Obviously this article is about Roundup and whether or not it’s safe to use around your home or farm. But first . . .
I am asking for your support because . . .
I am about to be slammed to the ground, kicked, punched and pummeled with rocks just for writing this.
Roundup sprayed around the plastic outhouse.
I have to confess, I’ve been lying to you.
And in a second I will tell you why. I know that I have a lot of people who visit this blog that think highly of me and I appreciate that. Earlier this year when Duston and Amber did a Secret Post for My 58th Birthday the response was overwhelming. More than overwhelming and you have no idea how much that really means to me.
With that said, I try really hard to bring you information that I think you can use, things that will make you a better gardener, things that will make your life easier and more pleasant. But lately I’ve been telling you to do things that I myself don’t do. Why is that? Because at mere mention of word Roundup people go off on me. I mean they go off on me! So today I am going to share with you “What I Really Do, and Why I Do What I Do”. Because . . . I’m convinced that some of you really want to know, and are looking for a better solution.
I Use Roundup! There. I said it. Let the abuse begin.
Using Roundup (Glyphosate) to edge beds.
Why do people hate Roundup so much?
Two reasons I guess. One, it’s an herbicide and some people wish that the entire world would garden organically. That’s a noble idea, but I just don’t believe that it’s going to happen. When I walk into the garden section of a big box store and see a huge isle of garden chemicals or multiple isles of garden chemicals a couple of things come to mind.
1. There are a lot of garden chemicals on the market.
2. If they didn’t sell like crazy the stores would not stock them in the quantities that they do. So as vocal as some folks are about garden chemicals, others just quietly buy the stuff and take them home and use them. Because . . . they are looking for an easier way and a superior out come.
The second reason that people hate Roundup is because it is made by the Monsanto Company and there are a slew of people who absolutely hate Monsanto. Why do they hate Monsanto so much? That appears to be the million dollar question and I can tell you this for sure. There’s a lot of information on the web about Monsanto, the so called Evil Empire and I believe that most of it is wrong, inaccurate or completely false.
I edge my beds with Glyphosate because I’m 58 years old and have a weak back. And . . . I’m 58 years old.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not waving the flag for the Monsanto Corporation, I honestly know little about the company. But I do know that they often get slammed for things that they have nothing to do with. For years and as is the case today people have been spreading the rumor that Monsanto Gobbled up and now owns the Burpee Seed Company. It just isn’t true. Read what George Ball, chairman and CEO of Burpee has to say about this crazy rumor.
Me? I like to think that I am an Independent Thinker. I study the subject and come to my own conclusions.
I asked myself, why do people hate Monsanto so much? They’re a big corporation and let’s face it, big corporations pretty much do whatever they can get away with until somebody stops them. So in that regard Monsanto is no different than all of the others. Thousands of big corporations have knowingly and willingly polluted our waterways and they’d still doing it today (some still are) if the government had not stepped in and stopped them.
Back in the 60’s the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie here in Cleveland, Ohio were so polluted they both looked like cesspools. Much so that that they literally were cesspools. The Cuyahoga was so polluted that it once caught fire! That’s right, a river that caught on fire!
The corporations that were dumping into those bodies of water knew it was wrong, a monkey would have known that it was wrong. Yet they did it anyway until the government imposed monetary fines that exceeded what they were saving by being so environmentally negligent.
My point? Big Corporations are all about the bottom line.
A dead consumer due to a faulty car part is just a number. “Only three deaths so far, we don’t need to fix the problem. It’s cheaper to just pay off the families.” We see it daily.
But why is it that Monsanto is the most hated?
I don’t know so I asked Google. I found this article at Mondern Farmer and I thought it was an interesting and well written piece. If you hate Monsanto I’m sure this article will reinforce why you hate Monsanto. If you are curious and don’t really have an opinion on this topic you might see this article from a different perspective.
This grove of trees was so thick with poison ivy that I couldn’t even get close to it.
Me? I use Roundup and I will tell you why.
But first, there’s something about me you should know. I am not some kind of a “Spray Crazy Maniac” that goes around spraying everything that moves or grows. Truth be told, you need to know this.
1. I am a farmer who does not own a big sprayer. My biggest sprayer is a $12.00, one gallon pump sprayer.
2. I don’t spray insecticides in my nursery at all. I can’t even remember the last time I sprayed an insecticide in my nursery. Last that I remember was around 1999 or 2,000 I sprayed for spider mites on my Alberta Spruce.
3. I was spraying my roses in my landscape with a Bayer product but I don’t even do that anymore.
4. But I do use chemicals to control weeds. If I didn’t, I’d be out of business because organic weed control just doesn’t work in container grown crops.
This is the story of me and Roundup.
I first discovered Roundup back around 1977. At that time I was told that Roundup was safe to use and that it did not linger in the soil. After all of these years, after a great deal of research and trial and error there are two things that I believe to be true about Roundup, but you are a grownup, you need to make your own choices. What I am about to tell you is not based on scientific proof, these are just my observations after using Roundup for over 35 years.
1. I believe, in my heart, that when used correctly, Roundup is safe to use.
2. I believe, in my heart, that when used correctly, Roundup does not linger in the soil.
We cut this poison ivy vine then spray the bottom potion with Glyphosate. (Roundup) No more poison ivy.
Make no mistake. Roundup is an herbicide and it should be treated like one.
Truth be told, I no longer use Roundup, the brand name product. The primary active ingredient in Roundup is Glyphosate and after the patent on Roundup expired all kinds of generic products with the exact same ingredients appeared on the market. So . . . which one do I use? I don’t know because I just walk into our local feed mill (farm supply store) and tell Rick that I need 2.5 gallons of Generic Roundup and he sells me something that I can’t even recall the name of.
But, maybe, just maybe, I’ll snap a photo of the jug. If I remember but my rememberer is getting weaker and weaker by the day. But my life experiences and general knowledge are accumulating at a faster rate. At least I’d like to believe that.
I remembered! This is the generic brand product that I use. It’s Glyphosate. If you can’t find it locally, just use another generic.
So the product that I actually use is Glyphosate and if you really want to dig into the nitty gritty of Glyphosate I found this for you. When I read that fact sheet the product sounds relatively safe to me, for an herbicide. Others will come away with a completely different view.
But if only you knew how many bags of chemicals are deliberately dumped into your public water supply daily in an effort to “clean up” the water before it gets to you. I spent 25 years working in the water industry. It strikes me as odd that an employee needs a hazmat suite to handle the chemicals that he’s dumping into the water supply to “clean it up”. Next time you reach for a bottle of “bottled water” read the label. And I don’t think that lists the chemicals that are added to the water before it gets to the bottling plant.
In short, we all consume chemicals daily. We sign up for them on a regular basis. We go to the doctor, he gives us a slip of paper that we take to the “Chemical/Drug” store, we pick up a few bottles of capsulized chemicals and we head home. Each morning first thing I do is toss four of these tablets in my mouth and get on with my day. The chemist/druggist actually gives us a piece of paper explaining all the things that can go wrong if we actually consume this stuff. None the less, we gulp them down like candy.
Baby Abuse?
Before we take our precious little babies outside to enjoy a beautiful summer day we spray them down with chemicals (sunscreen) then we rub it into their soft delicate skin to make sure it is fully “absorbed”.
Need I go on? We love our chemicals!
As a reasonably intelligent and semi responsible adult I have concluded that, for my own personal use, Glyphosate (Roundup), is no more dangerous to me or my property than the water I drink, the pills I consume or the spray paint that I use to paint a fence post.
The use of Glyphosate is closely watched and regulated by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency and as much as we all like to complain about big government sticking their noses in our business and into our businesses it is the EPA that forced the clean up of the Cuyahoga River and beautiful and abundant Lake Erie as well as thousands of other water ways around the country.
I for one trust the EPA and the FDA. I truly believe that most of the time they act in the right direction armed with the data they have. I actually trust them more than I do the media because big media is so biased in one direction or the other I am always leery to take to heart what they are telling me. If it’s something that truly interests me I buy a book or books and dive into the subject myself.
I even lie to myself. Those containers contain glyphosate. I mix 5 gallons at a time. The only sprayer I own. One gallon!
And that’s why I think that it’s okay for ME to use Glyphosate (Roundup) to control unwanted grasses and weeds around my nursery and my house. You? You have to decide for yourself. With that said, here are some tips for using this product in a responsible manor.
1. Wear protective clothing as you should with any chemical products and READ THE LABEL ON THE PRODUCT.
2. Watch for over spray and wind drift. Glyphosate is a Non Selective Herbicide designed to kill plants. That means you cannot get it on any plants.
3. You can control wind drift by adjusting the nozzle of the sprayer so that the spray pattern is heavier and not as atomized. A spray pattern with larger droplets will be less inclined to drift. An atomized spray pattern can be easily carried by the wind.
4. You can also minimize wind drift by keeping the pressure in the sprayer lower. You do this by not pumping the sprayer a lot. Just enough to deliver the product.
5. This is really, really important! Do not over apply the product. More is not better. If you apply this product to the point of run off you have applied too much. Read that again. It does no good to put so much on the weeds or grass that it runs off. All you have to do is wet the foliage.
6. The way that Glyphosate works is that it is absorbed by the plant through the foliage. It is then trans-located throughout the plant, then it begins to work by shutting down the plant internally.
7. It does no good to apply it to the soil. That’s not how it works.
8. When applied properly very little of the product ever reaches the soil. If it does reach the soil it’s not going to hurt anything, but it’s just a waste of product.
9. Once applied Glyphosate needs time to work itself through the circulatory system of the weeds, then it starts working. So once you apply it, do not disturb the weeds. No digging, cutting or chopping for 72 hours. After 72 hours the weeds will not look dead, but by that time the herbicide has done it’s job and you can dig, chop, cut or rototill. But be sure to be patient and wait the 72 hours so as to not waste your time and money.
10. Glyphosate is a non selective Post Emergent Herbicide. That means that it only kills weeds that are currently growing. It has no effect whatsoever on the weed seeds that are residing in the soil. So effective weed control is a two pronged process.
Step one. Get rid of all the weeds that are showing. (germinated and actively growing)
Step two. Use some means of preventing the seeds from growing. You can do this with pre emergent herbicides like Preen, or you can do it with cardboard or newspaper and mulch as explained in this article.
11. Pre Emergent herbicides. Pre emergent herbicides are usually, but not always, applied to a flower bed in granular form. The granuals release a vapor barrier that lingers right at the soil surface and as soon as a weed seed germinates the vapor neutralizes that seed. Pre emergents like Preen really do work, but you have to get the steps right. As written above, you have to do a thoughout job of getting rid of all of the weeds that are currently growing, then you can apply the pre emergent herbicide.
12. Roundup (Glyphosate) comes in a lot of different formulations and concentrations. Enough to even confuse me and I’ve been at this a long time. I use the heavy concentrated Glyphosate shown above because it is a heavy concentration so I only need 3 ounces to a gallon of water. That 2.5 gallon jug lasts me several years and I spray a lot. On the retail stores shelf the selection is confusing because the concentrations are all different and people often opt for the lower price option, not knowing that it will only cover half of what another option might. Trust me, I’ve learned all of this the hard way.
I have two points about the residual effect that these two types of herbicides have on my soil.
1. I often spray Roundup or Glyphosate on my grass to repair my lawn. (see the video) I wait 24 hours then spread seed over the area that I just sprayed. The seed grows just fine. Even after only 24 hours the Glyphosate has no effect on the new grass seed. Around the nursery, and at home, I can spray Glyphosate to kill unwanted grass and weeds, only to have new grass and weeds growing in the same area in a matter of weeks, or in some cases days. I truly believe that it does not linger in the soil as many claim.
2. The year before Pam and I moved I had to “undo” my backyard nursery (photos here) so we could sell the house. After getting rid of all the plants and the wooden frames I rototilled the soil and planted grass. I was concerned, pretty much convinced, that getting grass to grow would not be easy because for years I had been using pre emergent herbicides to control the weeds in our container grown plants. Over the years I had applied a lot of pre emgergents to the same areas over and over.
Much to my surprise the grass grew easily, despite years of using herbicides to control weeds. Therefore, I conclude that not even the pre emergents that I use linger in the soil for long.
So I’ll make one last point about pre emergent herbicides. I have found that when I use them in the nursery they work much, much better when I mulch the bed then apply them. The mulch works really well to control weeds and the pre emergent applied over the mulch works great. The pre emergent applied just to the soil doesn’t work as well.
For the most part we use pre emergents on our containers to help keep the weeds under control in the containers.
In closing, that’s my story of me and Roundup.
I’ve told it as honestly as I know how and I hope that you find it informative and appreciate my honesty in telling you what I do, which is often different than what I suggest you do. Because . . . people get really, really mad at me at the mere mention of the word Roundup.
I can’t change what people think or believe about Roundup or Monsanto. The only thing that I have to ability to do is inform those who truly want to be informed so they can make their own intelligent decisions about what they should do in their own yards.
Your positive comments will be most appreciated because I’m probably going to get freight trained for simply telling the truth here today.
**If you would like to share your thoughts on this, please submit them in the comment section below. Any emails you send will go to my assistant, Sharon. I will not see them.**
Recent research (published September 2023) on well water in Sri Lanka “proved a link between glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup — and epidemic levels of chronic kidney disease is so frightening. Tropical farming communities around the world are suffering; for example, as many as 10 percent of children aged 5 to 11 years old in Sri Lanka exhibit signs of early onset kidney damage.”
You can read more about the link between glyphosate and well water contamination under the “Why, How, Wow!” section of this article: https://www.dearavantgardener.com/articles/to-edge-or-not-to-edge-a-garden-path
I concur
Glyphosate herbicides kill plants by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSPS, which is part of a well-known series of biochemical reactions known as the “shikimate pathway”. The shikimate pathway is responsible for the synthesis of certain amino acids that are vital for the production of proteins, which are the building blocks of life. Thus when the synthesis of the amino acids is blocked by glyphosate’s inhibition of EPSPS, the plant dies. Humans and other animals do not have the shikimate pathway in the cells that make up their bodies, so industry and regulators say that glyphosate is non-toxic to humans. However there are possible interactions with gut microbiota, but honestly folks, you are not drinking RoundUp. It is very minute amounts if used as directed and really, how many people are spraying it in their vegetable garden anyway? If you were breathing the stuff daily, it might be an issue, but the science doesn’t really support banning this herbicide. The fact is that in over 800 scientific studies and reviews, there is support for the fact that glyphosate does not cause cancer. Especially if used as directed. It even has a half life o f
less than 12 days depending on the environmental conditions.
You can Google a recent study in Ireland of herbicides and pesticides that were banned and still remained in the tissue of the plants and soil 20 years later .
..glyphosate was NOT one of the lingering chemicals
Any weed killer contains toxic ingredients that are known to cause cancer in humans & animals & are wiping out many Species of bees that humans greatly rely on for survival ourselves weedkiller should be banned worldwide
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151013110905.htm#:~:text=Glyphosate%20is%20the%20active%20ingredient,and%20acetamiprid%20is%20a%20neonicotinoid.
Glyphosate is a poison, end of. I try to eat organic food only. I also get to hell away if I see spraying. My neighbour farmer has health issues. Be warned.
The thing is companies and huge farmers using this in massive quantities, so yes there probably is a link to cancer. Cancer cases have risen significantly over the past decades. Cancer is caused when there is damage to your cells. Anyways, it goes into a lot more and I don’t want to go there. So research more for yourself.
How much did Monsanto and more recently Bayer pay for these “studies”? You understand that over many decades and hundreds of class action lawsuits against chemical corporations, people don’t really believe the “studies” anymore.
I used Round Up in my yard during a six year interval.
After six years of use, I was diagnosed with mantle cell lyphoma, a deadly form of cancer with a low survival rate. Trust me when I tell you what a nightmare a MCL diagnosis is.
Was Round Up a contributing factor to my diagnosis? While I will probably never know for user, was it worth the risk? Of course not.
For your own sake, and the sake of your family, I would advise any of you to consider a safe alternative to Round Up.
When you read nonsense like this, you can pretty much write off the rest of what he has to say as nonsense, too:
“There’s a lot of information on the web about Monsanto, the so called Evil Empire and I believe that most of it is wrong, inaccurate or completely false…I honestly know little about the company”
“For the second time in less than eight months a US jury has found that decades of scientific evidence demonstrates a clear cancer connection to Monsanto’s line of top-selling Roundup herbicides, which are used widely by consumers and farmers. Twice now jurors have additionally determined that the company’s own internal records show Monsanto has intentionally manipulated the public record to hide the cancer risks.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/30/who-is-paying-for-monsantos-crimes-we-are
Now that you know something about Monsanto and Roundup – will you give them back the money they paid you for this PR website?
All of you it is ARSENIC that is that killer [email protected]——-nobody cares !
Again I say it is Arsenic 228 to Glyphosate ONE !
Jurors were fed those patholological lies and those stupid jurors accepted
them .
Do you really think that a jury knows anything about the cause of cancer when obviously science is not figured it out?
Priests appreciate the honesty in explaining the dangers of Roundup I agree and have used it for years read up on it a lot over the years and have always followed the safety that was recommended and know it’s a very good product for my use thanks again for the honesty that’s the best policy I’m a homeowner who uses it twice a year I use the round up that’s good for 6 months I feel comfortable what I’ve learned today and will continue to purchase this product for home use
The World Health Organization study, done after all the lawsuits and other liberal state studies, indicate that there is zero health issues when used in moderation, the only care in using being normal ones i.e. long sleeves, using gloves, and face filters, etc.
Their study showed it would take massive exposures to have any concerns … but that majority people using was minimal exposure so no concern whatsoever.
But the outcry is driven by folks taking an emotional position rather than a rational one. They probably won’t care about the facts.
Glyphosate is not Roundup. All Glyphosate excretes in 12 hours . How long for Roundup ? It has Chromium and Arsenic in it , how long does it take for all Chromium to excrete ?
Cause is Chromium VI, and if you are using 3 ounces in one gallon h2o it will take more years than Johnson did because he was drenched ! How much , how many mg. was he drenched , he likely hyperbolized ?
Nobody replies ?
I’ll reply! ::D I use Roundup on the gravelled area beside our concrete driveway because there is not supposed to be anything growing there, but weeds, dandelions, and other stuff like that are too stupid to know that. So I spray RoundUp on them, in the evening, when there is no breeze at all. And I do it while backing up, keeping my feet only in the dry, unsprayed area as I slowly walk backwards. Once done, I rinse the sprayer, put it away, and wash myself just in case. Next week, the weeds, dandelions, and what ever are all dead. Mowing or using the weed-wacker/line trimmer are impractical unless I want to shoot gravel and rocks at all the nearby cars. Plus, those are ineffective at killing the roots.
Matt
Finally someone has answered my question, “If used following the safety guidelines for application, is Roundup safe?”.
Like most lawsuits, it’s about big money for lawyers.
So people who have Cancer and have used Roundup, may be due to the massive MISUSE of Roundup, or correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation!
I contacted the Roundup People to find out about weed’s seeds. They told me that Roundup only works on the parts of the plant that are green, so if you have left your weeds until they seed and the seed is dry (no longer green) Roundup will not work on those seeds. This means you shouldn’t let weeds go to seed if you want to eradicate them and not have more come up again.
…. and/or be ready to spread Preen next season.
My husband worked at Monsanto for 10 years… He was an engineer there and knew more than most about the product. His partner was a chemist there for a longer period of time, and he DOES know more than most. And-he uses it himself near his vegetable bed, too. (We never got it free or at reduced prices, I might add.) I have had many conversations with both because I grow flowers and vegetables in my own garden. I’ve played devil’s advocate many times with them on every angle from bees to cancer to Parkinsons. It dissipates in the soil rather quickly…24-72 hrs, leaves no continuous residue…effects only the plant it is sprayed on…Also, Roundup Ready seeds are immune to absorbing Roundup hence, none gets into the food supply. The soils are depleted because not enough nutrients have been put back in the soil after the heavy feeding food plants have used them up! (Try using compost. It’s both free, and keeps our landfills at a lower level. It also adds nutrients that even chemical fertilizers don’t. But use ‘em if you got ‘em -or can’t compost.)
You can find an article on ANYTHING on the internet and in books. Scientific studies mentioned before are not really scientific at all. Do you really think a place named
the “Sierra Club” is going to say anything good about anything that’s not au natural? Even true biologist’s and other REAL scientist’s data can also be misconstrued… again with consumers finding a pro article for every con. They can take any data and slant it their way. Depends on what they are looking for and what they are hoping to find. PLUS-Facebook is NOT the news-Please, don’t believe everything you read! This creates a great deal of ignorance on any side of the debate.
BTW, in 2018, Roundup was acquired by Bayer as part of it’s crop science division. Please stay current on your information if you are going to go after a company you know nothing about.
Plus, I put my trust in Mike….thanks so much for the article!
Glyphosate – It’s In Our Bread | Soil Association
https://www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/not-in-our-bread/
Glyphosate – the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup – is the most widely sold weedkiller in the world. … Tests by the Defra Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) found that almost two thirds of wholemeal bread sampled contained glyphosate our food does have traces of glyphosate in it.
Why would you put your trust in someone who sells this crap? Lady your rational is extremely weak!
TRUE – Using glyphosate, and glyphosate-based products, as a PRE-HARVEST treatment of wheat is fundamentally wrong
Very well said … I totally agree
I have heard the controversy, but never the rational for it. I bought some Roundup today and the people behind me in line acted like I committed a crime. I have used it for years, but I don’t use it that much. I figured if it was bad the government would have it removed from the shelves. I also asked an employee at the store about it and she also said it was OK to use and agreed that if it wasn’t safe it would not be able to be on the shelves and be sold. I found your article informative and I was not using it correctly as I would kill the weeds present and after a few days I would clear them out and then spray the ground with it, thinking it would prevent any new weeds from growing. Thanks for your information, I really appreciate it and I have book marked this article for any future questions I may have about Roundup and week killing. Thanks again.
Seriously lady, if you’re waiting for the government to protect you…you’ll be waiting long long after the medical community has warned you! And I wouln’t trust ANYONE who sells this crap to provide you with any evidence that it’s safe…but go ahead and roll the dice! Really really foolish is not negligent! HUGE lawsuits have been won against the makers of RoundUp!
Urah…a lawyer would NEVER bend facts and distort acience to make a few billion nockels. I bet you think humans caused the meltung of the glaier that formed the Chesapeake Bay and the Finger Lakes, etc.
Hi Mike, I know that you are an honest man and no, I don’t believe that you are paid by Monsanto, but I beg to differ. If you leave everything aside (the not so great history of that company etc.) then there is one thing to mention: if you use weedicides (whatever their name is) you interfere with the soil life and later, unfortunately so much later that you will not see the causes – you run into trouble. Either your plants get deficient because of the lack of soil life (it is the soil food web which brings the nutrients to your plant!) or you get pests and diseases. I have very few pests and diseases in my garden and my nursery because I am not using any sprays and chemical fertilizers and I am doing that on soil which is probably 10 times poorer than the average American soil. Every interference had consequences but they are so delayed that it is difficult to connect the dots!
RoundUp has poisons in it that are killing bees and butterfly’s both species we need to pollinate our food. Without them to do that we don’t have food. I was advised Roundup was told not to use this toxin, neonicitides. They still do.
With insect pest destruction of food crops and heavy weed competition with them we don’t have enough food. Nothing is perfect, including non-human nature, so we strive for better — and balance. We’re living in a time of both weak general knowledge of science and excessive fear. Caution and care is always sensible; fearful, emotional rejection isn’t. And unfortunately there are some scientists who don’t respect the scientific method, which is careful, cautious, and methodical, and who seem to enjoy raising alarm.
Man alive people went nuts on you, Mike. Thanks for uour honesty! I’ve been using Roundup for many years. I’m 60 now. I will continue because I don’t like snakes. And I have back issues and telling my yard men to do what I want them to do and getting it done correctly is rather frustrating.
Thanks for all your help!!!! From a Southern Nana that loves to garden.
So you are spraying into the soil for snakes, obvious misuse of the product.
Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Get back into your high chair and eat your Cheerios.
You don’t realize that snakes can hide in vegetation?
Which is why she is using Roundup – to kill the weeds so the snakes cannot hide among them.
I have been dubious of Round-up and refused to let the fellow that mows use it. But since old age and back problems have me limited to digging the grass out of my beds and after this information from Mike (I happen to trust those who have experience), I am going to try both — the pre-emergent (Preen) and glyphosate. Thanks for the info. & your honesty.
Mike am a Christmas tree grower and I have used Roundup around trees since about 1990. I use it in the fall and only around the trees, on grass or other vegetation. I only apply after the tree has hardened off. I believe it is a safe and great product and a blessing to the Christmas tree industry.
Thanks Gust.
after this article I will ban your communications… i thought that you were a good guy now I see that you are part of the BAD PEOPLE all over the world, sorry for you….. bye…
Jorge,
Please ban my communications as well, just out of general principles.
Agreed, Fred! I’m so sick of people who think someone else is “bad” simply because they don’t agree with their perspective. What has happened to this world? I have many influences in my work life and friends who are independent thinkers that I don’t agree with. I respect them and their right to have their own opinions because they are smart, good intentioned people. I certainly don’t flush those people out of my life because they don’t always think like me. It would be like if all football fans rooted for only one team. There would be no competition, and definitely would not be exciting or even a thing. This is sad, and there is a real problem emerging recently in this world if people refusing to recognize and respect others based off a petty belief . People like you really need to learn to toughen up and not only accept, but respect those who think differently,
Obviously, what I’m talking about is much bigger than weed killer, but it’s pretty clear that you apply these principles, in all parts of your life. If you don’t want to live in harmony and respect those “good people” who may not agree with you, who think differently, then youre just taking up space. The fact you express this over weed killer is a sure sign of someone who is shortsighted. And that is a dangerous thing! I’m not saying to befriend someone who worships the devil when you’re a Christian, or robs banks when you’re in honest citizen. I’m saying respect others that are intelligent, and make their own decisions based on their own research and brainpower. There’s a very good chance that Mike knows more than you do about this subject than you ever will. But we will never know as you’ve offered nothing useful, or intelligent to back your belief about Roundup other than “I am going to block you”. If I were him I would welcome you to move along. Mike put together a thought provoking, clear and concise, honest piece, using facts to demonstrate why he will continue to use a product. He wasn’t trying to persuade you to do the same, he was explaining why he came to his decision. You offer nothing, you won’t be missed, and really look like a complete mental midget. So do us all a favor and just take it on down the road. I for one hope you and those like you can grow some day and learn to live in harmony with the rest of the world that doesn’t always align with you .
Oh yeah, one more thing, I don’t use roundup, and never will. But, unlike you, I respect him very much and will continue to enjoy his blog. I am fine and secure that we will continue to do things differently in our gardens and in life.
Ditto to everything you said except the last paragraph. I have and do use roundup, but, as Mike said, I follow the directions.
Agreed, Fred. Jorge obviously can’t think for himself, or make his own decisions and then respect others who make decisions that differ from his. I personally don’t use round up, but I respect Mike’s right to use it. He laid out clear and concise explanations of his reasoning using facts and logic. I respect him and am fine with him continuing to make his own decisions that he thinks are best for him regardless of whether I agree with them or not.
So Jorge, go ahead and block me too and take it on down the road.. I will continue to enjoy his blog. By the way, you don’t seem like a “good“ guy to me whatsoever. Buh bye:)~
Jorge…go back to Juarez and worry aboit your own country.
Let’s talk about the chemical and not digress by talking about the company. I have had issues with thick vines of poison ivy. I cut the thick vine at the base. After waiting for the leaves to shrivel up I start digging up the roots of the vine. They can extend for 20 ft. or more. I am doubtful; that spraying anything on the vine will kill it- very doubtful. The chemical may well save you a lot of time and as time is money it looks very appealing. For me the jury is out though in some cases the company has been suited.. Yep, as you mentioned you have opened the lid to a storm of criticism.
Crown Vetch has been insane to get rid of and I cannot recall but I think Round-up has version that will even kill that! Invasive is NOT even a strong enough word.
Thank you, Mike! This is the best/most complete article I’ve seen written about Round-Up and I totally agree with everything you said. My late husband would say exactly the same thing. So much junk on internet is biased, not thought through objectively, and not checked out. So people just keep re-posting and thus, doing more harm.
I appreciate your gardening advice/tips. Your gardening knowledge is far better and more practical than most.
WHAT ABOUT THE CANCER ?
I’d worry more about foods that cause cancer, than stuff I’m spraying on weeds: https://www.littlethings.com/cancer-causing-foods/1
I almost choked when I saw an article titled “Water causes cancer” but it turned out to be about one small town whose municipal water supply had been getting dosed with TWENTY TIMES the amount of fluoride than was supposed to have been added to the water supply. After a few DECADES of that, someone noticed the statistical anomaly of unusually high cancer rates that just happened to coincide with the area served by that water facility, put 2 and 2 together and had the water tested and discovered the over-fluoridation, which has now been corrected to safer levels. Still the article’s title was definitely an attention grabber.
My father was one of the early agri-chemical applicators of DDT& 24D as well as several other chemicals – aforementioned as safe to use. These products all came to him sans any safety warnings or any other safety information. My father died after being diagnosed with MS, lung cancer, as well as additional causes. Was it the non-disclosed MSDS information, we’ll never know.
30 years later after 2 tours of duty in Vietnam and some time to pass I have diagnosed with various nerve issues, all secondary to exposure to Agent Orange – I was the battalion supply seargent for the transportation company that hauled the majority of Agent Orange in the Long Binh area. We dipped the product out of 55 gallon drums into backpack sprayers. Yes, you guessed it, there were no directions or warnings on the barrels either.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the Round Up and the rest of the very dangerous chemicals – No one is allowed to make up their own facts.
I doubt the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistanwere sufficiently warned of the hazards of their depleted uranium armor piercing munitions, either. The U.S. used “approximately 3,000 tons of depleted uranium ” with results like these: http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/07/war-crime-3000-tons-of-depleted-uranium-munitions-against-people-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/
We manufacture so many things to kill so many other things, should we still be getting surprised that things are dying?
p.s. – not planning to use uranium on my weeds, though it would be kind of cool if they could glow in the dark like the jungle plants in the movie Avatar. I guess I could just spray things with quinine water and shine ultraviolet light on them.
Mike,
My daughter has a Horticulture degree and uses Roundup (generic). I was afraid to use it because of all the bad press, but thanks to you, I feel less worried. I have many raised beds on my 1/2 acre and due to weather and health, I didn’t garden at all this year. Weed paradise! I was undecided about how to deal with it all, but now I will round ’em up. Next year, come what ever, I’m going to garden. I’m 74 and just hanging around the house isn’t a very good idea. But I will also be sure to protect myself. Just label me an Arkansas Granny.
Okay you just use it on weeds, but farmers actually spray it on wheat so that it is easy to harvest, so then it is actually absorbed into the wheat grains. That has to be harmful to humans eating wheat floor which is in a lot of foods.
Hello Mike my name is Lou, if you require more information please let me know.
You sound as though your mind is made up and have decided to go the way of the typical American consumer and take the pill, drink the concoction the nurse hands you and call it a life so, lets look to who else is concerned here, your children and their children. Did you know that India booted Monsanto out of their country for bankrupting many of their farmers with genetically modified seeds? Vietnam has announced they are suing Monsanto for Agent Orange causing cancer and other unidentified illnesses to people in their country from the war?
Glyphosates, Mike its a killer and thats the bottom line. My wife and I recently visited Illinois last year in June and we saw field after field of corn and beans that were sprayed dead with glyphosates to shorten the harvesting process WHILE the corn was Stll in the stalk! Doesn’t it make sense to you mr. farmer that whatever travels through the root system of that corn stalk is also in the corn? It doesn’t dissapait why would it? My wife’s uncle grew up in Illinois and told us when he as a boy if you picked six bushels of corn from an acre you were doing great, he said now a farmer collects 24 bushels of corn from a field while spraying the fields with petrollium based fertilizers (he is 91 years old). Glyphosates kill the good bacteria in your gut and aid to bring on things like digestive difficulties and certain cancers and irritable bowel syndrome.
If you have given up on yourself (your belly is Too big!) then do you want your grandkids growing up inheriting diseases when they hit twenty? Stop giving up and get back in the fight Mike!
Unfair and unnecessary personal attack.
Lou,
Correct. We all need to go back to pulling weeds by hand, or with tweezers. Also, make sure you beat the ground with a stick to send vibrations through so that bugs are not hurt. Wouldn’t want to hurt bugs ya know. The hindus are right, stop eating cows, dont swat flies either, one might have been your mother in law.
Yeah why not insult a whole religion needlessly? Not racist in the slightest?
Also wouldn’t be a bad thing if people ate less meat for sure .
This comment has restored my faith in humanity.
Scares the shit out of me to see how normal this mass spraying of America is .
There is for sure always a better and safer non cancer causing way.
Please think of the future of the planet.
Think it’s already too late and people have given up here .
First of all : who do you think the jury will find for? the little guy, of course
Secondly, we dont know the extent of his exposure to the RU. protective clothing? did he have chronic contact with the undiluted product? I could go on, but you get the picture. I can’t believe that proper homeowner use in more dangerous than the lead to which we are exposed when we eat rice (check it out). the chemicals in some processed foods, etc.
Joe
I have used Round up since it hit the market. I even had a shelf fall and had Round up and other chemicals fall and splash all over me. I am 77 years old and have no cancer or anything wrong with me. I just went out and bought a 5 gallon of Round-up in case the idiots make them take it off the market. My dogs follow me while I spray and they are fine, I have had dogs live to 17 years old so I am not worried. I agree with you Mike this herbicide is a blessing and if you don’t want to use it fine but let us who love it alone to use it.
‘
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Wow,,,,,can’t believe all these posts. Mike,,,,I use glyphosate just like you do,,,,have for many years. I haven’t had any problems yet. Good article,,,,,keep doing what you do. Thanks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Eddie
Mike,
I’m 64 and have used Roundup for 40+ years with no side effects, not even high blood pressure. As I read some of the comments, I just have to shake my head. We are exposed to “chemicals” in all aspects of our life unless you grow your own food, make your own clothes, cooking utensils, medicine, etc, etc, etc. Every day, people are popping vitamins, drinking stuff the make themselves healthier and all of them contain chemicals. Keep up the good work and spray away, my friend, spray away1
Let’s just make roundup ready baby’s
Mike;
You are a brave man to broach a subject like this. Any discussion with the word Monsanto will soon escalate into a shouting match as reason flies out the window.
I use Roundup or its kin only when I have to, and only under the right conditions. I have read the evidence that Glyphosate as made by Monsanto breaks down a short time after it’s applied and poses no continuing problem in the environment.
I have used it to eliminate invasive plants that would have otherwise wrecked our local native ecology. I have fields covered with native plants that are swarming with insects and birds where only invasive plants grew before. Score one for glyphosate.
That is because the killer is ARSENIC ! Franz got $6.00 for his patent . He added
lead arsenate which killed my father in 1936 . That is where it all started . Most
was used in Virginia ! As I said I know everything ! And more . Franz may still be
alive in Illinois ?
Mike, you admit your ignorance to the product, yet make such a bold stance on it’s safety.
Glyphosate is so effective at killing bacteria, it’s been labeled an antibiotic. It kills gut bacteria in anything that ingests it. Killing the microflora in your stomach affects your brain. For bees, this means that they have a hard time finding their hives. Here’s a study you can help educate yourself on what it does to bees… http://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/17/2799
Glyphosate also kills things below the soil. Mycorrhizal fungi that helps your plants grow in a symbiotic relationship with roots are significantly stunted by glyphosate (https://www.nature.com/articles/srep05634). Mycorrhizal fungi have the ability to mine for minerals, extend the plant’s root system, and make 50-100x more water available to the plant. Plants that have a Mycorrhizal partner have been shown to be up to 25% larger than plants which don’t.
Earthworms are negatively impacted by glyphosate (https://www.nature.com/articles/srep05634). So if you like nature to loosen your soil and build tilth, then you should also reject glyphosate.
And this is just scratching the surface. I live in the forest and my neighbors (tree farms) dump glyphosate from helicopters on adjacent lands. This stuff binds to soil particles and eventually makes it into my water supply during times that our water is high in turbidity. And we cannot do a damn thing about it. That means there are times in the year we are drinking a probably carcinogen (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/monsanto-plaintiff-dewayne-lee-johnson-says-cancer-lawsuit-wasnt-in-vain/ ), and an antibiotic. Does that sit well with you? It sure as hell does not with me.
And finally, because I too am a farmer and don’t have time to really spend all day educating you on the ill effects of this poison, I will touch base on the macro level. In summation, if you accept the scientific consensus of climate change, then you reject glyphosate for it’s role in propping up a food system that is a top contributer to the warming planet. The Amazon forest is being cut down to grow round-up ready corn and soy. This corn and soy goes to feed cattle that emit methane into the atmosphere. As forests are removed and replaced with monoculture plantations that are doused with round-up, their function of removing carbon from the atmosphere ceases and is replaced by a heavy handed, environmentally destructive industry. And this is happening across the planet. So even if you naively believe that glyphosate is safe to drink from a glass, you’d be burying your head in the sand by denying how the industry that exists because of it’s effectiveness at killing things, is also harming the biosphere and climate of this planet.
Such ingorance espoused with such confidence slays me, Mike. I am ashamed I ever gave you a dollar of my money. I really hope you do some more research on this subject, because your word has reach, and promoting ignorant beliefs for the sake of justifying your use in this harmful product, does no one good.
– Dan
“Glyphosate also kills things below the soil.” – that’s why I use it in the gravel next to our driveway where I don’t want anything at all to grow.
But that’s not really the case. Glyphosate will kill roots and all but does not linger in the soil and will not prevent the growth of seeds etc. I’ve witnessed that for many years. Once the weeds that I spray are gone, others come up very quickly from seed.
When glyphosate first came out, the info that came across my desk (family hardware and electrical business) by Monsanto said that glyphosate stayed in the soil for 15 or 16 years. I’m sure you won’t find that information now.
Hi Mike,
I enjoy your blog and read it often, However…..
The subject of Monsanto and of Round up poison
is a particular subject of mine, after going through cancer twice with my son. In the past 11 years I have done extensive research and studying on the subject. Especially Monsanto and all their lies and disseat,
because of their thirst for greed and control of the food supply.
( “control the food supply and you control the people”. )
This has been the Monsanto company moto for over a decade..
To answer your blog,
I used round up years ago in my yard to kill weeds, I used grub control also. After researching what I was using I realized what I was doing to my soil and not just the soil but to the food I was eating and feeding to my family. (a little tid-bit for you)
the round up also killed off all the earth worms I had in my yard. YES I KNOW ITS A HERBISIDE but do we really know how toxic it is and what it does to the stomach if ingested ?
Or how it can hurt the gut or immune system, after all its job is to KILL weeds and it doesn’t choose or distinguish between them now does it. So how do you know what else it KILLS.
After using this product for a couple summers I noticed the next year and the couple years following that the night crawler holes that were abundant and that I use to have in my yard had basically disappeared all together. It was like a treasure hunt to find earth worms in the flower beds, gardens or grass. And I had to start to buy them at the local fishing shop to replenish them.
As far as your blog about pills from the drug companies, I find that a weak point. I my self try to never take drugs especially from a doctor and will go a natural route as much as I can, this is coming from someone who had been fighting Lyme disease for over a year now.
And as far as the slathering sun tan lotion on, speaking for my self I look for the Organic lotions or use none at all before I jump into some creamy crap that is probably the source of most skin cancers and not the sun its self.
Here is the thing…
for years people were unknowing about the drugs and about the suntan lotion toxins they have been using..
BUT NOW WE KNOW….and to keep using this stuff is just ludicrous. Once you know….YOU KNOW!
EVERYONE ..has a choice to use or consume these poisons, But once you educate your self on the toxicity of them and you keep using them, its kind of border line –insanity.
So Mike,
In closing I choose not to use the garbage your using, I do my best to eat clean food, would rather have clean soil and water, like my grand parents had, and I suggest that you educate your self on the chemicals your using before they make you sick …
and or hire a high school kid to pull your weeds.
Here are a few articles that might help you get education on the topic.
****—-Here is my biggest question to you Mike,
if in fact these toxins are being found in our food supply, why has the allowable levels been changed DO YOU really want any level of this crap in your food think about that when you put your fork up to your mouth next time your at the dinner table
and HERE IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION TO YOU MIKE
If your kids are eating foods daily with low levels of the toxin glyphosate in it, what happens over time when this builds up in their system, does it make them sick and would you want your kids or your family being the guinea pigs and taking the risk of getting cancer from long term ingestion of this chemical. Are you willing to risk your life or your families life for the sake of a few WEEDS ?
Are you really willing to test out this theory on your family……..IM NOT !!
http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/alert-certified-organic-food-grown-in-u-s-found-contaminated-with-glyphosate-herbicide/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/09/monsanto-roundup-herbicide.aspx
https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Glyphosate+Herbicide+Found+In+Food&qpvt=glyphosate+herbicide+found+in+food&FORM=EWRE
https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-glyphosate-cheerios-2093130379.html
Blue – this dawned on me long ago (mid 90s)–the idea the the tiny amounts of ‘measurable’ individual toxins in the environment are cumulative, and no one has measured that, how can that be measured, the effect of ever changing combinations of new and old environmental toxins and carcinogens used pervasively—if a research study looks at one toxin like glyphosate and saturates rats or worms with them until the animal shows a toxic effect and then reports that these effects show only at unrealistically high levels that no human will ever be exposed to but at lower levels over the period of time studied, the effects were not seen, showing them to be basically safe at the concentrations any individual is likely to be exposed to, what does this have to do with reality? Have they studied that chemical in combination with all the chemicals it may interact with causing potentially more and unpredictable toxic effects? How could they? the research that is used by the regulatory agencies doesn’t tell us much of what we need to know. Cancer rates and other chronic poorly understood human illnesses are going up in proportion with the spreads of these chemicals.
i can understand the validity of arguments that the percentage of people who will have a known adverse effect from exposure is smaller than a majority and that this risk has to be weighed against the benefits that mass production technology brings to the human species globally, there are many good arguments for it, but the arguments that it’s been proven safe are bizarrely unintelligent.
Sorry about your son. Last year i was diagnosed with a really rare (rarely diagnosed which is not the same thing as rarely occurring) non Hodgkins lymphoma called cutaneous T cell lymphoma. It’s currently incurable but most people diagnosed with it have a high likelihood of not dying from it. Very little is known about it.
Since the mid 90s, i have been toxin avoidant by which i mean, i came to the belief that while we are all exposed to countless myriad toxins daily that we can’t avoid, there are many that we can theoretically avoid but are not advised or counseled to avoid, partly because they simply not talked about–‘if you can’t do something about a low grade threat, why think about it?’–something like that, be in denial of it because you can’t do anything about it anyway. But i came to the believe that in countless small ways i can avoid as many toxins as i have the knowledge and power to avoid, and that this reduces my cumulative exposure.
In the past 10 years or so, i’ve had some exposures that i would have avoided but happened without my having an opportunity to choose, for example, a teflon pan on the stove with the fire still on, unknown until the smoke was getting obvious. There were many other examples, where i did get symptomatic (i learned there is a medical diagnosis called ‘teflon flu’ with the symptoms i had for a few weeks, who knows how long it stays in the environment and how much is low level permanent, inside my home where my exposure is continuous. Another was when i was removing the only indoor CFL light bulb in my house, preparing to replace it with an incandescent bulb and it slipped out of my and shattered. i went to pick up the mess which was on the wall to wall carpet behind a table by the wall and i knew that it had mercury in it and that mercury was something to avoid, though i knew nothing else about it, but i though maybe i should google it to see if it’s supposed to be cleaned up in any particular way. That was very depressing. I learned from a huge number of sources, including private and government at local and federal levels to first open all the doors and windows and leave them open as long as possible, even for days. this happened to be an extremely cold day at a cold time of year. Instructions told how to pick it up off hard floors. For carpet source after source said to cut out the piece of carpet that the mercury fell on and dispose of it in the proper way, sealed and deliver to a toxic waste facility. Instructions said not to use vacuum cleaner, this will contaminate the vacuum cleaner and spread the fumes. if it’s on your clothes, remove the clothes and dispose of them. Don’t put them in your laundry because your laundry machines will be contaminated, because mercury is the heaviest metal and it will adhere to the metal in the machine ?? i was learning more about mercury than i ever wanted know, and while i was reading, i developed upper respiratory mild burning and cough, i was in a different room but not closed off. Doors and windows were open. My medium small dog went back there, was it in his long fluffy fur? is it ok to pet him? He went in there several times and there was really no way to stop him without tying him up–for how long, days, weeks? what a nightmare. About the carpet, the information was that it would remain contaminated and people would be ok as long as they didn’t get low to the ground where they would be at more risk of breathing it, like my dog. Don’t let children under 4 in the area because they are low enough to the ground to be at risk of inhaling it. It doesn’t just go away! Don’t run your central heating and air conditioning, it will be spread to other rooms.
It became a news story in Maine when an overhead light bulb broke in a 7 year old child’s room. i don’t remember the details but the mother learned of the risks and contacted the government for help with clean up which they provided, but at some point, the woman needed to go to the news media because she wasn’t getting the help she needed–the problem was, she couldn’t afford to pay the costs of what it would take to make her daughter’s room safe. The State of Maine got really interested in this problem and funded a large study of it. i read it and i called them for information, and got a return call from one of the researchers. i had asked questions in my voice mail message and my questions were all answered in her voice mail message.
For me, the bottom line is that i have had low level mercury exposure in my home environment ever since, years, i’m sure it gradually dissipates but it’s exposure i never would have had if i had not had that product in my home. On the day it happened, i looked on the light bulb packaging. There was zero information about what to do in case of exposure. they advised about proper disposal, not warnings about health effects and special clean up needs.
Anyway, the list goes on. I got a new gardener to take care of my yard and it looks great, he’s working on it getting the flowers to bloom and making it look good. i was complimenting him when he was there last week and he proudly said he used Round Up. i asked him not to use anything like that in the future, i said i didn’t want to risk breathing it and i don’t have good insulation in the front of my house. The front door, you can see light coming through at the bottom of it. In the back, when a blower is being used, the gasoline smell is strong I’m my house.
That’s how i ended up googling Round Up, wondering if there’s any way to remove the Round up that’s there, or to dilute it or somehow make myself more safe. Like i said, i was diagnosed with this T cell lymphoma last year and while googling i read about an association with non Hodgkins lymphoma. The kind i have is only in the skin. For about 80 to 90% of people with it, it stays in the skin and is not life threatening. it can be indolent and not flare up For the other people, they have different levels of activity of the cancer, ts a level where it gets into the lymph glands, and the next level, it gets into the blood and the next level it forms tumors on the skin , and the worst level, it gets into the organs, and people die, mainly of a failed immune system, they get bad infections . the drugs that treat it including topical skin stuff are very toxic. The only treatment that may cure it, is stem cell transplant and that treatment is so high risk to health and potentially fatal that only people that worst stages of the disease qualify for it, since they’re going to die anyway, but if it works and if they recover from it, some do, some don’t, then so far it looks like they get a new immune system with no more T cell lymphoma. My treatment is the most minimal, and very effect at making the rash go away, ultra violent B narrow band light treatments 2-3 times a week. No topical steroids for me but for some that is an entry level treatment. UVB light is obviously a risk for skin cancer (cutaneous T cell lymphoma is not a skin cancer although it shows up in the skin, it’s a blood cancer. The skin cancer risk with UVB waves is considered low but with so few known/diagnosed patients there isn’t much research. There may be a lot of people running around out there with CTCL who have no clue they have it because doctors are unfamiliar with it and it’s diagnosed as eczema or something else for years in many cases.
anyway so i have an interest in avoiding all toxins i can possibly avoid as any of them my trigger something that causes my condition to move into the more malignant stage. Just saying.
The people who argue that they are 60 years old and have been using Round Up for the past 20 years and they’re ok don’t realize that their cancer risk increases with age but not for no reason. A lot of people think “well i’m going to die of something one way or another, and avoiding everything is not possible so why worry about it?” They are not aware apparently that people can get old and be in good shape and enjoy their lives and die in ways that are not traumatic and dramatic and involving harsh treatments that create new diseases, that’s not “just the way it is.” There are choices that can improve odds, and choice that can worsen odds.
exactly
Well, Mike, your comment board certainly lit up just as you predicted! Thanks for having the guts to address this issue. In my opinion, Roundup, used properly with precautions, and applied sparingly is safe and effective in controlling weeds. Here in central CA, millions of gallons of Roundup are used to control weeds in almond orchards. So long as the public demands cheap almonds, it’s the only option farmers have. You can’t have it both ways. The economy has forced farmers to greatly reduce labor and overhead, and when this happens, chemicals are the only answer. The same people bashing chemicals are demanding cheap produce. The answer is MODERATION. And, with that 1 gallon sprayer of yours, and your precautions, I’d say you’re in great standing! The question I pose to the nay-sayers is this: would you be willing to spend 3-4 times the price for imperfect produce to forego the use of chemicals? If so, GREAT! :I applaud you. For those who can’t afford that, we have the option of cheap produce. Extremist views are fruitless. Until we can develop fully non-chemical agriculture on a massive scale, all we can do is take steps to reduce chemicals where possible and TAKE PRECAUTIONS. Thanks, Mike!
no roundup is dangress i know i got lung cancer an have been treated for ove five years at tittisville treatment center dont use it unless you are willing to take chanes with your life i nea
I believe two things about this discussion
1. Roundup kills mussels -both fresh water and salt water varieties. I believe this because there are a number of repeatable, peer-reviewed scientific studies by credible researchers that say so. And because the mussel beds all along our coast are dead, and my (waterfront) neighbors love Roundup
2. Vinegar does work, but it is only really effective if you use agricultural vinegar. The active ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid – a naturally occurring acid. In white vinegar, it is 5% of the liquid. In apple cider vinegar, acetic acid is usually 7 to 8 percent. Agricultural vinegar is usually used in a concentration of 11% to 15%, and it works great And it is a lot cheaper than Roundup. If you can’t find it at your local farm supply, you may be able to get it at a chemical or cleaning products supplier. You would be best not to purchase straight acetic acid (100%) though, as it can be quite dangerous to work with.
It saddens me greatly to see all the false information thats been published on glyphosate and other pesticides. I just retired from the chemical industry after 35 years in Research and Development. I worked for a competitor of Monsanto. During my career I helped develop new fungicides, insecticides and herbicides as well as GMO crops. I’m also an avid fisherman and hunter and have had numerous ecology, biology, entomology, botany etc classes. I’m all for protecting the environment and people from pesticides but particularly from the mis-use of pesticides.
First off all, the pesticide label is the law! If you don’t follow the label you are using the product illegally. AND the label is very conservative and protects the user and the environment. I’ve helped write many labels. I’ve also preformed the field research to determine the residual pesticide level in crops – thus foods. These tests are then submitted to the EPA for evaluation. We know more about man-made compounds than even before.
I’m not going to support or condemn glyphosate or any other pesticide on this blog! But what I will do is defend anybody’s right to use these products in accordance to the label. These current products are very safe if used correctly. If it were not for pesticides then farmers would be farming from fence row to fence row and river to river. Because of pesticides more food is grown per acre thus leaving less productive lands free for wildlife as well as leaving buffer zones around rivers and lakes. Runoff is much less today and rivers are cleaner. Lots of benefits are obtained from pesticides but these products must be use correctly – the label is the law and it must be followed!!
If it’s the “law” then why is the state of Florida spraying it right into Lake Istokpoga that I live on. I am pretty sure it says not to spray near any waterbodies right on the label!?
Good article Mike.
Well done and informative.
Nowadays you’ll get negative comments for putting your socks on left foot first instead of the right foot.
Keep smiling.
Funny that you should mention socks…
I alternate which foot I put the first sock on – I think. 😀 But just today, I noticed that my wife had put her socks on UPSIDE-DOWN! Really! Oh, the open part was at the top of course, and the toe at the bottom end, but she had her Hanes cushion sole socks on with the gray cushion side up! I’m not joking!
Yikes! I just notice I’m only not quite one sixth of the way down the progress bar slider on the right side of this web page. I betcha Mike’s post on this rivals whatever people are saying about Monsanto on AskReddit.
People just love to comment. – on any side of a discussion.
I do not and will not use round up EVER. I love your work but that you promote the use of this deadly killer when there are natural alternatives really pisses me off.. My husband died from glyphosate in agent orange being sprayed on him and many of my friends have died since and are still dying. That was Dow Chemical and they paid him a huge sum of $ 25.00 for that honor. MONSANTO JUST PAID 289 MILLION to a man proven to have cancer from roundup…WTF do you not get about this stuff.
Thanks for sharing your stand in the Round Up War. Luckily, I am just a simple beekeeper and home owner. My yard is an average-size city lot and I try to keep up with weeds the old-fashioned way – digging them out. Some days it is actually very good stress therapy (yes, each weed has a face)! However, this is not an option for larger, commercial situations. And let’s face it, 3/4 of my neighbors have monthly yard services spraying for weeds and/or insects. I work for an environmental firm, so I’m not blind. We have worked on many lead-based paint and asbestos clean-up projects, and now we are working with many water treatment facilities and landfills. So chemicals and hazardous materials are out there – whether we use them or never see them. I’d love to be chemical free but clearly our world moves much too fast for that now. My rule of thumb is – there’s a time and a place but by all means be informed and use responsibly. From one gardener to another, thanks again for expressing YOUR thoughts and opinions and taking the heat.
I agree with you Mike I use Roundup and haven’t killed any thing I didn’t want gone yet. Very careful with it, it works great for the weeds caught in the driveway cracks.
I’m a beekeeper and fruit grower have found that many of my beekeepers’ club have uninformed opinions on glyphosate. I use it all the time including around my hives. It absolutely is not harmful to bees if used correctly and applied properly. I also use it directly in my gardens, both vegetable and flower gardens. I’m 68 and pulling weeds by hand is not happening for me. As for Monsanto, yeah they have some work to do on their public responsibilities but the big chemical companies have increased the yields of farms to allow us to feed the world. You owe it to yourself to be practical and informed.
I get so very frustrated with blanket statements from anyone who wants to eliminate any company. My opinion, which I am entitled to just like radicals, is use chemicals responsibly. A steady diet of anything will cause cancer. I am thankful for companies, like Monsanto, which have increased food production. This ever increasing world population would be so much worse off if the food chain was not increased by science. To increase food production, pesticides and herbicides are necessary. I do not see anti-Monsanto people out in the field picking the bugs off the plants nor do I see them pulling the weeds between the rows. For the record, I do not own any stock in Monsanto, I do not work for them nor am I being paid by them. I normally do not respond to articles but I am so tired of “do-gooders” who actually benefit from what they complain loudest about.
I don’t have much first hand experience with Round Up, I use it to ‘edge’ my landscape beds from encroaching lawn grasses, and it is effective. I do however, appreciate your comment about thinking for yourself and doing your own research. I wish more people would do that regarding many issues.
I will say that your view on this issue is the same as the that of the guy in charge of planting and maintaining our parks and common areas here in the Town of Wake Forest, NC. He says he has tried various organics and other products and has found nothing to be as efficient nor as effective as Round Up. And he says too that if used correctly, he believes that it is safe for the environment..
I also appreciate your comments about ‘anonymous’ posts. If you have an opinion or an observation about anything, that is strong enough to lead you to post it, then you should be able to ‘own’ it.
I am over in Ireland and do a large woodland garden, which includes getting on top of at least five acres of Rh.ponticum, which over here in this part of the world, we now know as “super ponticum”, as DNA analysis shows it to be a hybrid, probably with one of the arboreums. Without glyphosphate, this would simply be impossible. Anyhow back to the point. There is no problem at all using low volume glyphosphate in horticulture, if it is properly used. Where in my mind a problem does arise, is under the pressures of modern farming, crop farmers are using glyphosphate pre harvest. This is really taking a chance. Very provocative. Probably what will happen in Europe, is only qualified persons will be able to buy it, which I incidentally am, but it will still get sold, probably on the black market. In the future, field crops will be looked after mechanically by robots and most of our food will be hydroponically grown in climate controlled, vertical city farms, with solar and LED, with the plants up top, the insects in the middle and the fish in the basement. These moves will result in a massive reduction in pesticide usage.
Comparing it with Agent Orange is just scaremongering. The big problem though is no one is presenting a working alternative, which unless it translocates to the roots, is a pure waste of time.
https://www.google.com/search?q=roundup+rats&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwie6vbi7rTdAhVHBiwKHY33BwUQ_AUICigB&biw=1600&bih=764#imgrc=ywLBRWpzp73GiM:
Hi Mike, just checking to see if you will be including my comment with verifiable research on this subject.
For those who complained that valid studies and references are lacking in the comments:
For more “scientific” information, articles, detailed studies, reports, data from reputable sources and organizations, including the EPA, check out the following. If you REALLY want to research glyphosate, Roundup, or anything else, for that matter, then start here:
(oh, and by the way, Bayer –as in Baby Aspirin—bought Monsanto, in case anyone doesn’tknow it yet).
Check out the mega millions/billions involved, Big Pharma and Monsanto, Bayer, and the huge banks and financiers that helped Bayer raise the money to make their buying price appealing enough to win Monsanto over to moving out of the country with German company, Bayer…
Then go to Bayer’s own site for their A to Z list of agricultural poisons, human and veterinary insecticides, and pharmaceuticals, including Roundup. It will make you think twice about drugs you are taking, even though they may be necessary (or not so much–as in, are there safer alternatives?)
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/section/reuters/bayer-to-buy-monsanto-creating-a-massive-seeds-and-pesticides-company/
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https://www.bayer.com/en/products-from-a-to-z.aspx
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Monsanto’s ‘Junk Science’ Appeal of Roundup Verdict Faces Long Odds
August 15, 2018 by Tina Bellon
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/08/15/498050.htm
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Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0
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How Toxic is the World’s Most Popular Herbicide Roundup?
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-toxic-is-the-worlds-most-popular-herbicide-roundup-30308
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Global Glyphosate Study Pilot Phase Shows Adverse Health Effects at ‘Safe’ Doses
The Ramazzini Institute / May 16, 2018
https://glyphosatestudy.org/press-release/global-glyphosate-study-pilot-phase-shows-adverse-health-effects-at-safe-doses/
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https://jech.bmj.com/content/72/8/668
Essay
Pesticides and public health: an analysis of the regulatory approach to assessing the carcinogenicity of glyphosate in the European Union
Peter Clausing1, Claire Robinson2, Helmut Burtscher-Schaden3
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EPA official website below, with studies, papers, chemical details, regulatory actions, science, dockets, emergency exemptions, etc. available through the Freedom of Information Act . Downloadable studies include carcinogenecity, DNA changes, bleeding, diarrhea, liver damage, etc., etc. in mice, rats, rabbits, studies also conducted on dogs. Also allowable ppm (parts per million) in multiple crops, including animal feed crops. Also comments on how human food consumption and exposure might occur and the need to take all safety precautions and always wear protective clothing and gear when using product and the need to apply amounts in strict adherence to safety data, etc. In spite of studies, EPA makes statements that basically say benefits outweigh risks:
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https://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/pesticides/f?p=CHEMICALSEARCH:7:::NO:1,3,31,7,12,25:P3_XCHEMICAL_ID:2477
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You should be able to copy and paste the above URLs in your browser.
Happy researching!
Interesting you email out the same article from 2014 in 2018. We know so much more now. Roundup used properly and occasionally on a lawn or an ornamental garden might not be a terrible thing. I was guilty myself when I first started taking care of a yard. It was thought to be safe for humans because we don’t have the shikimate pathway that plants do. Our gut bugs, the microbiome, do have this pathway. Not only do we have Roundup ready seeds so the plant can withstand it when the whole field is sprayed for weeds, but after some crops are harvested, they get sprayed again to dry them out for storage. This is how we get high levels of glyphosate in Cheerios and other foods, and this is how it hurts us. Think of killing off all the earthworms and ladybugs in your gut garden if you eat these foods. Glyphosate does not belong anywhere near things we eat.
#humans are not Roundup ready.
I don’t use roundup at all sense a neighbor sprayed the grass along my fence and killed three of my fruit trees. I have sense replanted them. And my neighbor has promised to watch how he uses his roundup.
So use it if you must, but I prefer to blind and starve the unwanted plants in my garden.
Thank you for your time I have used it well
Robert
Thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
I’m with you, Mike. . My husband and I have farmed in Iowa for over 4o years, and Roundup is the best thing that’s happened to agriculture, and the environment, in a long time. The amount of disinformation and outright lies people spout just amazes me. On a personal level, I love that Roundup has replaced so many of the highly and indeed dangerous chemicals that we used to have to use.
Funny this post should show today. By coincidence , we received in the mail a report on a 25 year study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, called the Agricultural Health Study. My husband has participated in this long term study since it began. Here’s the result about gycophophates (Roundup) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29136183 “In this large, prospective cohort study, no association was apparent between glyphosate and any solid tumors or lymphoid malignancies overall, including NHL and its subtypes.”
There are a lot of people out there who don’t know how to understand science, evidently.
Mike, I appreciate your honesty as well. I do personally disagree with you that Roundup and other chemical herbicides are “safe” to use. But I’m not going to judge you or others who choose to use them – unless there’s runoff into my yard going into any herbs or vegies I might be growing! Then I’d try and work out an equitable solution.
The half life of glyphosate is typically 2-197 days in the soil, dependent on climate, location, etc. I believe that a lot of our health issues and cancers we are experiencing today are cumulative from the impact of all kinds of things like chemicals, pollution, genetically modified food, food preservatives, lotsa EMF bombarding us 24/7, and so on. But I also believe that the stresses and negative emotions many of us battle (often daily), take their toll as well and manifest in physical illnesses (chronic or short-term). We all do the best we can with the knowledge we have and understand.
I have successfully treated a sawfly infestation on my gooseberry bushes with biological nematoads. I also was successful in treating white flies on my bay tree with neem oil. For both of these treatments, I used a small pump sprayer bottle and sprayed the crap outta both the gooseberry and bay tree!
Perhaps you could do some videos that compare using different treatments, both chemical and biological. If you compare a chemical treatment and a biological treatment and they both work – then people on both sides can choose which they prefer. Hah! You could even do some soil testing!
Some people won’t ever agree that chemicals are “evil,” but although I will state my own beliefs to them, I will not judge them either way. Another example – I like my chicken and beef without hormones and chemicals, etc. Again – other people don’t agree with that. Bottom line – look at George Burns. Some people just have longevity, some of us are more fragile and have to be more careful and strict with what impacts us.
Anyways – Thank you for all you have done with your gardening expertise! I’m happy to remain a part of your Backyard Nursery.
Michelle
Roundup is NOT GOOD. anything that is found in breast milk cannot be good for us. Thank goodness I fed my children OUT OF THIS COUNTRY!! I use 30 percent vinegar and it kills almost anything and does not poison you if you walk on it. Mike, it is folks like you who make this crooked EPA that we now have say “See, Mike says Roundup is good” so we will not stop its use, and furthermore, they pay us a LOT… Shame on you
Mike.
So many great, heartfelt posts on this topic! I would like to be able to grow my plants, harvest the fruits, sell plants etc, without feeling its necessary to use a pesticide or an herbicide.
The reality for me is simple, I don’t have enough time or energy to do it all without some help. If i want apples, plums and cherries etc, carefully applied pesticide does help me get a leg up on the many insect pests who want a share. As much as i enjoy riding my zero turn mower with sound system, i really don’t want to mow weeds any more than i can help. Like you said Mike, carefully, responsibly applied herbicide goes a long way.
I am also aware we may not be getting all the facts on many things we consume or come in contact with. Sugar, pesticides, herbicides, aspartame, tobacco, eggs, meat, the list is long.
You did right bringing up Roundup. Thanks
Our awareness of what’s going on and our willingness to share it with each other is how we will survive.
Mike you are correct…..there is ignorant critisism of Monsanto by people who have never studied Chemistry, and wouldnt know an electron from an atom or a molecule. They operate on internet street rumor and do not read and just repeat fake stuff.
Keep your spirit.
Oh my, as I read your article, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I couldn’t believe the uneducated claims you made. I’ve done some research, and backed up my beliefs, which follow.
Pesticides are taking a major toll on health across the globe. According to a United Nations report, pesticides are responsible for 200,000 acute poisoning deaths each year, and chronic exposure has been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, hormone disruption, developmental disorders and sterility.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a research arm of the World Health Organization and the “gold standard” in carcinogenicity research, found glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen. In July 2017, glyphosate was listed as a known carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65, which means products containing glyphosate must carry a cancer warning label.
Pesticides like Roundup also threaten the health of the soil, thereby threatening the very future of agriculture itself, as healthy soils are key for growing food. So grave are the concerns over the health and environmental effects of pesticides, the UN’s report proposes a global treaty to phase them out and transition to a more sustainable agricultural system.
All of this is terrible news for the chemical industry in general, and Monsanto in particular. Last year, Monsanto accepted a $66 billion takeover bid from Bayer AG, which made the new entity the largest seed and pesticide company in the world.
Monsanto, the world leader in the production of genetically engineered (GE) staple crops, has long claimed that its broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup is safe.
What we are now finding out — unfortunately long after hundreds of millions of pounds of the chemical have already been applied to U.S. soil — is that Roundup is proving to be a pervasive environmental threat, one that may already be poisoning a good portion of the world’s remaining natural water supply.
Tests by the Organic Consumers Association show 93 percent of Americans have glyphosate in their urine, (Mike, how can that happen if applying chemicals … i.e., glyphosate … doesn’t affect the soil and water?) and independent testing by The Detox Project and Food Democracy Now!, found many popular processed foods sold in the U.S. have potentially unsafe levels of glyphosate in them. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has also reported 30 percent of grains sampled were contaminated with glyphosate. Nearly 4 percent of samples had excessive levels.
The results of the first report on the ambient levels of glyphosate and its major degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in air and rain water were published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in March 2011. The samples were collected during two growing seasons in Mississippi and Iowa. Glyphosate was detected in 60 to 100 percent of all air and rain samples, which lends further credence to the fact that Roundup does not readily break down in the environment, but rather is lingering all around us.
In 2009, a French court found Monsanto guilty of falsely advertising its herbicide as “biodegradable,” “environmentally friendly” and claiming it “left the soil clean.” The truth is that Roundup is anything BUT environmentally friendly. Even Monsanto’s own tests showed that only 2 percent of the herbicide broke down after 28 days, which means it readily persists in the environment!
A report from Earth Open Source further revealed that Roundup herbicide not only causes birth defects, but industry regulators have known this for years and did nothing about it. After reviewing industry studies and regulatory documents used to approve Roundup, they noted:
• Industry (including Monsanto) has known since the 1980s that glyphosate causes malformations in experimental animals at high doses
• Industry has known since 1993 that these effects could also occur at lower and mid doses
• The German government has known since at least 1998 that glyphosate causes malformations
• The EU Commission’s expert scientific review panel knew in 1999 — and the EU Commission has known since 2002 — that glyphosate causes malformations
This isn’t surprising, considering a 2009 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (here’s the link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19105591?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum) tested formulations of Roundup that were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human cells, and even then the cells died within 24 hours! They also found damage to cell membranes and DNA, along with an inhibition of cell respiration.
Drinking water contamination is more the rule rather than the exception, and this is true whether your water comes from a well or a municipal source. If you have well water, unless you are getting your water from a well that is located 800 feet or more below the ground surface, chances are your well water has been contaminated by some, if not many toxic substances that have been dumped into the ground soil over past decades. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a natural well in the United States that hasn’t been affected by some type of chemical such as Roundup from the surrounding soil.
If you live in a city and rely on the local water processing plant to provide you with clean water, you also cannot blindly trust that your water is clean. A US Senator told the media that there are more than 140 chemicals in U.S. drinking water supplies that are not regulated by the EPA. This includes, gasoline, pesticides, rocket fuel, prescription drugs and much more.
What happens when you expose rats to an extremely low dose of Roundup for two years? It’s a question researchers from King’s College London recently set out to answer, following previous research that suggested it may lead to liver injury.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, unfortunately appears to confirm this. The study involved glyphosate exposures of 4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day, which is 75,000 and 437,500 times below EU and U.S. permitted levels, respectively.
After a two-year period, female rats showed signs of liver damage, specifically non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatosis (NASH).
The researchers noted that glyphosate may bring about toxic effects via different mechanisms, depending on the level of exposure, including possibly mimicking estrogen and interfering with mitochondrial and enzyme function.
Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most heavily-used agricultural chemicals of all time, with more than 1.8 million tons being applied to U.S. fields alone since 1974. The popularity of this herbicide was built on reckless deceit, and there’s really no telling how many people around the world have paid for Monsanto’s lies with their lives.
On August 10, 2018, a jury ruled Monsanto must pay $289 million in damages to Dewayne Johnson, who developed a lethal form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma following heavy exposure to Roundup during his work as a groundskeeper. The evidence brought forth in court was extensive and extraordinarily damning, clearly showing Monsanto acted with malice.
It knew Roundup was toxic and caused cancer, yet hid that fact from regulators and the public, fabricating evidence to the contrary and suppressing research showing harm. You can review key documents from this case on the U.S. Right to Know website.
The same chemical shown to cause Johnson’s lethal disease is also showing up in the food supply at potentially unsafe levels. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently commissioned independent laboratory tests to determine how much glyphosate is lurking in the U.S. food supply.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing foods for glyphosate, and tests reportedly revealed “a fair amount” of residues, their findings have not yet been made public.
EWG’s testing revealed 43 out of 45 food products made with conventionally grown oats tested positive for glyphosate, 31 of which had glyphosate levels higher than EWG scientists believe would be protective of children’s health.
When you see “inert” or “inactive ingredients” listed on the label of a pesticide or herbicide, please understand that all this means is that those ingredients will not harm pests or weeds. This is how federal law classifies “inert” pesticide ingredients. It does NOT mean that those ingredients are not harmful to YOU, your children, or your pets.
A toxicology study by the National Institute of Health revealed that inert ingredients such as solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other added substances are anything but “inactive.” They can, and oftentimes do, contribute to a product’s toxicity in a synergistic manner—even if non-toxic in isolation. Certain adjuvants in glyphosate-based herbicides were also found to be “active principles of human cell toxicity,” adding to the hazards inherent with glyphosate. According to the researchers, this cell damage and/or cell death can occur at the residual levels found on Roundup-treated crops, as well as lawns and gardens where Roundup is applied for weed control.
GMOs and the toxic chemicals used along with them pose a serious threat to the environment and our health, yet government agencies turn a blind eye and refuse to act — and the reason is very clear: They are furthering the interests of the biotech giants.
It is well known that there is a revolving door between government agencies and biotech companies such as Monsanto. Consider the hypocrisy of the FDA. On paper, the U.S. may have the strictest food safety laws in the world governing new food additives, but this agency has repeatedly allowed GMOs and their accompanying pesticides such as Roundup to evade these laws.
In fact, the only legal basis for allowing GE foods to be marketed in the U.S. is the FDA’s claim that these foods are inherently safe, a claim which is patently ridiculous. Documents released as a result of a lawsuit against the FDA reveal that the agency’s own scientists warned their superiors about the detrimental risks of GE foods. But their warnings fell on deaf ears.
The influence of the biotech giants is not limited to the U.S. It was revealed that 26 of the 34 members of the National Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology of Argentina (CONABIA) are either employed by chemical technology companies or have major conflicts of interest.
Argentina is one of the countries where single-crop fields of GE cotton, corn and soy dominate the countryside. Argentina is also a country facing severe environmental destruction. Argentinians are plagued with health issues, including degenerative diseases and physical deformities. It would appear that the rapid expansion of GE crops and the subsequent decline in national health indicators are intrinsically linked.
If Roundup is so safe, why does my bedroom glow bright orange when I get up at 3 AM to go take a pee?????
Ron Morris
You are right on Mike and I appreciate your honesty! I have found your information to be very helpful over the years. I too am amazed at the negative press for such products. 2-4-D was pulled from the shelves years ago, but Roundup and it’s clones continue to be best sellers. I have a very large veg garden and the weeds in and around the garden are driving me nuts. I have started tarping the whole garden from the time I harvest the vegetables til planting time in the Spring, but am going to start putting roundup on all the noxious weeds all around the garden.
You could write a similar post on the subjects of “organic” and gmo. I won’t get into it, but It amazes me how much energy is spent on these subjects.
Keep up the good work!
I have a terrible weed problem every late summer. I believe that glyphosphate, when used as you do would be a viable choice for me, the farmers who use this stuff have been applying heavy doses to their farms and regularly, I believe this is where the problem starts, and if it is applied in these amounts that farms use then I believe there could be pollution from overuse, Even water pollution and they allow so much to be spread by their equipment that even drifting glyphosphate would be a huge problem
Hi Mike. It is hard to understand the venom spit out in some of the posts. People have been brainwashed to believe that Roundup is straight from Satan. As a life time Gardener and wildlife/nature lover, I prefer to not use chemicals in my yard or gardens. HOWEVER, there are situations in which I use Roundup judiciously with a clear conscience. Canadian thistle which spreads aggressively by underground runners as.well as by seed is a perfect target. It is not possible for most people to dig it out. The tiniest bit of root left in the soil keeps the plant alive. A little Roundup carefully applied to the foliage eliminates this horrible invasive weed. People need to deal with reality and a bit of caution in every area of life. I’m with you when it comes to glyphosate!
Mike does an excellent job describing how when used carefully, and not carelessly, Roundup does not cause any noticeable health problems. So if you use it, wear rubber gloves, mask, long sleeves and pants and eye protection.
Do not do stupid things like a groundskeeper did, reported in a recent court case, “take a bath in it” when it spilled on him – several times! Don’t spray when a baby or child (or any one for that matter) might be exposed to drift. Be smart.
For perspective, if it does have any health effects, there is little evidence of them, and so it likely safer than alcohol, cigarettes, and the sun, all three of which we accept, but do cause cancer and have other health effects.
But, if you. are still concerned, just don’t use it.
Marengo G and snapshot DG on without gloves or mask….probably benign, but I imagine the dusk is more toxic than the scent of glyphosate. And it’s a bummer people think you are getting paid by big agro to share you thoughts on herbicides, Mike.
Mike good article like you I use Roundup carefully ignore the trolls this is their life preach to others who the disagree with after all they buy their bottled water in a Plastic bottle which they take home in a plastic bag and theirs mode of transportation is their SUV that is why social media is not for me to many know it alls out there thx Mike hang in there Joe
I try to use the least chemicals I can but I do use round up & find it doesn’t linger in the soil.
I am 85 years old & took ag. in high school & been around farming etc. my whole life.
Mike, I’ve been following your videos and posts for years now. I have learned a tremendous amount about growing plants, and much of your information has really helped me a lot! I have to say though, after this post, I’ve lost a great deal of respect for you. I hate to say that, but you are a smart guy, you cannot possibly have such a dim view on this subject. This is one post I wish I had not read. Come on Mike, you’re better than this….
Does Round Up harm honey bees?
Sorry Mike but Monsanto/Bayer is not a saint in my church. All any one has to do is search youtube using the words, Monsanto indian suicide and they will find out how evil these people are. A Monsanto rep. said that Roundup was so safe he could drink it right out of the bottle, but he didn’t when asked to.
We use round up and I agree with you. I have a bad taste for organic. I’m 70 and it hasn’t killed me yet. Happy spraying.
Mike, You are good gardener but poor scientist. Your defense of Roundup is laughable and your arguments sophomoric. There is a big problem in the food growing world as glyphosphates are now coming completely through the food chain. Yes now when we eat food and drink beer/wine we can be certain that we are getting a nice dose of cancer causing poison. Did you read about the roundup problem in Asia? https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_monsanto102.htm High cancer rates linked to roundup and honey bee die outs? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/ “Believe in your heart” all you want but, when it comes to public health concerns trust but verify. You could have been any number of people in the sixties defending DDT, Study teratology and neurotoxins, Meanwhile do like a Monsanto rep would not do after saying it was safe to drink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovKw6YjqSfM Stay with farming and leave science to folks like me who do research. You are still “good” in my book, I just think you are incapable of thinking with scientific intent and care. Cheers, seriously stop drinking the cool aid, I mean roundup!
I have always been an organic gardener, and never in the past used anything poisonous. But I am in an area in Western North Carolina, and I have not been able to keep up with ridding my yard of poison ivy, oak and sumac. I am so allergic that I get sick for about 2 weeks and have to resort to steroids and creams. I decided this summer to end the misery. I love gardening and I an tired of being sick.
So this year I am using the poison. Yes it is poison, but if used properly it can clean up a yard and protect our health. For some the pants are not that bad. But for me it is awful. So I have done as much research as possible, including reading all of Mike’s thoughts, and I am not going to feel guilty. I miss yard work and for the first time since I have lived here (10 years!) I am seeing clean gardens with no ivy, oak or sumac. As much as I hated to do it, I am glad I did. You just have to be responsible. I agree with Mike. Some things just won’t die with all of that organic stuff. Trust me I have tried for the last 10 years. It just does not work.
Mike, thank you for your honesty. I keep a very nice yard and use Roundup very sparingly. Just a dab on a weed that other weed killers won’t kill does the trick. Weeds don’t need to be drenched. The suggested protective wear is very important too.
You do a great disservice to the MANY people who take your advice when you make recommendations which can be quite harmful to them and their families without the least bit of real knowledge about the issues of this product. I am disgusted and will not be coming to this site for further advice.
blood tests say it caused my lymphoma, enough said. Godsaw me through 4 chemos and radiation and I went into remission, no thanks toBig M.
I have non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. I live with blueberries surrounded around my home. The man that owns them crop dusts every year. Could it be something in my ground water?????
Mike I feel like you if used properly it is safe there are people out there that just troo sites and of course anonymously preach from their pulpit Mike u are a good guy as I believe I am as u say the bottled water they drink come in PLASTIC bottle which I sure ther carry home in a Plastic bag in their SUV enough said Keep Up The Great Work Mike thx Joe
After 15 years landscaping in California, I agree with Mike’s post. Plants grow back in 1 month if you don’t cover with mulch. Spot applications of glyphosate are necessary and can be made as safe as possible.
However, spraying hundreds of gallons on one field of round-up ready corn…that may end up in our rivers and bodies.
Good Lord that stuff is poison.
Causes so much harm. To the soil, the food, the water, and to all living forms of life.
Why on earth would you poison us?
Done following. Hope you wise up soon. Cancer is no joke. Two of my friends got Non Hodgkin lymphoma due to Roundup exposure. I wouldn’t let my dog walk on it. Or my kids or grandkids. You want truth? You’ll be lucky to make it to 60. Everything in the stores that is not organic has glyphosate. It’s an endocrine disrupter and even I am affected by it as I’ve developed autoimmune diseases. As a vegetarian of 40 years I had no idea that for the last 20 I was being poisoned.. this is the company that made agent orange. This is the company that made ddt. If you trust them and you trust glyphosate then you’re only fooling yoirselt and you are part of the problem. Do your homework. You of all people should know better. People look up to you. I no longer have any respect for you.
I’m out.
Mike: Roundup is civilian Agent Orange. My fellow vets have been compensated by the VA for serious ailments caused by exposure to glyphosate . Despite your wishes there is no safe level of exposure. Period. Monsanto just lost a large lawsuit to a man dying of cancer caused by glyphosate exposure. It usually takes years, but that stuff will kill you.
And as for roundup being an herbicide, what exactly do you think the insects pollinate? It’s more than fruit trees. A main source of food for some is clover. When everyone maintains a perfect lawn, no clover, no dandelions, no other vegetation, their food source is gone. So yes, it certainly effects pollinators despite not being an “insecticide”.
I am a 70’s organic gal…never liked anything I read about Monsanto or viewed. Your opinion is just that. Sorry, I would use nothing before I use Roundup. My answer here could include GMO stuff, lots of growing organic info, etc. Etc. But will not. Simply do not agree with you.
Mike,
Gutsy call – to tell the truth about a much maligned product that does a wonderful job. I see and hear lots of people that KNOW roundup is bad and really fuss about it. I do not hear them complaining about triclopyr, imazapyr, diquat, atrazine, metsulfuron, etc., etc. Now those chemicals can be really bad, but you never hear the roundup police talking about them. I admire your judgement and courage – as well as your green thumb!!
A recent $289 million dollar settlement to a Gentleman with terminal cancer ruled a result of chemicals he was exposed to (ruled against Bayer-Monsanto) must count for something. I am sorry to see this site promote this product as we have enough tragic health situations from this sort of thing, As well these chemicals pollute ground water so no one should be forced to eat and drink dangerous chemicals to rid you of weeds. Disappointed in this to say the least.
I try not to use chemicals on our property. I hand weed as much as possible. But if things get way out of control and I just cannot catch up, I do use RoundUp or another chemical. I don’t like it on my property and knowing it’s getting into ground water as well. I use it very sparingly and only when really needed. I do think it’s wise people realize herbicides are nothing to be negligent with and try to use them the least amount possible. It does harm insects. Think about how we used to see hundreds and thousands of fireflies at night every night and now maybe 10 on a good night. Chemicals are absolutely part of the issue. I don’t hate someone that uses different chemicals all over their property, but I prefer to do things more naturally. Then again, I don’t play Keeping Up with the Jones and if my property isn’t absolutely perfect and the best on the block, I don’t care. I keep things looking nice but I’m not trying to win any contests with my neighbors.
Mike, like you I use and will continue to use roundup. I probably use 3-4 gallons a year in addition to pre-emergence. If I didn’t use them I would need to hire some people just to weed and cultivate my containers and nursery area
So….Mike-
What sayest thou about the very recent verdict against Monsanto for over a quarter of a billion dollars? Still think that crap is safe?
On the safe handling and use course I went on over here in Ireland, the instructor was telling us of a farmer who used to mix the chemicals in the tank with his arm. After a few years he got some serious reactions. You can’t protect everyone from everything. If you think people are dying early, does it not occur to you that by far the greatest reason is they are eating far too much of the wrong stuff, not getting a whiff of a pesticide.
Do you honestly think that there is any country in the world, where the lawyers would let a gravy train like you mention, slip off the rails.? Of course they were going to find for the claimant. Refuting the award in the next court level, will mean millions and millions into their profession’s hands. Not sure where it ends in your system, but it will be taken to the very end of the milking line and then be thrown out.
Nicholas over in Ireland.
the big one is used correctly.I will swipe on round up on poison ivy.I use a whick stick.At the same time Im standing here watching my neighbor spay round up in a stream mind you at weeds and grass around the lake we both live on.Is that correct use?Its sorta like giving a driving licence to a ten year old and saying sure its OK to drive on the interstate in a big city.When I moved here twenty years ago we had frogs and tree frogs and all sorts of fish etc.Now we got some frogs and the tree frogs? they left or died.Im not afraid of some interaction so please if you think its just dandy to spay till it drips and its OK to spray within twenty five feet of a open stream or lake please Id love to hear you.And go drink some if you think its safe Id love to see it so post some photos as well
Thank you for the well-thought out article. Personally, I am anti-roundup from a medical perspective,(and yes, I’ve thoroughly researched) but I also grow a lot of edible plants in my garden. I don’t imagine roundup would be a problem if it was applied properly, with protective gear, in areas where food is not grown. I think the biggest issue is:
1) The vast majority of people do NOT apply it properly and
2) It is used on crops.
If it wasn’t for those things, it could probably exist as an herbicide for things like poison ivy, and cause any human health concerns. I wish all people only applied it via a paintbrush method, and only on specific plants!
Thank you so very much for this post! I am in my 60’s, disabled and have been an avid gardener for decades. I have been trying to deal with a serious problem. My house is exposed to a LOT of wind-borne weed seeds and since my husband passed away it’s become harder and harder to deal with the “routine” weed pulling, etc that we used to do together. I also have a Standard Poodle. Over the last year or so, the area has been hit with an absolute plague of “foxtail” grass – probably due to the drought conditions – and highly problematic for critters. I’ve never used a pesticide, but after many incidents with my dog & foxtails, I knew I had to come up with something that was a more permanent solution to the problem. Your arguments seemed well-thought out and your experience is most valuable. After some research, I have concluded that I’m going to try glyphosate. If it works, it’s going to beat the heck out of endless torture sessions for my dog. Again, my thanks,
Lily McD.
Thank you for your honest appraisal of glyphosate. I’m in agreement with your reasoning and attitude and I use it occasionally. Obviously a lot of people think that’s a bad idea. Well, to each his own. I say, use it if you want to, and don’t if you don’t want to. Amen, everyone.
ignorance is bliss.
to boxes bags and other stuff. is this dangerous to clean up and how to clean it up?
