On 18/06/2012 17:44, Ophelia wrote:

Is it selective? I want to use it next to a holly and some other bushes.

Absolutely not. It kills all green things. But the dose makes the poison.

Holly and ivy seedlings are usually sufficiently waxy to survive
application of glyphosate (more mysteriously so are buttercups although
they do not at all look well afterwards). Apart from that any green
material you touch with glyphosate will potentially doom the plant.

Try not to hit anything you don't want to kill. Having said that I would
not be worried about using it near or under holly bushes or any other
shrubs where I could keep the stems away from the spray.

I suspect that since holly seedlings survive application of glyphosate
the full grown plant will too but I have never done the experiment.

Grass is exquisitely sensitive to it so beware of outline marks left on
your lawn by any overspray on boots.

Cutting bits off to avoid collateral damage fairly quickly will work as
a last resort. Don't spray on a windy day and don't use too fine a spray
that will be inclined to drift too far.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown