit of poison ivy growing near my well. I was considering
using an herbicide like Ortho or Roundup but I'm concerned about the
chemical getting into my drinking water. Does anyone know if using this
near
a well should be a concern?

Round up will kill poison ivy completely but no brand of defoliant is
permanent, eventually poison ivy may invade again...

One technique if you want to avoid overspray or unwanted spray onto the
ground is to brush the Roundup directly onto the leaves using a cheapo foam
brush. You don't have to coat every single leaf. A little bit of Roundup
goes a long way. A repeat treatment is almost always required for poison
ivy. This technique works particularly well when the poison ivy is running
up the side of a tree and you can easily stand right next to the leaves. I'm
not sure how you would handle a huge patch on the ground.

With a thick patch on the ground not much spray will get through to
the soil... only needs a quick spray, not a drenching. The new tank
sprayer wand nozzles are available in multiple spray patterns (cone,
flat, jet, and of various sized patterns) and are easily adjustable
from a fine mist to a light spray to a shower. A light spray rather
than a mist keeps the chemical from becoming airborne, for better
control choose a narrow diameter cone pattern... most sprayers come
with a package of various tips, the plastic tips are better than the
old style brass ones, they are more accurate, don't corrode, and are
color coded to match the supplied pattern chart.

Anyone who uses a sprayer for defolient needs to mark that sprayer
prominently and don't use it for any thing else, like fertilizers and
insecticides... no matter how well you think you've washed it out
plastic tanks always hold some residual chemical. You really need
separate sprayers for fertilizers and insecticides too. Tank sprayers
are inexpensive, get at least two, three is better. It's a good idea
to buy different brands/models so there's no chance of switching
parts.

I've found a two gallon size is best for me, a three gallon tank can
become very heavy lugging about on a hot day... and for spraying
insecticides on trees often you'll need to climb a ladder for the
spray to reach the uppermost portions, it's not easy to climb even a
small step ladder with a sprayer tank, the liquid sloshes and can
easily put you off balance, plus a couple of gallons can get very
heavy on a ladder.

Anytime you spray anything wear goggles, not safety glasses, safety
goggles. And if you do any misting wear a face mask of some sort,
should really be a respirator. I don't do misting, I strongly
recommend no one does. And wear sturdy protective clothing, long
sleeves and no shorts. And always strip down before entering where
you live and wash those clothes immediately and separately, and shower
well right away... cold first, then warm and plenty of soap. Wear
rubber boots, hose those off in a safe place outdoors, not where
children or pets can go, not in the pond or creek. No eating or
drinking when spraying, not even gum, and NO SMOKING! Smoking is bad
enough, it's a million times worse when the cigarette has sprayer
chemicals on it.

When working with chemicals make sure your thinker is turned full on.