I am a physician and have read a fair amount of literature on glyphosate quite. Glyphosate is probably one of the worst “stealth toxins” in our world because it is touted to not effect humans since it disrupts an enzyme pathway that humans to not have. But it is
1) a metal chelator which binds nutrients (initial patent was as a descaling agent in boilers)
2) an antibiotic which disrupts the intestinal microbiome
3) prevents bacterial and plant production of essential amino acids
4) likely is mistaken as a glycine amino acid and is bound into proteins and enzymes which disrupts their proper function through a) disrupting proper protein folding b) by blocking active sites of enzymes from being able to hold onto ions that “turn them on” eg Magnesium or Copper
5) is water soluble so it appears in the majority of rain samples in the eastern US
6) parts per trillion appear to enhance breast tumor growth
7) mothers with higher levels of glyphosate and its breakdown products in their urine have statistically smaller babies.
8) it causes opening of the tight junctions in the small intestine which set the body up for chronic inflammatory problems and allergies.
Bad stuff.
See papers by Seneff and Samuelson.
And I agree with you, the chemicals dumped into the public water supply are toxic….sodium fluoride is considered to be a hazardous material and needs to be disposed of as such UNLESS it is duped into the public water supply 😉
I use Roundup too, around the fence, cracks in sidewalks, edge my lawn., I’m sick of these Organic non-GMO, jump on the Trendy bandwagon snowflakes.telling us what we should and shouldn’t do. I was planning on selling Veggies at the farmers market and online this year but after finding your You Tube site I like the idea of selling plants and not having to hear “is this/that organic?” non stop all day. I think plants are the way to go for me and roundup around the edges of the yard as always.
I raise veggies and plants, the plants finance the garden so I can donate the produce to the local food pantry, I would use glphosphate in the same manner as Mike
Respectfully please read F. William Engdahl’s article at journal-neo.org dated 8-30-17, Monsanto: it ain’t glyphosate, it’s the additives.
Wow! Did you stir up a hornets nest? I am of the same opinion as you. I use roundup as instructed as do my relatives who farm a large portion of W. Texas. It is another tool that when used appropriately is safe and effective. My small piece of black land clay with mesquite trees for shade would be inhabitable without Roundup to keep the Johnson grass at bay. Thanks for being honest and may the stones only hurt a little while.
Pappy,
You are 100% correct and just about every farmer in the country if not the world would say the same thing that you just said. However, this has become so political and chock full of misinformation it will never go away.
Well, I won’t take sides but if Roundup isn’t safe then Roundup Ready soybean makes no sense. Aren’t there soy based baby formulas? And what about Round Up Ready corn and canola?
Well, you sure got a lot of negative anti-Monsanto, anti-Roundup comments, Mike. But this isn’t one of them I’ve use Roundup for more than 30 years, and I’m what most people call an ‘organic’ gardener. There’s nothing wrong with it, when used properly, even around veggies (and I grow more than 3000 sq. ft. of those for food banks and homeless peoples’ kitchens every year. And I eat the stuff, too. Still kickin’, at 70. And running 3 miles every morning. So, screw ’em, if they don’t get it!
I use the Dawn dishwashing liquid, Epsom salts and vinegar mixture and have found that it works just as well as the Roundup to keep my weeds in check.
Love this…it is what I use…safe and effective…I guess mixing it is too much work for some…ai prefer safe over easy!!
Wow! You obviously have not seen the deformed children in Argentina!!!
I wouldn’t use Roundup if my life depended on it. I’ve been tempted because of runaway liliacs that are taking over my lawn, but no I could not in all good conscience pay money to such a horrid company that cares nothing about our health and only about their bottom line. So the lilacs live on.
Silly, silly people. They also had ads on TV that had doctors that told us it was safe to smoke. Just because there are “chemicals’ out there and :”people use them” doesn’t make it smart, or safe. One more LOOOOOOOOONG excuse to use chemicals for a few moments each day of what we consider “pleasure” to the eyes – are we really that important that our lawns and gardens have to be “weed free”? After all, lots of the things you eat were at one time wild plants or “weeds” before they were cultivated. Mike, this article doesn’t make it right, but may have eased your conscience.
thanks for that Mike sprayed some in my face thought was going to melt getting rid of japanese knotweed so great advise its obvious you have the same hysteria around Monsanto as you do . .. .McDonald’s they all killing us !
Yeah, Michael, there are a lot of things out there that people don’t even think about. You should see the bags and bags of chemicals that get dumped into our drinking water.
Exactly – We have a fairly pure community well, and I also drink distilled water a majority of the time.
I quite like looking through a post that will make
men and women think. Also, thank you for allowing
for me to comment!
You’re welcome. There are lots of opinions about this, it’s just that so many are based on misinformation people have been fed.
You included ……
What makes you so sure you have’nt been fed misinformation?
Mike I to use Roundup to controlled grass and weeds. Without it gardening would would be hopeless for me. However many weeds and grasses are becoming glyphosayte tolerant so it is very important to follow directions and when possible use a secondary controll method. I also use Preen for preemerg controlled. I failed to get this done on one large flowerbed this spring and have been sorry all summer as I pull weeds and grass. Love all your great advice and knowledge.
I use Roundup liberally on my weeds. Kudos to just putting it out there. Plenty of people I know use it. Home Depot has large sections around their store dedicated to it. Because everyone is so “green” now people are scared to say what they really do. If someone wants organic ways to kill weeds go for it, my time is valuable and Roundup does that for me,,,saves time so I’m not slaving over my backyard weeds. Reminds me I actually need more…
A very, very good article about use of glyphosate. Even, if it is 2 years old already.
In my opinion, all the problems with glyphosate started, when the glyphosate resistant crops were introduced. Then the box of the Pandora was opened 😎
I have a 15 x 15 stone patio bordered on two sides by plantings at the patio floor level (the other two sides the planters are raised). I have crazy dandelions and other weeds coming up through the ¼ spaces between the patio stones and I can’t pull them. I can shave them off at the patio with the weed-wacker but obviously they just come back because I don’t get anywhere near the root. I use nothing now to control these and they make the whole patio, otherwise beautiful, really ugly. Question: how likely is that round up applied to the leaves of the weeds on the patio would leach into the soil and travel one, three, or five or more feet to the roots of the berries? And, what about any amount of overspray on the patio – how likely is the overspray to wash off the patio to the soil around the berries? I have kids, 6 and 9, and we eat the berries off the vine and figs off the tree. Thanks!
Rob,
You have to make that call.
1. You can control those weeds organically with vinegar.
2. If you use roundup do not spray to the point of run off. Just a mist on the leaves of the weeds is all you need. If applied that way it is not going to travel.
3. Over spray? Don’t let that happen. Use a small spray bottle.
Understand. Thanks!
Science moves on: Glyphosate has been found by independent scientists and summarized by the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC, part of the WHO) to be a carcinogen. At least be informed about what you are doing, No respiratory or skin contact with it, or the area sprayed until it has broken down!
Mike, You have a new fan now. Thank you for your boldness in telling the truth as you see it. I agree!
Thanks Laura, I appreciate that.
Mike…
While most of the other Countries are banning Round up,…this toxic blight on America causing the dessimation of our Bee population, sky rocketing cancer rate, leeching into our water supply and causing irreversible health problems… And You, who people have come to ask since this is your field of expertise…
Shame on You for supporting this chemical that is causing the ruination of our countries health, water and food supply. WHEN …
You get CANCER, maybe then you will realize what you’ve done…
I’ll pray for you… Concerned citizen. ?
Cheryl,
I just don’t believe it. Roundup is being banned for political reason. It’s insecticides that are attacking the bee population.
What a pleasure to read an unprejudiced article on Roundup and other glyphosate herbicides. You make a lot more sense, Mike, than the purer-than-thou crowd. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll spray Roundup where needed on our next still-air day; don’t want any drift.
Why is my post pertaining to my personal knowledge of how RoundUp came to be misrepresented as safe by Monsanto not posted? It was entirely factual and included an account from inside Monsanto itself.
Chances are your post is there, but there are a lot of comments on that page.
Dear Mike,
A close friend of mine was the first toxicologist on Round-Up, before it was even released. He’s a rigorous scientist who tests something three different ways just to be sure, before he concludes anything. He found Round-Up to be quite toxic. His superiors told him, “You have to say it’s nontoxic”. He replied, “I can’t say that! The surfactant in particular is very toxic!” And with that, he lost his job at Monsanto, replaced as he was by a shill who would say the company line.
Now we know much more about Round-Up: it causes cancer, including liver cancer, in animals and humans. It’s devastating to wildlife. It’s persistent in the environment and in body tissues. It’s ruinous to the soil, which, as you know, is the very foundation of our food, our life, our health and our very biosphere.
I recall a very wise person who long ago warned human beings of the severe consequences of misleading others – especially of misleading young or vulnerable beings. Consider for example those who might not know or be able to anticipate what horrific toxics lie hidden inside an innocent-looking, edible plant. He said a person so misleading others would be better off if a large boulder were tied to his neck and if he were drowned in a deep sea.
Now, I don’t speak so harshly. But because we all know who it was that made this statement, I bring to your attention with the gravest concern for you the absolute necessity of your correction of your harmful statements, such as lead people and other living beings to great suffering. It is time to you correct yourself and the misimpressions you have implanted in others’ minds by your influence, which you ought instead to have used for the good.
Or you could hire a kid or unemployed person to come pull weeds for you a half day a week. Not enough work in this country and too many chemicals.
Hi there, I’m doing this topic for a school project and came upon this as I was researching and I just wanted to say:
Roundup is terrible.
It uses glyphosate (As you know) which is a very harmful chemical, not only to us humans, but to bees as well. If you constantly use Roundup your soil will become unpalantable on, and by that I mean you will no longer be able to use it anymore. It can harm humans in harsh ways, even causing cancer! And so many bees are dying, the company may sound like their intentions are good, but in reality they are just saying it to get money.
If you want more proof, Roundup has been banned in some countries and that proves that it is a dangerous and bad product to use, so please refrain form using it again, if you want there are some alternatives to getting rid of weeds, salt is one of the things that can burn away weeds without harming anybody and also there are weed eaters, which work even better than roundup!
-From some primary school kids
You didn’t post my reply. You are obviously being paid by Monsanto
Tom,
I didn’t post your reply because the posts are moderated and have to be approved, it’s rare that I don’t approve something unless it’s blatant spam that is completely unrelated to the topic. And you can rest assured, I am not being paid by Monsanto. I am an industry professional and those who are in the industry are well aware that they have to use chemicals to keep their operation running. I don’t like chemicals, but like anybody else who does this for a living, full time, you do what you have to do. If you work in a machine shop you have to use solvents that are not all that earth friendly.
My comment, providing the truthful account of my close friend who was the first toxicologist – and the most rigorous – at Monsanto on RoundUp has not been posted, either. This toxicologist found RoundUp positively toxic, but was told by his superiors that he had to say it was nontoxic. He replied he couldn’t say that because the surfactant in particular was very toxic. So they fired him and hired a shill.
Monsanto ‘Deliberately Covered Up Data’ Proving Glyphosate is Cancerous for 4 Decades
http://patriotrising.com/2015/09/30/monsanto-deliberately-covered-up-data-proving-glyphosate-is-cancerous-for-4-decades/
Dearest Mike.
You are good. Roundup is not good. Monsanto is REALLY bad..
O.K. Roundup works. I pull my weeds. It is hard. work. I do use Glyphosate on the rare occasion to get rid of Poison ivy or other unwanted vines or weed trees. I am not dead yet.
I do worry about farm run-off of herbicides and fertilizers to our rivers and lakes and possibly ground water. I have a well. I don’t drink the water. I drink bottled water purified by osmosis. It is in a plastic bottle. Plastic may kill me.
.And to “Anon” who supports GMO”s. Please read the book “Wheat Belly” by Dr. Davis. It may enlighten you.. I am now Gluten free. I will die from something someday, at least my Tummy and arthritis hurts less.
Thank you Ruthea for your support.
Thank you for being a voice of reason when people are taking an almost religious stance on bringing down Monsanto and any chemicals they have any ties to!
These links may be of help when trying to explain yourself to people, if they are actually willing to look into the truth: http://www.biofortified.org/2014/03/roundup-in-75-of-air-what-the-report-actually-says/
And the EPA’s registration status for glyphosate: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status_page_g.htm
I also use Round up (generic). I use it to keep fence rows clean and spray weeds and poison ivy. I don’t use it anywhere around ponds or creeks and I don’t use it in the garden. I’m nearly 70 and I don’t do bending over and pulling weeds like I used to either. I have a problem with thistles growing in the pastures and I keep a 1 gallon sprayer in the basket of my 4 wheeler. As I am going from place to place if I see a thistle beginning to grow, I zap it.
There will always be haters.
I have followed you and taken your advice for many years. I thank you for your years of information, tips and ideas. As an older gardener I will use round up on occasion, sporadically and sparingly. Around my vegetable gardens I use my hula hoe, hand pick, and sometimes I just don’t worry about it.
I believe you are entitled to your opinion without all the name calling. I appreciate the thoughtful piece you wrote, value your opinion, and will go on doing what I think is right for me.
Thanks,
Thank you Darlene, I truly appreciate your intelligent approach to a difficult subject.
I just read an article saying 90% of Monarch butterflies are gone (from 45 acres of butterflies to 1.5 acres where they go) in the last 20 years and blames big ag pesticides and herbicides. I think investigating fully since you are well respected would be warranted rather than just going by your experience that ghyphosate did not keep your grass from growing. From the article:
“Scientists from the Greenpeace International Science Unit have documented evidence that the introduction of genetically engineered (GE) crops, like herbicide-tolerant Roundup Ready corn and soy, reduces the abundance of farmland plants. University and other researchers have suggested that this is a major factor to blame for the decline in monarchs. Farmers are spraying more and more Roundup, an herbicide sold by agro-giant Monsanto, and in stronger formulations.”
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/saving-the-monarch-butterfly-population/
You have awakened the many-headed moronic hydra. Isn’t it amazing how so many deluded people see everything in black and white, their side always being white?
I grew everything organically, proudly resisted all chemicals for years, had to finally resort to the dreaded Roundup when my next-door neighbor neglected his yard and gave me a whopping case of bindweed growing EVERYWHERE. Nothing else worked, as every tiny bit of root left behind started it all up again. HOWEVER, I did control poison ivy simply by pouring a kettle of boiling water over the plant and its roots, repeating once a few days later if necessary. Give that a try next time.
WE FOUND A NATURE DIY WEED SPRAY TO TRY & IT WORKS!
We no longer use Roundup because we want to protect our kids & the environment. My husband & I live in the suburbs. Most of our neighbors use Roundup – guess what??? – our lawn has more wildlife in it than our neighbors’ lawns. Roundup drifts in the wind, I know this from experience. I’ve also had my heart speed up & skin reactions when using Roundup, do you cannot tell me it is safe – that is total B.S.) Pesticide: cide = to kill.
Natural Weed Spray (do not spray the plants you want to keep)
1 gallon Vinegar
2 cups Epsom Salts
1/4 cup Dish Soap (plant based if possible)
I agree completely with you on this. I’ve been an avid amateur environmentalist since the 1970’s, and I have enough common sense and experience to know that what’s going on nowadays is a result of a lot of people who don’t really know anything about glyphosate or how it can be safely used getting all upset because someone on the Internet said that they shpukd be upset. I will say that I’m adamantly against spraying it on or near food crops and I’ve seen evidence that breathing it in an aerosol form is really bad, but used as you’ve described, it’s safe. I need it to control Poison Ivy on my property, and it’s also a necessary tool that is used in controlling invasive weeds of many kinds. We’d be in trouble if it’s outlawed.
John,
I appreciate your support. This product is one that thousand of people depend on to safely control weeds and poison ivy.
For all you preachy, self-righteous Chicken-Little sycophants of the so-called “green movement” if Round Up or Glyphosphate is so terrible where is the hard evidence to back up your baseless claims? Round Up and its generic forms are of the most popular post-emergent herbicides anywhere. It is widely and heavily used.
So, where are the scientific facts of unbiased research that prove we’re all unmistakeably doomed as you so loudly and angrily claim? I will tell you, there are none!
Do you even care to know what Round Up/Glyphospate does? In short, it short-circuits a plant’s ability to produce an enzyme needed for the plant’s own protein production. Without this protein compound plants cannot survive. However, mammals don’t have or produce or need this same enzyme.
Round Up has a very short half-life, numbered in days. It breaks down into harmless and useful carbon and nitrogen compounds. “Microbial degradation occurs when soil microorganisms use the herbicides as a food source. Virtually all pesticides are organic compounds comprised mostly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. These compounds are a food source for microorganisms.” (1)
It has been proven generally harmless to a wide spectrum of insect and animal life. It does not mutate into anything. It does not accumulate in organs, muscles, bones or fatty tissue. It does not harm nervous systems. After application, it readily clings to organic matter in the soil and does not leach away. It does no harm to bees, butterflies or other pollinators. It has little to no effect on any insect life.
Many, many exhaustive studies have completed and reached the same conclusion. They have all shown Glyphosphate NOT to be responsible for any of the ill-effects the Go-Green/Go-All-Organic cheerleaders scream as they proclaim it does.
Would you ever stop and think to consider their motives in this endless argument? Why wouldn’t they want you to buy their organic carrots for five to six times more than the cost of “non-organic” carrots? In their efforts to demonize and marginalize and ultimately destroy their non-organic competition they are working hard to take a very effective agricultural tool off the market. And they do not care how much it WILL cost the consuming public.
–Read more, learn more:
(1) http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/feature_articles/herbicide_carryover/herbicide_carryover.htm
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/dienochlor-glyphosate/glyphosate-ext.html
http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100/goodfor13.html
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/glyphosate.asp
Timothy,
Thank you for your exhaustive and well done research on this subject.
I disagree with the use of RoundUp but I don’t think Mike is evil for using it. He didn’t tell others to use it. He did not claim any scientific knowledge of the stuff. Mike was just honest about where and when he felt the use of RoundUp is appropriate. Jeeze Louise!!! The man is telling the truth about the use of this chemical on his property. He’s not trying to brainwash anyone into believing it’s a good chemical to use in every application. I don’t think crucifixion is justified.
Andrea,
Congratulations! You actually read my article and grasped exactly what I was trying to do. Thank you for your support.
Hi. I would bet that most of the “claims” about the makers of Round-up are true. However; until other companies make their products as good or better….Round-up is a safe way to kill weeds.
Do not spray it on “crop areas” as this will lead to resistant weeds and cause more problems than it’s worth. I have used this product in a Florida citrus grove for MANY years. It does not absorb into the actual crop.
Where the confusion comes in is where people say that the company does things to “alter” crops.
The makers of round up do not “alter” crops. Seed companies sometimes “alter” the “hybrid” to be compatible. Companies that actually “alter their seeds are doing the dangerous deeds.
Round-up is SAFE. Something has to “linger” to keep killing weeds, but I do know it does not leach into crops or ground water. DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO SURFACE WATER OR AREAS AROUND IT, it could contaminate the water or kill wildlife.
Like Mike says….Just follow the directions carefully.
By the way…We all know this stuff is like liquid gold and is very expensive. Here is a way to cut down the expense.
Do not use the full recommended dosing. Try half or 1/4 or less. Go down to what still actually works. It will take longer to take effect, but does the same end result. You will need to put out an extra application each year or season. Try it. You will be pleasantly surprised. 🙂
Toxicology Expert Speaks Out About Roundup and GMOs
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/06/dr-huber-gmo-foods.aspx
Three Things You Need to Know About GMOs
1.Despite what the media and so-called “experts” proclaim, there are NO peer-reviewed scientific papers establishing the safety of GMO crops.
According to Dr. Huber, so far, no one has been able to establish that there’s a safety factor to either the genetically engineered proteins (i.e. the foreign proteins produced by the genetically modified plant) or the chemicals we’re consuming in ever larger quantities as a result of the genetic engineering process.
There are, however, both clinical and peer-reviewed scientific papers showing the hazards of GMO crops, including harmful secondary effects.
“A group of us met with top USDA administrators. They assured us that they based all their decisions on peer-reviewed science. When we asked them if they would share any of that, they were unable to produce any,” he says.
2.Epidemiological patterns show there’s an identical rise in over 30 human diseases correlated with our increased usage of glyphosate and the increased prevalence of genetically engineered proteins in our food.
3.Genetically engineered foods, as well as conventional crops that are heavily sprayed with glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup), have lower nutrient density than organic foods. They also contain high amounts of pesticides with documented harmful health effects, along with novel, highly allergenic, proteins.
Glyphosate Is a Cumulative Chronic Toxin
Little-Known Facts About Glyphosate
It’s important to realize that glyphosate is not “just” an herbicide. As explained by Dr. Huber, it was first patented as a mineral chelator. It immobilizes nutrients, so they’re not physiologically available for your body.
Thank you for this. I have been a seriously avid gardener for over 30 years. My first property was infested with Poison Ivy, and Roundup was my solution.
Decades later and a couple of zones away, I still use it. My current garden is about 2 acres– huge!–and was terribly overgrown with some very persistent invasives when I arrived eight years ago. For a few years I joked that I killed more than I planted. It’s finally looking closer to gorgeous … but, like all gardens, still a work in progress.
For support, I joined an on-line garden forum (Dave’s), and began to see the diatribes. I also learn enough to make the most of the unusual and very special site where I exert my efforts. This year, for the first time, I’ve been looking for a helper one day a week. Most recently, I’ve been searching through the local Master Gardener Program.
I am amazed at the ignorance! “If you use Roundup, the soil will be poisoned for years, and nothing else will grow there! Ever!!”
“Look around you,” I say. “That is not my experience.”
They look very confused.
Sorry for the long post… As an amateur I don’t face the kind of criticism you receive, but it still cuts. I read every word you wrote, nodding and saying, “Yup, uh huh, yes of course!”
