Hand Tools, Seeds, and Supplies
(Page 6 of 10)
April/May 1998
By John Vivian
Second are Roundup and Finale, universal herbicides that are not extracted directly from a natural source, but contain chemicals manufactured by naturally-occurring soil bacteria. They are made and marketed by subsidiaries of major international petrochemical corporations.
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This stuff is not a toxin, but a sophisticated hormone-type compound that acts on plants' metabolism by interfering with the chemistry of photosynthesis. Within weeks, it kills nearly every actively-growing chlorophyll-containing plant it contacts clear down to the root. It dries quickly when applied as directed so not even small traces will leach into the water table even if rained on shortly after being sprayed. Plus, it biodegrades into naturally-occurring soil compounds within seven to ten days. Roundup, by Ortho, a unit of Monsanto, and Finale, by Germany's Agr-Evo, are available as concentrates or ready-to-spray. They can be found on the pesticide shelves of garden supply stores.
Before you buy or use these or any other chemicals, read the label. To date (early 1998), the instructions do not specifically prohibit use on food plants. But neither do they make recommendations as to how to use the concoctions in vegetable gardens. This suggests to the cynics on MOTHER'S staff that somebody — probably a lawyer — has a few informed doubts about their ultimate safety on food plants. Sprayed as instructed-sparingly and directly on plant leaves in sunny weather — the compounds can't get into the broader environment before they biodegrade. Adjoining growth can be protected with a piece of cardboard. They are widely used, and government-approved for grass and broad-leaved weed control by farmers and ranchers.
We have used both in trial runs. We used them to kill off a few persistent perennials, such as the invasive poison ivy that infests our old stone walls and a large dandelion intrusion into what passes for grass on my tiny front lawn. We also used them to set back encroaching sumac and poplars in the pasture and to kill persistent blackberries and deep-rooted burdock in and around the vegetable garden.
They work — almost magically. But I remain suspicious. For most of the garden, a deep, weed-killing mulch (See Mort Mather's article on page 28) or mechanical weed control is easier, cheaper, and healthier for soil, body, and soul. For our money, indiscriminate use of these chemicals is best restricted to ornamental plantings such as killing a land-waster lawn in order to establish a tallgrass prairie or wildflower meadow in its place.
Flame-Weeders
A hot flame applied to newly-emerged seedlings will cook the young leaves and stems, shriveling them to a crisp. Annuals won't come back; established perennials may-once or twice. Flame-weeding was widely used in farming in the 1960s. I had a hand-pumped kerosene-fueled flame thrower back then and wanted to extol its virtues as a weeder and wasp-nest eliminator in the pages of a national gardening magazine. What stopped me was that I was told that flames might singe the earthworms and burn the loam.
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