So thank you for your honesty, I’m not crazy, ‘book-larning’ isn’t always better than experience. LOL. And more power to you!!!
Pam,
Thanks for your support and voice of reason.
That was an well written explanation. A lot of people do not think for them selves and believe most of what they hear. I have always questioned if I was not sure. Climbing that ladder of knowledge you will pass people by and they will not even realize what they are missing.
Keep up the great work of teaching!!
Corporations are only concerned with profit. You may take your pills but everything we do is connected. Those pills go through your body and into our water supply. The accumulations of those will get higher and higher until they reach exponential blow out numbers. You may have to take your pills but the glysophate going into the environment that belongs to everyone, it doesn’t just stay on your land, will have cumulative effects. Have you considered something else? Hydrogen peroxide perhaps or vinegar? Even something as easy as near boiling water apparently kills weeks. But there are no side effects. Come on, Mike, you can do better than trying to justify something that in the end only says you do it because it is convenient for YOU and that’s all that counts. You will find plenty of excuses to do this. Just as the bankers find excuses to rip us off, the corporations find excuses, etc.
Problem is that your average person does not know nor cares about the CORRECT way to use these chemicals.
How would you solve this problem?
Round Up/ Glyphospahte kills whatever plant life it falls upon. It is an expensive investment in gardening. If while using their costly purchase of Round Up and all the roses die along with the weeds they were attempting to control in the rose bed, then most people will not make that mistake again. If they have the money to buy the stuff, they are just as likely to want to use it correctly.
I feel exactly the way you do, Mike…and have ever since I started using Round-Up when I was a groundskeeper for a large apartment complex in TN. I chose Round-Up BECAUSE it didn’t harm the soil. And I kept on using it because it works! I bought the gallon of concentrate for my own home use…..and I still have that same gallon 8 years later! I use it sparingly…misting it onto the leaves, and mostly only using it on Poison Ivy. I am extremely allergic to Poison Ivy and have no intention of risking my life trying to pull it out…as the Round-Up haters would have me do. I do hate Monsanto….but not because of Round-Up……I hate what they are doing with their GMOs. (But that’s a whole different subject!) I will not buy Round-Up brand again….but I will buy and use the generic glyphosate if I ever use up the gallon of Round-Up I already have. But I don’t tell people that I use it…especially to the garden groups that I belong to..because of the back-lash. Some of those women will squeal and scream when they see spiders and snakes in their gardens (even pictures of spiders and snakes!!) But they become fierce warriors when anyone mentions Round-up! So I am a closet weed killer. And I NEVER, ever, ever use insect killers. We NEED our bees!
I fully support your use of roundup and the fact you realize that the
number of people that don’t go brain-dead when they hear the word ‘chemical’
might not be in the minority. It is unfortunate that you have to start out an
informative article with a defensive statement to justify factual information
to the criminally misinformed. Is there any way that you can explain how you
took the Poison ivy vines off the tree and how you disposed of the vines. My
vines are about 6″ across. I can’t get your clamshell link.
Brian,
I’m highly allergic to poison ivy so in one case I complete covered myself to simply cut a few vines so the tops would die. My assistant is not allergic and volunteered to cut the others. Then I treated the bottom part was left and they quickly died.
Thanks for the reply. I have a couple tyvek suits I have been saving.
I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and watching your videos. They have been very helpful to my interest in gardening and landscaping. Having said that I’ll say that the jury is still out for me on the use of Glyphosate. We use it in limited amounts but if I could get away from it entirely I would. Agent Orange is a great example of what people thought was a safe chemical defoliant but ended up hurting a lot of those who served in Vietnam including my dad. He ultimately ended up dying before he turned 60 from cancer linked to his exposure to Agent Orange. We’re interested in keeping bees so I’m sure I’ll learn a lot more about the Glyphosate subject soon.
As for Monsanto, they ARE totally evil. I’m sure they get blamed for a lot of things they aren’t responsible for but that doesn’t negate the evil that they are actually responsible for. I’ll save you the long diatribe about Monsanto and leave it at that.
Right on Caroline….
Right on from me too. If it is killing the butterflies and bees, can you really believe it is safe? Without the butterflies and bees, we lose a lot of our own food down the road. Think of your children and grandchildren. Better safe than sorry than believing in greedy evil companies like Monsanto and Bayer and Dupont and Syngenta.
way to go, Mike. Congratulations on your honesty! I use RoundUp also – I buy it concentrated & make my own & yes, it lasts for years………..Peace & goodwill !! Enjoy all your help.
Thank you for this honest and very informative article. I’ve been debating whether to use a powerful herbicide to kill weeds and grasses in my garden. I have 5 large raised (container-type) beds (10-12 feet long and 3-4 feet wide), but I also have fruit trees, raspberries, and some in-ground plants mostly potatoes this year, and I don’t want unnecessary and/or dangerous chemicals in my food! But our garden is in an old old field where my grandfather planted grains and clover and alfalfa, and it has now been “wild” for 40-50 years, and is FULL of all kinds of noxious weeds. Two years ago, my father passed away, and the upkeep of the garden got away from us, so we ended up spending a month pulling full-grown, already seeded weeds out and burned them. We’ve tilled a couple of times since then but this year, it almost got away from us again. Now I have to deal with the residual. I’ve held off on using heavy herbicides like round-up – yes, I’m one of those who are distinctly opposed to Monsanto and their big corporation behaviors! However, I really need to get this situation under control, because I am also 58 and have a bad back! So I really appreciated your “owning up” and giving us an experiential point of view on the safety and usefullness of these products. I also appreciate the tips, and will be using them as I struggle to get all those weeds under control.
Thanks again, Mike
BTW – I used to live in Madison, OH, and later in the Dayton area. And I remember when the Cuyahoga caught on fire!
LoNita
Lo Nita,
Tilling and re-tilling is a great way to get a garden under control. Don’t be concerned about the weed seed. There is nothing that you can do to prevent them, just keep the garden tilled and hoed once it’s under control.
I appreciate your tips and read your blog. Concerning Roundup and glyphosates, though I appreciate that you speak from your heart, I suggest you read Dr. Mercola’s website concerning this chemical, to find out just how deadly it is. Trusting the EPA and the FDA on this issue is naive. These are the people who approved artificial sweeteners, preservatives in processed foods, and feeding poultry and livestock growth hormones, antibiotics, and GMO feed.
Thank you for the info, l will try it the weeds grow quicker than l can pull them and we have nearly 2 acres and gardening is no longer a pleasure.
My husband and l just returned from a 2 week vacation, l do have Lilly of the valley, bleeding heart and lavender in one of my beds but the deer ate every leaf off of my 3 hostas…..grrrrr l know it is not about Roundup but l have just read about the deer repellant email
Glypsophate might be ok for you guys to use for now but I’m a GW vet I took pyridiomine bromide or PB that we were ordered to take in nov 91. What it did was break the mechanism that prevent organophosphates and similar compounds from effecting your body. The amount of glypsophate it takes to give you mild symptoms, a gut ache, IBS, etc. gives me severe poisoning symptoms hard core nausea, renal failure(can’t poop or poop uncontrollably, followed by vomiting violently, I forgot what they called it but it’s basically your pores sweat faster than a sauna can make you to try and get it out of your skin as a emergency evacuation of the pores, then convulsions, the convulsions are controlled by temperature so you need a wool or wool blend blanket that can keep you warm even though it’s wet, wrap up THEN crawl into bed under the covers or you’ll drench your bed and wake up freezing in the middle of the night screwed. If it’s bad enough or I wreaked a bit already hard core blood pressure drops very very dangerous, cardiac arrest, I even spent 3 days in a coma and it was my friends coming to the door and knocking 2 days in a row with all my dogs barking that got me out of my coma, I woke up after the 2nd time and then rested a moment, that moment was 24 hours in my mind, I struggled out the third day having never really woke up but intending to starving crawled out to the kitchen where my dogs had broke into the rice to eat, I ate something on the floor and got the spare bag of dog food open and then my friends knocked and told me they had been there the last 2 days same time, where was I? Monsanto says that’s not possible because it’s not Not a specific inhibitor, they are wrong and most likely lying, when your bodies defense for organophosphates breaks, it makes you susceptible to other chemicals that that mechanism protects you against glypsophate will break it too if you get too much. My parents were spray crazy with the stuff and THAT was why I was so sick, 50,000 estimated days of mild glypsophate poisoning, well over a thousand days of severe glypsophate poisoning, about a dozen instances of scary heart problems with no assistance probably cardiac arrest that I was able to talk my self out of, but it most certainly came close to killing me each time, the VA helped by calling it a mental disease and locking me up for a few years, well there ass is about to get sued if I don’t die first. This NEW batch of glypsophate is even worse than the first and my nephew, he’s got that disability, I forgot what it called, the Jenny McCarthy bug? I don’t buy Jenny’s origional story about it but there’s lots of talk that glypsophate causes that too, and my nephew is a perfect example. Now here’s the kicker, my parents are just like you, old, they say they use it sparingly and all the same stuff and they got a hella of a green thumb, enjoy that garden my killers.
The only place I found Roudup to linger for a long period was on my concrete porch. Many years ago I had a rope wick used to treat weeds that were taller than your grass when you did not want to use a spray. Well this crazy thing leaked some Roundup on the patio and needless to say that for the next 3-4 years every time I pressure washed my patio I would get about a 2ft by 6ft patch of dead grass where the water ran off the patio. ( In other words be very careful not to spill any, amywhere near your grass that you don’t want killed over and over.
No matter how you follow the directions, Roundup still runs off into our water supply. Here is a recipe to replace Roundup and any other weed killer. It works great. I’ve used it myself and it does just as well as Roundup and won’t hurt our environment.
1 gallon vinegar
2 cups Epson salts
¼ cup Dawn dish soap (the original blue)
(Be sure to mix the Epson salts completely before adding the dish soap. Suds are numerous!)
It will kill anything you spray it on. Just mix and spray in the morning after the dew has evaporated.
In the evening, the weeds will be gone!
Hi! Appreciate your ‘coming clean’ Ha ha. Pretty much how you write it here, Mike is how i have comported myself for years, in relation to use or not to use Glyphosate. ‘All things apparent in our reality has some use or purpose’ and “all things in moderation” have proved prudent wisdom for me over the years. I believe your readers may come to a bit of this understanding if and when they read your post. I appreciate your integrity and honesty.
Happy Growing!!
aaleyth
Thank you Aaleyth, I appreciate your support.
Republication of Seralini Study Exposes Roundup
7/3/2014 4:37:00 PM
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/roundup-study-zbfz1407zjhar.aspx#ixzz37TfaH4fl
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/roundup-study-zbfz1407zjhar.aspx?newsletter=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=HE%20eNews&utm_campaign=07.14.14%20HE&utm_content=Split%20A#axzz37TdKjHtt
Mike,
Here is a link to what Round up does to the life in the soil. And how it affects plants . http://www.dirtdoctor.com/roundUp-Dr-DonHuber_vq3828.htm
The only worthwhile, educated, forward-thinking comment in in this entire submission, including the article, is from Liz. She speaks of Roundup ready seeds and the necessity of the millions against Monsanto movement to protect our future generations and our very DNA.
Do some actual research and not just look at the paid for by Monsanto hype out there. There is too much at stake!
I use the vinegar solution and it works. Those of you saying that it takes longer – really?? You’ll trade your own DNA for instant gratification. And by the way, my back was broken in three places so I’m not overly sympathetic to whining. I don’t think it gives me the right to poison others, and the future.
This is so interesting. I was just planning to do some research on using Roundup and opened my email and there it was. Now I don’t have to go all over the web for that and the information is from a trusted source. I appreciate all your timely articles and enjoy getting your emails. By the way, I was also researching information on soil less potting mixes, and there again, an email on that as well. Thanks, Mike!
Very disappointed with you. Yes roundup works, I wish you would inform yourself about GMO’s. I doubt I can change your mind, that will be up to you. Monsanto is destroying our food supply and by buying roundup, you are too. Not directly but you have a big influence on the gardening community.. Stop using and promoting a company that is extremely hazardous to us all.
I learned the “truth” about glyphosate when I got certified as a Master Gardener in King County, Washington… where Master Gardening started! As a volunteer for the Extension Office representing Washing State University’s “best and brightest,” research-based gardening advise it was hammered in to me that I should understand the action of any pesticide before using or recommending it.
Glyphosate is based on plant hormone science to make the plant work against itself… literally growing itself to death. Mammals, and other animals do not contain the hormone in glyphosate. As far as “chemicals” go, glyphosate is probably the “friendliest” of the chemicals. It only has a 24-hour half-life once it comes in contact with soil… almost immediately, soil microbes begin to break it down in to it’s basic components. In fact, you can spray a patch of lawn and plant it with new seeds the very next day! Try that with some of the other herbicides!?!
2-4-D, the ingredient in “Weed-N-Feed” has a 47-day half-life in the soil and others, such as Tordon take over three years before they break down enough to use compost in your garden.
However, though I too use glyphosate to stay on top of the weeds in my nursery, I do NOT buy Roundup or any products made by Monsanto. They ARE the #1 producer of Genetically Modified Plant material and were so arrogant as to claim back in 2000 or so that they would render heirloom plants obsolete within 25 years! That was before the horrific backlash against GMO products and mutant products they’ve introduced into processed food.
Perhaps the worst thing I KNOW about Monsanto, having grown up in the farm country of Montana, is that as a corporation, they’ve made a habit of planting massive crops of genetically modified grains next to small farmers. Then in the name of “preserving their patent integrity” they trespass onto the small farmer’s property, sampling their crops and taking the product back to their laboratories to analyze whether or not they’re own crop had cross pollenated with it.
If there was more than 10% of their genetic material found, they’d sue for patent infringement. And, unfortunately, because of the way our justice system works, they’d usually win $10,000 minimum… with no repercussions whatsoever for having trespassed in the first place. For wind-pollenated crops such as wheat or corn… how do you keep their genetic material from crossing your property line and contaminating your crop? Even worse, if you’re an organic farmer… a rare breed today and getting rarer… that drift of pollen into your crop will destroy your market and render your entire crop worthless!!! That’s why I hate Monsanto. Don’t try to tell me their just a big corporation who dumps chemicals in water!
When I buy glyphosate, I do so in generic forms. The real danger now comes from the “new/improved” additives they add into true Roundup to keep weeds at bay… additives that remain latent in the soil to prevent new weeds from germinating and growing. That’s a lot more dangerous than glyphosate alone. That’s my thoughts, with hopefully a few answers for those less informed.
Mike, I have never before responded to a blog, but this is really important so I am taking the time to respond to you recent post. While I do not hate Monsanto, I do boycott all Monsanto products. This is why:
The source of our planet’s food is under threat. Ten agro-chemical firms own 73% of the commercial seed market, and as many as 93% of seed varieties have gone extinct. In the US alone 85% of apple varieties have disappeared. Monsanto is one of these companies.
Monsanto and co. are privatizing the genesis of nature. And this corporate takeover is decimating sustainable farming, destroying the diversity of our crops, and making them vulnerable to diseases that could threaten our food security.
Thank goodness, many farmers are resisting, saving seeds in banks and barns across the world. Now they have devised a revolutionary project — the first ever, non-profit “eBay” of seed where any farmer, anywhere can source a wide variety of plants cheaper than the genetically modified seeds from chemical companies. This global online store could re-flood the market with all kinds of seeds and slowly break the monopoly that is putting our food future at risk!
This could be the most innovative agricultural idea in decades and the best way to stop Monsanto. But chemical companies often bully and sue those that get in their way, and farmers are calling on others to support them. It is possible that we can raise enough now to help them launch an online site, support seed storing in key countries, finance marketing and advertising, and fund the legal defense to fight back. But make no mistake, Monsanto seeks to create a monopoly by privatizing seeds. The chemicals are killing bees. Bees are essential for the pollination of much of our food supply. Monsanto is pushing Genetically Modified Organisms, and have been doing so for decades. We are still fighting just to have labels of the foods that contain GMOs. Some countries have banned GMOs altogether. Unfortunate indeed that the US did not do this years ago.
There is no mistake there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of butterflies and fireflies. Then there is the loss of frogs and other amphibians.
So no, I will not use Round up, ever. There are organic solutions to manage weeds.
Look up Brite Ideas in Austin, Texas. Personally, I buy products from Brite Ideas that build the soil and are not toxic to the environment. The Natural Gardener is another local resource. Gardenville is another. Geo Growers is yet another.
I have been a Travis County Master Gardener for twenty years. I am also a Wildlife Habitat Steward in Travis County. I have been involved in community gardening for many years. Presently, I garden at Festival Beach Community Garden as well as at my personal residence. Protecting the environment is very important to me. That is why I will not use Round-Up, or any other Monsanto product. Thank you for offering this forum where we can have a discussion of these important issues.
Joy Ruth, Austin, Texas
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT ON ROUNDUP—-I USE IT TOO EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE PROTEST—BUT SOMETIMES IT IS A MUST !!!!!
Yea, you’re a brave guy for admitting you use Roundup. I’m about the same age as you and I’ve heard all the stories about Monsanto, GMOs etc. which I do think we need to be concerned about. However, I have two acres to maintain with orchard, large garden, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, etc. as well as a full time job.
I’ve got a terrible problem with bermuda grass and want to put in a large section of raspberries. I know from experience if I rotatill and plant, I’ll forever be fighting that stuff. At my age, I’ve got to start finding ways to minimize my labor. So I did some research on Roundup and more or less came to the same conclusion as you.
I’m hoping to eradicate most of it and then I should be able to keep on top of the weed control with heavy mulching.
At least I don’t feel quite so guilty after reading your blog. It’s great to shoot for the ideal but sometimes practically and necessity win out.
I do not love chemicals and don’t use any in or out of my home. It’s such a shame that we’ve come to this-killing insect, amphibians and humans just for the sake of taking out plants that aren’t where we think they should be. I practice permaculture and organic and beyond gardening-mulching, compost,companion planting-my gardens are a mix of color and beauty without deadly chemicals. Do your research. Who do you think is writing about the safety of Roundup(hint: maybe Monsanto). I will not be subscribing to your newsletter anymore.
Hello Mike,
I’ve been a silent subscriber to your blog for quite some time now. Meaning, I always read it & have received some great tips from you but I’ve never replied to your posts until now. The reason for my response now is that I was so impacted and moved by your admission to your readership that you’ve always used Roundup.
First, I will admit that when I was new to gardening, I also used it for uncontrollable weeds (I was convinced that it was the only way to rid my yard of the unwanted “forest of weeds” when we first moved here). However, in my quest to become more knowledgeable and experienced as a gardener, I read everything I could get my hands on concerning gardening and related subjects. It was during those earlier times that I began to be aware of the effects of using harmful pesticides, herbicides and the like and learning about how it impacts my immediate surroundings as well as the entire environment. I decided to stop using it. As a matter of fact, it been a number of years that my 2 gallon container (barely used) has sat in my basement because I don’t know the correct way to dispose of it.
With regards to your post, sheepishly admitting, that you use Roundup and have used it extensively for many years (and still intent on continuing to do so), I need to respond to you. I believe that you are an extremely knowledgeable person when it relates to gardening and related subjects. You have proven it to us, your readership, by your experience and sharing your tips with us. With that being said, I have a difficult time believing that you are naive about the dangers of using products like Roundup (and its cousins). In utilizing your blog to teach others about gardening, you have demonstrated to us, in so many ways, how resourceful, practical and sometimes ingenious you can be in your gardening business. I say this to show your readers that you are the type of person who would go to any length to educate yourself in matters of your gardening business because its that important to you. In stating this fact, I am struggling with the idea that you are unaware of the proven facts about Roundup. You blatently continue to use these dangerous chemicals knowing the impact its having on you, your surroundings and the environment as a whole. Your response to these facts demonstrates to us, your readers who respect you, that your primary concern is only that of your business and not of the environment (as every gardener should be) or your fellow gardeners (or your family who is obviously unknowingly impacted as well). I believe that you are FULLY AWARE of the consequences of your decision to use this product and have consciously decided to continue regardless of the cost.
In closing, lastly I want to share one more thing with you before I unsubscribe (because at the moment it seems that you are unwilling to change your views and actions). A few days after I read your “confession asking for our support”, I noticed that one of my neighbors had sold their home and posted a sign for a moving sale they were having the following day. I decided to stop by and congradulate them on the sale and wish them well in their next home. After initial introductions, I learned from the wife of the couple that her husband had a debilitating disease directly caused (and proven) by exposure to Agent Orange while serving in the military. According to her, he suffered irreparable damage to his lungs and brain and has never been the same since the incident. She explained that when the rescue team found him, he had only about 30 minutes of oxygen left before he would have died. I was moved to hear their story of how doctors and family rallied to save his life. Amazing that he is still alive today!!
Sadly, you can thank Monsanto for their contribution of dangerous chemicals to this gentleman’s suffering and so so many others who were afflicted during that time. This was the very first time in my life that I have ever met (to my knowledge) someone affected by Agent Orange. It will always serve as a reminder to me to always take responsibility for using seemingly “effective products” to in and around my home.
I really do hope you will change your mind, attitude and actions about using and promoting the use of these dangerous chemicals. I would certainly re subscribe to your blog.
As it is now, it’s hard to stay inspired by you.
Regards,
B
Hi Mike ~ I use Round-Up, but I do hate Monsanto.
I am an arthritic 52 year old woman who is an avid gardener. I usually use straight white vinegar mixed with salt when necessary. Yes, it takes heavier application than Round-Up, but it works well for me. Hot, dry sunny days are best for the vinegar/salt application. However, there are times when my poor, old, aching back must rely upon Round-Up for some of the really “tough” (albeit small!) jobs.
I hate Monsanto and in particular GMOs for a variety of reasons: One major reason is that GMOs are developed to be “ROUND-UP RESISTANT,” thereby allowing the application of Round-Up in commercial farming to be applied in one fell swoop KILLING EVERY LIVE PLANT in it’s path that is NOT “Round-Up Resistant.” This means that many beneficial plants along the “Central Flyway” of our nation (a/k/a the “Bread Basket”), as well as everywhere this practice is being utilized, are being killed off. Many of these plants are food sources for migratory birds, beneficial insects, butterflies, wildlife, etc.
One case in point is the devastation of Milkweed, which is the ONLY, repeat ONLY food source for Monarch Butterfly larvae. To my sadness and disappointment, I saw ONLY ONE Monarch Butterfly least season when >10+ years ago, they were everywhere. I fear that the Monarch will in fact become extinct in our lifetime (Canary in a coal mine?) Yes, there are many variables involved in the decline of the Monarch Butterfly population, but killing off major sources of Milkweed along migratory paths certainly does not help.
That is only one example — who knows how detrimental Round-Up Resistant GMOs (used on a commercial scale) have been or will be to migratory bird populations (not to mention human health, wildlife and who knows what else.) The human race is not Mother Nature and they should stop acting is if they are — leave nature to it’s own resources.
OK, yes, using Round-Up makes me somewhat of a hypocrite, but I only use very small quantities when it is absolutely necessary, and at times, it is. However, I also leave portions of my property “wild” (meaning native “weeds” and shrubs, etc.) for the birds and wildlife as well as intentionally plant Milkweed for the benefit of the Monarchs. (It smells DIVINE!!! Like Hyacinth.)
All of us who share in your WONDERFUL blog (I LOVE IT!) are here for the same reason: We love the land and playing in the dirt.
We should all be mindful of the environment and all of the beauty and wonder nature has to offer. Humans are not the only “beings” on this planet, although we act as though we are. When humans start messing and interfering with the earth’s ecosystems, food chains, etc., only disaster will result. Everything is relative … We are only “stewards” on this beautiful planet and we are certainly making a mess of things.
LOVE YOUR BLOG! :o)
Keep on planting everyone!
First off; I must say I don’t agree with you about Monsanto or RoundUp. I do remember Monsanato’s commercials of RoundUp showing the homeowner, he could put his head under the ground with the RoundUp in it and still be safe. Talk to any neurologist ( I have) and they will tell you that glyphosate is dangerous. It is known to attack the nervous system in humans and animals. It is a hormone type pesticide that cause the cells within the plant to rapidly multiply therefore leaving the plant to implode upon itself. RoundUp is never good in one application leaving the homeowner using it more than once to kill the same weed. Granted most homeowners believe that if one tablespoon will work…two or more will work better. Most home owners also do not pay attention to proper pesticide control; using neoprene gloves, wearing proper footwear, long sleeved, pants or not applying it on a windy day. As with most of the industry whether it be chemical, oil, finance, pharmaceutical and so on; you can bet somewhere there is a politician deep in the pockets of said industry along with the lobbyists. The idea is not to fool with Mother Nature. Did you ever read Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’?
Hello Mike.
I have mixed and used the vinegar recipe and it does work! You have to do the spraying after the dew is off the weeds. Best used in the morning! However, my weeds started come back after two weeks. I am going to use it again and watch the results. Along our fence line, this recipe was amazing! Beat the weedeater by a long shot!
Read the book “seeds of deception” if you want to know the truth about roundup genetically modified organisms (GMO) & the evils of the Monsanto. The round up is in the seed created in the lab by mad scientists. This destroys DNA in humans & is wrong any way you look at it. People unknowingly eat this food which has detrimental effects on health. I want grandchildren that are healthy and think that people should have the right to know if they are eating food that has been altered from it’s natural state. Ignorance is bliss & these corporate companies care more about profits than people. Do some research, follow the $$$$ trail & you will understand why there are literally Millions Against Monsanto aka Mon-Satan!!!
Dear Mike: Somjething is wiping out millions of our honey bees, poisoning our bats, and the culprit is Roundup. Plus many plants have become Roundup resistant and Monsanto has turned to making even worse concoctions to try to kill bugs. When I was a child, my parents used very little chemicals on our gardens–now people literally drench them with pesticides. Did you know Monsanto is responsible for Agent Orange which has caused numerous birth defects and cancers? Monsanto experiments wildly with seeds–and animals, for instance, crossing a salmon with a snakefish and another fish in the hope of having a salmon (?) that is twice as big and much more ferocious…If these mutants get loose they can literally destroy all the natural salmon that are so good for us. Why would Monsanto use the “anti-freeze” of a fish in a tomato except to keep the tomato looking red and juicy for a longer period of refrigeration time? Why is Monsanto’s aim to OWN ALL THE SEEDS IN THE WORLD? Do you know that Monsanto is responsible for thousands of suicides by native farmers in India? Monsanto bought up all their heirloom seed companies and forced them to buy Monsanto seeds–which did not perform well and thousands lost everything and killed themselves because they couldn’t afford to buy more seeds every year from Monsanto–that’s another thing: Monsanto literally has seeds that self destruct. You have to buy fresh seeds from them every year…They have corn that makes its own PESTICIDE. In an insect it ruptures the insect’s stomach. What would it do to your stomach if you ate it? Probably give you cancer at least. You are wrong, wrong, wrong, to put your faith in Monsanto. I’ve done a lot of research about that diabolical company. They are not working for the betterment of mankind–they want to enslave mankind. Because if you control a food supply–you control a population. PS: I used to go in the garden with a tin can that had a little coal oil in the bottom and knock potato beetles and blister bugs into the can. Mom would then toss them into the cookstove. That’s how I remember getting rid of bugs. Time consuming, yes. But you could eat our produce without washing it.
Dear Mike: Somjething is wiping out millions of our honey bees, poisoning our bats, and the culprit is Roundup. Plus many plants have become Roundup resistant and Monsanto has turned to making even worse concoctions to try to kill bugs. When I was a child, my parents used very little chemicals on our gardens–now people literally drench them with pesticides. Did you know Monsanto is responsible for Agent Orange which has caused numerous birth defects and cancers? Monsanto experiments wildly with seeds–and animals, for instance, crossing a salmon with a snakefish and another fish in the hope of having a salmon (?) that is twice as big and much more ferocious…If these mutants get loose they can literally destroy all the natural salmon that are so good for us. Why would Monsanto use the “anti-freeze” of a fish in a tomato except to keep the tomato looking red and juicy for a longer period of refrigeration time? Why is Monsanto’s aim to OWN ALL THE SEEDS IN THE WORLD? Do you know that Monsanto is responsible for thousands of suicides by native farmers in India? Monsanto bought up all their heirloom seed companies and forced them to buy Monsanto seeds–which did not perform well and thousands lost everything and killed themselves because they couldn’t afford to buy more seeds every year from Monsanto–that’s another thing: Monsanto literally has seeds that self destruct. You have to buy fresh seeds from them every year…They have corn that makes its own PESTICIDE. In an insect it ruptures the insect’s stomach. What would it do to your stomach if you ate it? Probably give you cancer at least. You are wrong, wrong, wrong, to put your faith in Monsanto. I’ve done a lot of research about that diabolical company. They are not working for the betterment of mankind–they want to enslave mankind. Because if you control a food supply–you control a population. PS: I used to go in the garden with a tin can that had a little coal oil in the bottom and knock potato beetles and blister bugs into the can. Mom would then toss them into the cookstove. That’s how I remember getting rid of bugs. Time consuming, yes. But you could eat our produce without washing it.
Hi Mike,
How do I get a copy of your free booklet on rooting cuttings as I live
in Australia?
Thanks Mike,
I believe your observations are spot on concerning glycophosphate!
One reason Montsanto is dislike is their typical large corporate greedy hands.
The patent for the glycophosphate product is actually for a GENE that imparts resistance to GP in the plant that it has been inserted into.
Before their patent ran out (never mind their legal efforts to extend it), they fought anyone trying to reverse engineer a similar GP inactivating gene.
Concerning the VINE of poison ivy photo, my Dad used an old used paint brush to effectively PAINT the product onto the stumps of yaupon, and other brush. He never worried about the possibility of wind carry, and killing his plants.
Jan. (John)
Mike:
Thank you for a valuable, timely article. I get so many complaints when people see me (and my 4-gallon backpack sprayer) going around their gravel walkways, planter beds, etc. What I have told them over the years rhymes very much with what you have posted. Now I have an article by an expert to which I can refer these customers. Thanks again!
Mike, I appreciate your straight article. Like you, I don’t understand why a product that has been around fairly long, was undoubtedly researched and tested before being released on the market, suddenly has become a toxin to be avoided like the plague. I am a groundskeeper here at the church where I am employed and really couldn’t manage the property without Round-Up. I also use Momentum to help control bradleaf weeds in the grass.
I appreciate your website and helpful tips for an amateur gardener who just happens to have a big passion for growing a fraction of God’s glorious nursery plants called earth. Guys like yourself make gardeners and landscapers feel like we’re not alone and that we do care about the environment a lot. Keep doing what you’re doing!
I’m just amazed and the comments. Come on people….if you need it, use it…if you don’t….DON’T! pure and simple. If you don’t appreciate his great knowledge, then get off his page! Mike, thank you so much for your time! I have learned a great deal of planting from you- even using the cardboard and THICK mulch. It has cut down the weeding tremendously. For the haters….go look at recipes or hairdos.
No one said they didn’t appreciate Mike’s great knowledge. No one is trying to make Mike do anything. Opinions are valuable and persuasion a valuable tool. No one said anyone HAD to do anything. This is the first post that tries to ridicule and put down other people’s opinions. I made a suggestion below to use a vinegar recipe but I didn’t tell Mike he HAD to use it. When posting on blogs, you need to be respectful.
Good story, thanks. However, please check out this website: DHMO.org. Dihydrogen Monoxide. It’s use all over and it can be very dangerous.
After reading your post and the comments, I have to chime in. I have been a purist and didn’t want to use any herbicides at all until moving to NC where poison ivy is rampant. I have used it sparingly on just the ivy for 22 years, but now that I am over 70 I have less energy to keep up our acre. I like weeding and tidying up the garden but…………….You have given me sort of permission to use it on areas that are persistent problems. I have also used the vinegar as others have mentioned but on an acre it adds up to more money as a gallon of vinegar doesn’t go very far and lasts a short time, doesn’t kill the root.
I have been reading over the years about the harm of Round-up and GE ready crops, and what happens to the intestines of animals that eat the crops. I have begun to wonder of just the GE crops alone might be responsible for the changes in health of the animals. Herbicides are not the final answer, but a little more useful than vinegar on some plants.
Here is a recipe for Weed-Be-Gone: 1 Gal. Vinegar, 2 Cups Epsom Salt, 1/4 Cup Dawn Dish Soap, (the blue original Dawn.) Mix in a Sprayer and spray in the am after the dew evaporates. Do not get spray on turf, it kills everything it comes in contact with. Round Up is instrumental in killing the bee colonies. Please try this and never use Round Up again.
The few times I’ve used roundup anywhere remotely close to bird feeders, I’ve found dead birds. It works , but it is toxic. Yes, I was careful to keep the spray a good distance from the bird feeding area. I can tell you that a vinager/salt mixture will kill all plants dead…but the salt may stay in the soil so don’t use that mix where you might want to plant something. For driveways, edging, ect. It will work great! For other areas I use a vinager, orange oil extract, bit of dishsoap, and water mix that also works fairly well. It might take a few extra sprays but isn’t that worth keeping our planet, wildlife, and children (and their genetics) safe?
Roundup is not killing the birds at your bird feeder. Salt is toxic enough to eat up a concrete driveway and I put it on my french fries.
I use Roundup to get rid of the grass and weeds growing up through the cracks in my driveway and brick walkways. In our crowded garden, i can’t so I just pull them out.
Mike, I use the stuff sparingly. But for Poison Ivy, it’s gloves off…
Don’t hate, Glysophate!
I am the true chemical gardner I spray everything with every pesticide and herbicide the third eye I have developed in the back of my head is very helpful as well as the extra arm thinly problem is finding shirts with three lighten up folks !
So, you are just a Monsanto agent! Please, remove me from you mailing list, I don’t want to hear from you ever again.
Mike – I’ve enjoyed your website and obtained a lot of useful tips that help my gardening. I won’t pelt your with rocks for using Roundup (maybe some small potatoes, though!)…but I have to disagree with using it. Monsanto really IS very irresponsible, and since they are one of the main employers in mys state, I don’t suggest this lightly, but they should be shut down!
I used to garden only organically but after installing some asiatic lilies and having them attacked by Asiatic lily beetles (I thought they were lady bugs!), I broke down and used Bayer insecticide ONLY on those flowers. But Roundup is so much worse! It’s an herbicide and those cause many more mutations and birth defects than even pesticides. Remember Agent Orange? Same thing. But worse, Genetically Modified crops that tolerate Roundup and other herbicides are then being eaten by US…and worse, our kids!
In another example of the bad effects of these chemicals, we lived on a lake that was plagued by Eurasian millfoil. An experimental herbicide, Solar, was secretly used by some people on the lake to kill the weeds. One was our nextdoor neighbor. He had an “in” with the company that made it. I told him this made me uneasy and that it would go into his water supply–and ours! I’d read about possible birth defects and, since his wife was expecting, he should stop using it. I even mentioned my research and a conversation with the RSI research lab on Lake George. They were shocked that the guy got away with using it. Since Lake George is federally protected, Solar was only used in closed-off bays, to see what its effects were (not good!).
Sadly, this guy’s son was born with birth defects, including a hole in his heart, requiring four surgeries and leaving him with permanent breathing problems.
Now, research has shown that the chemicals in Roundup and other products have shown up in women who are nursing babies! That also means that it’s in ALL of us, everywhere in our bodies! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather fight bugs and weeds the old-fashioned way (hire teenagers! 😀 ) than die of cancer or watch my child suffer with preventable birth defects.
People should REALLY not just be careful with these chemicals, but avoid them completely. Soy is one of the most used crops in our diet and the first one that glyphosphate was used on. Now, soy is one of the foods most associated with allergies, asthma, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. What did people do before this stuff was invented? Somehow, farmers grew crops and Americans had food to eat. It’s just pure greed on Monsanto’s part, and other similar companies.
I hope you re-think your use of it, for your own sake, and that of your family. Also, readers respect you and you could be a great voice in the fight to ban these lethal chemicals. Thanks for reading this. Now here come the potatoes!
Sincerely,
Susan
P.S. here’s a link I found helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_%28herbicide%29
In the last 65 years, we have seen an increase in diabetes, heart decease, obesity, cancer, lung decease, liver decease, etc., etc. That’s about when chemical insecticides and fertilizers came out. There is just too much information out there on these products and their dangers. WebMD and other med sites have information as well as others. Fast foods, processed foods are filled with chemicals that we can’t digest and sometimes can’t get out of our bodies. Our bodies are loaded with plastic that we will never get rid of. And most of it is there just because we drank liquids from plastic bottles. Plastic bottles hit the US shortly after all the chemicals. We have become a nation of leisure and want to use every shortcut we can find. Sad…I still take my knee pad out, kneel and pull out weeds. My mother, a great gardener, always said, “The best weed killer is a weed pulled out by its roots and stuffed into a metal trash can.” I am 61 years old and plan on pulling weeds the rest of my life. I hurt at the end of the day but it feels good. I feel like I’ve accomplished something. I use the vinegar, Dawn and Epson salts on my little weeds and it has always worked. No need for Roundup here, but I ache for my grandchildren who are living in a world of GMS and chemicals. Guess God found a way to destroy mankind after all. All He has to do is leave it up to Man to do it. No need for a flood.
Hi Mike,
I would use roundup as well if I needed it. I’m just always afraid it will seep into the wrong thing and kill it.
Your flowers are so beautiful as you would expect them to be. I see the little tree with just leaves on it in one o f your pictures. It looks like a little umbrella and it kinda looks like a hydrangea. with no blooms. What is it ? I think it is so pretty.
Thanks for your info. Enjoy very much.
Happy gardening
Sandra
I have used Roundup in the past and it has killed the weeds, but only temporarily. I work for the State of Maryland, and a few years ago we went to use Roundup on the grounds and someone from the EPA just happened to come through and said we were not allowed to use it on State property. Also, Monsanto products are banned in Europe.
Here’s a natural weed killer that I was just told about, haven’t used it yet, but plan too.
1 gallon vinegar, 2 cups epsom salt and 1/4 cup Dawn (blue) original dishwashing liquid. Mix and put in sprayer and wait until the dew evaporates and spray.
Mike, I grow heirloom tomatoes organically. But for weed control near my shrubs? Roundup.
So this is why I’m concerned about Glyphosate and why I think particularly people who eat wheat should be concerned.
http://www.gmoevidence.com/samsel-and-seneff-glyphosate-enhances-damaging-effects-of-environmental-toxins/
Ok the title of this is a bit corny, but I think she is well worth listening to.
I also don’t think demonizing it helps, but I think learning as much about the science can help make a decision about it use and how to minimize your exposure.
I hope this helps. Keep up the great post,
Thanks
Henry
Your apparent willful ignorance about the effects of glyphosate is unsettling to say the least. You claim to have done a lot of research about this substance, but your post includes mostly references to “information” provided by the manufacturer, Monsanto. You try to bolster your claims about the safety and benignity of this highly toxic herbicide with anecdotes about your personal use of it over the years. You cite convenience as a one factor in your use of it, But another one of the words you use often in your post is “belief”. I am glad for you that your faith-based approach to gardening and in particular weed control, is working for you, but I am grateful that I don’t live next door or down stream from your place because it would be a very hazardous place to be. Please take the time to read some actual research as suggested by so many of your readers who have provided sources you can check out. After such an investigation I imagine that your comfort level about using glyphosate may be shaken, at least I hope so, for your sake and those around you. You will discover that it accumulates in the soil, has increasingly deleterious effects over time, and is a primary disruptor of healthy biological systems.
I live 2 blocks from one of the finest rivers in Texas and I am not about to put chemical-laden products on my lawn without thinking about the consequences.
Did you know that Round Up used to have on its that said it was BIODEGRADABLE.
Total false information. They where asked to take it off the bottle..
Now do you trust a company that would put that false information like that on the front of the bottle !!!???
I could write pages about Monsanto and most of it not good.
Just because other companies are corrupt does not mean that it is ok for Monsanto to be… remember it is our food system that they are messing with !!!!
PS.. do you know that Round Up was found in Mothers Breast milk…. !!!?
PS ..
People educate yourself
Check out this video…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1eEq-EH8ZA
and many more on Youtube
Weil Mike, This is the end of the line for me I want to thank you for many years of insightful information. Companies want to own life/via DNA. Monsanto has patented genes (God given genes) and have persecuted farmers who don’t tow the line and
1. Use their patented seed stock
2. Choose to you heirloom seed stock instead of their “company owned” seeds.
Anyone who would promote using this company’s products, is no friend of the earth and therefore no friend of my.
Auf Wiedersehen, au revoir, caio, que sera sera, Its been real.
Hmmm…and there are mothers that do drugs too.
Mike enjoy your posts and yes, I use Roundup only as a last resort to destroy poison ivy and as needed, wisteria vines. In both cases, with complete success. People need to make their own decisions, based on experience rather than what someone else tells them. Most of the time, they are just repeating what they were told without checking it out. Keep telling it like it is please.
Thank you for your efforts.
If people were just using roundup the way that you explained it, I suppose that is a personal choice (not one that I chose), but Monsanto is not giving people a choice. They are putting the roundup and a pesticide called Neonicinoids into the seeds!! They have done this behind the backs of the American farmers and the American public. The EPA has allowed this and says that there is no proof that it harms anyone. Now we have Colony Collapse in our honeybee population and other pollinators. The studies on the cause of colony collapse, (not done by Monsanto or Bayer) are pointing to the roundup ready, Neonicinoids containing seeds. These seeds are making the plant and the flower poisonous to our honey bees and pollinators. The bees bring this chemical back to their hives and feed it to the young larvae, bees and queen. The hive becomes toxic because of all the chemicals. The bees up and leave the hive and all the toxic honey inside. This colony collapse is seen more in areas where these roundup ready seeds are everywhere. Farmers are planting roundup ready soybeans all over the country. Soybeans is a late season nectar producing crop for the honeybee.
How do I know all this? I am a beekeeper!! I have read many articles and listened to many opinions on the subject. And I am extremely worried that man, in his infinite greed, is destroying the very insect that supplies him with all the foods that are necessary for his survival. Einstein said “If we lose our pollinators, man will not survive.”
So, if we had a choice to use a little roundup on weeds is one thing, but Monsanto has decided for us by making this roundup ready seed. Most people are oblivious to the fact that this is happening. These types of seeds are showing up in our everyday box store garden centers, not only in the seeds but the plants that are being offered. It has become much bigger than just “if I want to use roundup or not”!!!!!
That is why I HATE Monsanto!! They have become so big and powerful that they now pay off our congressman so that laws can be made in their favor. AND I CHOSE NOT TO SUPPORT MONSANTO WITH MY DOLLARS!!
I have found that a mixure of vinegar, salt and dish soap will kill anything that I put it on. Cardboard and mulch make pulling weeds much easier.
This is my opinion and I will not be a part of killing the honey bee or other pollinators!!!!
Hate them too !!!!
I use roundup but I appreciate your article, it is very informative and relieves a lot of my misgivings about runoff and wildlife safety. Thank you
Mike I use your website all the time thank you for years of instruction.
I use glysophate too, I live in a swampy area with cat tails and other waxy plants the glysophate ran off the plants and took many applications to kill the weeds.
If you put a few drops of “dawn dish washing liquid” into your mix it makes the chemical penetrate better and kills in one application
Mike,
How does a guy spend all this time as a botanist or live in the US and know this little Monsanto and their plans to screw over as many if us as possible? They are well along that path and Roundup may be of of the more tame chemicals they foist on us. How are you so able to insulate yourself from the big picture? I used to follow your advice but I think now I need to rethink that. What else is only half thought out? BTW, comparing using sunscreen to using Roundup is not even remotely a valid example of how chemicals are everywhere. I agree that most prescriptions are dangerous and under tested, just like Roundup. Get educated Mike, its a big world and companies will do ANYTHING for money. Have you seen the deformities in children in Vietnam even decades later?
Hey Mike, I have used and continue to use roundup in certain circumstances. When we purchased our home 14 years ago it had a beautiful tilled garden covering a large portion of our back yard. When we moved in 3 months later the entire thing was overgrown with 6 foot high weeds. I had to hire someone with a large tractor and tiller to come in twice to cut it down and till. I couldn’t get rid of the weeds and finally got some roundup from my brother in law who is a farmer. It worked like a charm and I crawled on my hands and needs digging out weeds to clean it out. I didn’t plant the garden for a year and I also added 15 yards of soil to it and it’s been doing great ever since. I also use it to edge some of my beds to keep the weeds down. I continue to use roundup sparingly, but I do use it when needed.
What about home remedies? Did you ever try this one — promises you’ll never have to buy Round Up again:
1 gal vinegar
2 c Epson salt
1/4 c Dawn dish detergent (original one – blue kind)
Mix & spray in the A.M. after dew has evaporated. Walk away. Weeds will be gone after dinner!
I live in West Texas in the middle of cotton country. The farmers have been using Roundup for years. They have Round Up ready cotton and they just sprayed Roundup on everything else.
This year, Mother Nature had a little surprise for them. Round Up ready weeds.
It seems that the weeds have developed a resistance to Roundup.
Looks like its time to go back to plowing and the dreaded hoe handle.
Your post has no references… That being said, here’s a reference on YouTube – search for “Dr. Don Huber, 2012 Calium Products Soil Conference” to learn the whole chemical and biological effects of round-up…. It starts slow but the first 20 minutes is enough to blow your mind.
The question you might ask yourself is: Am I part of the problem or part of the solution…
The solution can be found here:
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/11883
Thank you for the link, Marie! That was one of the greatest documentaries that I have seen in a long time! So much great info!
Thanks Mike, I use that product also and it is a life saver.
Hi Mike
No slamming from me! I use glyphosate around garden edges and fence lines all the time – have for years. If people are over-spraying so much it “runs into waterways” they obviously didn’t read the instructions. If used as directed that wouldn’t be a problem. Maybe the people who aren’t seeing as many bees or birds as previously don’t have the plants to attract them in their garden. I have plenty around my place. And if people stop reading your blog because they disagree with one thing you do that they don’t like, you are better off without their narrow-mindedness. Nowhere do you say that people have to do everything you do. It is every individual’s right to choose. They should grow up and get over themselves.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for the time you spend sharing.
Mike, thanks for all the information you share.
I agree with you regarding the Roundup (or its generic). I do not have any degree of respect for Monsanto and their GMO practices. They really are hurting the farmers and others, too. We as consumers should not have to try to figure out if our foods are grown using their GMO seeds or not. Having a medical background causes me to view the GMO issue with great concern. I believe enough money will grease the skids for anyone or anything.
Sorry you are getting hit with that freight train of not only negative comments but also the rudeness of some comments. Everyone has the option to use what they wish. I will not ever agree with everyone on everything, but I definitely will not be deliberately rude to them when I explain why I think there is a better solution to whatever the situation is.
When are we going to get to see more of the donkeys?
Mary
Thank you for this great information. I started using Roundup last year–when I got sick and tired of my neighbor’s ivy spreading over, under, and through my fence boards. Every year–in the early spring–there they were! Last fall, I took action and I didn’t care what was on the other side of the fence. I bathed the fence, the ground along the fence, between the boards, and through the fence to the other side with Roundup and it did the job–I didn’t have any problems at all this year–and I am a very happy gardener!
I found it interesting that Mike is only 58 and has a bad back. Wonder if lowering your immune system by using chemicals will make a difference? We are so bombarded with chemicals these days, and yet we still refuse to see why. It is so obvious.
For those of us who do not believe using chemicals is the way to go, I have found that it is a waste of energy to try to convince someone who believes in the chemical/medical system that there is a better way.
The other thing I know is that we as humans are both lazy and busy. So we go for the easiest and fastest way to get things done.
Unfortunately, that leads to us believing the “studies” that are funded by the companies that stand to make the profits.
Bottom line, follow the money. If the study is funded by the corporation, then the study will lean into the corporations favor.
I have been using roundup for 14 or 15 years and I think it’s great for edging yards driveways in around flower beds I do raise quite a few bonsai. I think all your comments were right on and very informatiVe
Mike – This is a sad post because I have been on your list for a long, long time. I will leave this list hoping that you will actually read the studies done by those in the medical professions regarding the chemical footprints left by those who use the chemicals developed by the likes of DOW and Monsanto. I would also leave you with this – your own heritage; grand children, maybe great grand children, if we make it that far, will reap what we sow today.
Old gods and old beliefs die hard. It takes courage to challenge either one.
Isnt Round Up a weed and everything killer rather than pesticide? Why not use vinegar to kill the grass and weeds? I always liked a nice edging. I used to use a Mantis tiller-edged and it was great and many use a string edged it weed cutter. Looks so nice to have the little intention all around. I loaned my Mantis and it never came back. I have been tempted to buy another one but I am almost 71 and am not walking well so Don’t know if I could handle it. Vinegar does a great deal around the house. It is disinfectant as well as weed and grass killer. I understand soapy water will keep bugs off plants.
SweetCarol
I am a beekeeper that uses Roundup. Boo Hiss But I have found a way to cut down on the damage. Remember Bees go back to the hive in the afternoon. Generally by 6: to 6:30 the bees are back at the hive. If you use your roundup about 30 minutes before dark you can cut down on the damage to the bees. This is a non foraging time. Your bees will be different. You may need to watch your bees and see what the best time is. Never in the morning. By sunrise the roundup will be dry. It may get a few but will not do wholesale damage. This need to be put out to the public.
Hey, I use glyphosate,, too, but it is a last resort for things that nothing else really works on, and I would never use it where I am going to grow food products. Typically, I use it to get rid of Bermuda grass, which I am allergic to, and nothing else works. Also, I have used it to get rid of mistletoe in trees (yes, it works). To do that you need to take a drawstring garbage bag and envelope the mistletoe in it, tie it tightly as close to the tree trunk as you can, then open a hole in it (small) in the end, then insert spray nozzle in there on fine mist and spray away. It is best to do this after you have pruned most of it away by trimming tree branches with heavy infestations out. I use this for a recurrence problem, or one that otherwise, no tree left.
As to Monsanto, and their “round-up ready crops”, this is just such a bad idea, in so many ways. Unfortunately, the plants may be round-up ready, but my body is not. No one knows the outcome of eating this stuff, and if the plants are not effected by it, most likely they will contain higher levels of it, as will any animal, including us that eats it. Already it has reached high levels in breast milk. Meanwhile, the weeds are making themselves round-up ready with the increased use through process of natural selection. Soon , round-up will be no good and we will be depending on the chemical plants to come up with something else with no prior history of use, no idea of future deleterious effects. Monsanto is becoming a very hated company as they have abused their power to the maximum, trading executives with the FDA, engineering the seeds they sell to be non-viable in the next generation, and suing farmers for supposedly stealing these patented plants DNA, by just farming next to someone who is using them, in an attempt to force everyone to use their expensive seed. They have also attempted to have a monopoly on every seed you buy by taking over companies and buying plant patents for many hybrid varieties that they didn’t develop.
As you pointed out, we are bathing ourselves in chemicals daily, as well as breathing them in from smog and smoke, drinking them in the water, etc. I believe this is contributing to disease already, things like leaky-gut syndrome, and auto-immune diseases. Food sensitivities are definitely on the rise, and don’t really go away, you simply have to limit your diet permanently.
I am currently thankful that other countries have banned this practice, so just maybe we will have somewhere to go when our food and seed supply is completely destroyed.
I worked with Monsanto in the 1970’s developing Roundup in the area I live at. I must admit, I learned a lot about what all goes into this herbicide. I realize many people look at Monsanto as the big GMO Corporation that when a farmer buys their plants, probably signs contracts to only use their plants, but later find out they can not even keep any seeds to replant themselves only to find out the seed is a trademark of Monsanto. Many early farmers throughout the world found out later, they were subject to Monsanto. Also, theories are also out there to associate GMO with damaging local area smaller farms crops by possibly creating a cross-pollination problem (bees/other insects…). Back to the Roundup though, if one uses it properly, it will not harm the area if used as instructed. I like to do a special way I have developed called ‘brushing’ which involves mixing a smaller amount in an old mason type jar (which I can still securely close) and with a small/large paint type brush, apply without even worrying about spray mist being carried over to another plant close by I do not want to get rid of. Monsanto is known for things that are greater than Roundup; I personally question GMO’s but there are more Corporations around the world who also do GMO’s, as well as some other awful things many do not even know about. Mike I still use Roundup concentrate and only mix it in small portions and brush on where needed. Sprayers are good but be careful for the winds and the down wind effects it can have. I enjoy what Pam and you still continue to do to help us all out with in our own little garden worlds.
GBY and America.
Why use Roundup when there are effective alternatives that are safe and effective? St Gabriels Organics work on poison ivy, weeds, etc etc. http://www.stgl.us/
Well, these people are idiots and sociopaths. My neighbor almost killed me when he POURED THIS CRAP ALL OVER MY PROPERTY AND AROUND MY WELL H20! If you think this crap is safe…go drink a gallon over the course of a month like lemonade. Then call me and tell me all about it. It was in my well water and almost killed me and made my son crippled! DO NOT EVEN GO THERE! Do some research on the chemicals. I bet the person who is pro herbicide has never even had a chemistry class or physiology class! Please do us a favor and get some REAL education!
I have read a lot about Monsanto. The bad news about them is that they patent their GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) seeds. Their GMO seeds cross contaminate other non-Monsanto seeds and when the traits of their patented GMO seeds show up in the non-Monsanto growers seeds Monsanto sues and puts those seed growers out of business. It is almost impossible to find seeds that have not been contaminated with GMO. Monsanto has never lost a case. They do nothing to prevent the cross-contamination, and their patient is protected in the courts.
PS: I also do use Round-Up to edge my borders. I try to be responsible and use a little as possible.
A little…does that help the poor LITTLE animals that walk through it or eat the drenched roundup bugs? Birds, etc? Wake up folks! It is poison!
anyone who has ever suffered the affects of poison ivy can relate to using roundup! I don’t use pesticides on my lawn or flowers but poison ivy beware!
SHAME ON YOU for justifying using chemicals, thus encouraging others that is is ok ,just as long as you don’t over do it..
It is ok to use chemicals because I have done it for years?
It is ok to used chemicals because we eat them everyday in our food anyway?
It is ok because we spray ourselves with chemical everyday anyway?
It is ok because I only use a one gallon container and don’t go crazy with it?
IFit is ok….why wear protective gear?
IF it is ok….then why not eat the plants we spray?
IFit is ok…..where is your scientific proof…you can’t just say “I feel” it is ok.
Using chemicals is just the LAZY MAN”S way of control their environment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just because you have used them for years doesn’t mean it is ok or that you should continue to use Monsanto’s chemicals. If everyone felt the way you do…..and we all just used a gallon sprayer X 3 billion people…..well I wonder how much of that toxic crap goes into the ground and leaches into our water.
We should strive to use LESS chemicals no matter where they come from….we are poisoning our earth and it will catch up with us all one day….either in our soil, air, or water.
AGAIN ,,,,SHAME ON YOU….especially when you have an audience who follow your advise and believe in your experience.
Your comments about using Roundup are fine, but WHY do you use the term “pesticide” when discussing it — it’s an herbicide!!
I have never used Roundup b/c I don’t want to use it or support it. However, recently I have been struggling so hard with keeping areas weeded on our 3 acre property that I decided to experiment. After watching several different YouTube tutorials on making your own weed killer, I tried it out and can’t believe how well it worked, and how easy and cheap it was to make. I see a post below of someone else trying something like this with a slightly different mixture. What I used was 1 gallon distilled white vinegar (just the regular 5% from the grocery store, not the expensive 20% you can get at garden stores), 1 oz pure orange oil (I ordered a 32 oz bottle online for $8 after not being able to locate any in town), 1 T salt and 1 t of dish liquid. That was it! I sprayed (something I’ve never done before so it was fun) all the grass creeping in around my patio area (about an 18″ width) as well as the grass down the center path of my garden. That was 2 days ago and it is all dead! Totally brown. All different sorts of grasses and weeds. Looks just like the photo you posted, except much wider strips. Next I’m going to do my gravel driveway. I would highly suggest trying this solution which will save you lots of money for the same amount of success and you won’t get slammed!
Plenty if studies are now showing the dangers of glyphosate when ingested.. I think it’s fine to use RoundUp to control a few weeds “here and there” as long as you’re not spraying near where you are growing your food. I wouldn’t place those sprayed weeds into your compost pile either.. where later they come in contact with your food.
Thanks for having dialogue about this.
Thanks for the info on “Roundup” I’ve tried “Pickling Vinegar with salt and soap” works fairly well but not near as good as Roundup, but I didn’t know you could spray it on the trunk of a tree without causing damage. Thanks a lot for all your info. I enjoy reading your posts and I have bought one off your books.
I love Roundup/Glyphosate, It saves me real time as I use it to edge my many flower gardens, clear my gravel driveway, for poison ivy control, and creeping charlie control with grass reseeding in problem areas. I also use it to spray invasive plants in my woodland/prariie areas I also paint pure roundup on the branch cuts I make in big honeysuckle bushes after I cut them with the clippers to kill the plant,.
Regarding Monsanto, people have to separate the GMO issue from Roundup and their other products. It is fine to criticize and make noise about the GMO’s but that should have no detrimental effect on the rest of Monsanto’s products like Roundup. But I can’t stop people from being single issue politics fanatics. I’m against the GMO’s but not Monsanto and Roundup
Many people use weed control on their yards, Roundup is just a more powerful product than weed and feed. So Keep up the good work Mike
First of all, you went through most of your article calling Round Up a pesticide but switched near the end to calling it an herbicide. Thank you.
Second, I would guess that most of your fans don’t need that giant jug of herbicide and so allow themselves to be brain washed by the near constant drone of advertising for Round Up products and they make their purchases based solely on their desire to the have the perfect lawn or garden depicted in those ads. After years of working in the chemical department of a major retailer, I’ve found that most people never read the label or make any attempt to follow the instructions. I try to explain that these companies employ very intelligent people for large sums of money to come up with the optimal recipe for mixing and treating their problems but these weekend warriors insist on the ‘more is better’ rule and simply throw potent chemicals everywhere and much of it does find its way into the water supply. You might take that threat a little more seriously if you depended on well water you share with your neighbors.
Third, you correctly stated that Round Up is a post emergent non-selective herbicide. It will kill or seriously wound anything it touches TODAY. And it is true that there are alternatives that are in far stronger concentrations and far less expensive on the same store shelf about 4 feet away from the giant section of white Round Up bottles. A 32oz. bottle of concentrate of an unknown ‘brand’ can cost about half of what Round Up goes for and it is a lot more powerful.
And lastly, spraying Round Up can be a very efficient choice for quick jobs. If today is Wednesday and you’re having a cook-out on Saturday then by all means knock out those nasty weeds with Round Up. However, if your cook-out is 7-10 days away, try Bayer Dura-Zone. It takes longer to be completely effective, but when the weeds are gone, they are gone for the rest of the year. No more spraying every few weeks like with Round Up. Oh and please don’t tell your fans to use Round Up (Grass and Weed Killer OR POISON IVY KILLER) on their Poison Ivy. Instead try Bayer Brush Killer. And don’t touch or cut (or burn) the vines, as you recommended. You can attach the bottle of brush killer to your garden hose and keep a safe distance away from that stuff. And if they live in the south, tell your fans that it also kills Kudzu. You won’t even find Round Up for Poison Ivy in most stores anymore because it just doesn’t have the prolonged effect. Your way might give your Poison Ivy a black eye but my way will kill it DEAD. Like Dura-Zone it takes a little longer but it is well worth the wait and much safer than risking coming in contact with the plant.
I do not put you down nor judge your for your poor choice but I will no longer subscribe and only hope that you do your proper research and understand the extreme damage this and so many chemicals are doing to our environment.
I hope for you, your children and the world that you come to see the absurdity of using such chemicals. Please check out Dr Mercola (mercola.com) and his research on the topic. If you really look and find the truth, I believe you would make a different choice.
And no, I would not put chemicals on my baby when there are so many alternatives in this world. I have a gorgeous garden and allow for some things to take and eat what they want and kill them when they take too much…but I don’t need damaging chemicals to do it.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.. .I’VE BEEN USING ROUNDUP FOR YEARS. I HAVE A WOODLAND YARD AND KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL IS HARD, ESPECIALLY AT 60 YEARS OLD. I DID GO TOO FAR THIS YEAR WHEN MY LILLIES GOT ATTACKED BY RED LILLY BEETLES. SO SORRY, BUT I RESORTED TO A LIGHT COATING OF SEVIN 5. PLEASE,DON’T HATE ME. I WAS CAREFUL TO ONLY APPLY AROUND THE LILLIES. I WAS SICK TO MY STOMACH JUST FROM GUILT. MY HUSBAND THOUGHT I WAS NUTS. HE’LL KILL BUGS AND WEEDS ANYWAY HE CAN.
I to have used roundup for years and have not had any problem with it. Thank for your article.
I use Roundup in my driveway, and around outbuildings like the dovecote and the chicken house. Bit those are the only places. I don’t use it near myvegatables or fruit trees.
Roundup is like a gun, a wrench, or a screwdriver. It’s just a tool. Use it wisely like you would a wrench, a gun, or a screwdriver.
I’ve heard 2-4-D is alike agent orange and not to be used on vegtables Is this correct. I have a weed in my garden that has taken over my whole garden and sucks all the moisture out of the ground. Thick, round leaves and stems that brake off easily. I’ve heard it called “pig weed, but don’t know for sure the correct name. It has taken over the whole garden. Tilling just spreads more. I am about to give up. Ever hear of such a plant? Alan
I notice that you use the term pesticide when referring to “Roundup (R)” or the “generic Roundup” but use the term herbicide when speaking of your use of pre-emergent herbicides. I always thought Roundup is a herbicide and Malathion, Sevin, etc. are pesticides?? For poison ivy, I’ve been successful using a mix of Weed-B-Gon and Brush-B-Gon and find Weed-B-gon more effective against broad leaf weeds than Roundup.
Nature is changing constantly by genetically modifying EVERTHING. Nothing is the same as it was a few generations back. GMO is in everything you eat so why worry if man is doing it as well as nature, only quicker. At 85 I’ve handled about every pesticide and herbicide there is. 24-D, 245-T, Round-Up, etc., etc. Have had them on my body and a time or two in my mouth. Still at my age I’m healthier than many people 25 years younger. Its smart to be careful and take precautions but if you need it, use it! Today’s generation of herbicides and pesticides are safe when used sparingly and according to instructions.
Mike
The media controls by propaganda who or what people hate or don’t and when they are wrong it is never corrected.
Dupont does the same business as Monsanto but is never demonized. And Before the AMA pushed the use of sunscreens and hand sanitizers we did not have vitamin D deficiencies or rickets or super resistant bacteria in our schools. The people including scientist and doctors who try to warn of of these things are silenced and ridiculed,in the media and research rejected. This has gone on for centuries. A great example is Joseph Simmelwiess. I agree with Mike have a open mind. Don’t believe half of what your hear and none of what you read until you check it out.
Good article thanks I use Round up about like you do. Keep up the good work. Never mind the nana sayers.
Mike, I grew up on our NE Iowa dairy / beef farm with corn, oats and hay for crops. Round up was needed for some of those tough to control weeds, but used only as needed. We had 5 springs and one well on our farm. I have 2 degrees in agriculture, and taught vocational agriculture / FFA prior to going off to fly for the USAF. A couple of years ago I had opportunity to shop at a farmer’s market in the Seattle WA area. We were early and they were not allowed to actually make the sale until the bell was rung. While waiting some of the folks got into a conversation with a couple of venders about “how” they controlled weeds without chemicals AND how they did NOT use GMOs…. I finally had had about enough and spoke up as they were slamming Monsanto and all the GMOs. I asked them what they thought “survival of the fittest” meant… and they explained how natural selection and evolution resulted in the best…. Well, they were proud as punch to explain that way of thinking; AND as they were smiling at having answered “correctly”… I then asked them if they had any hybrid roses… AND they were proud as punch to talk about their hybrid tea roses. Soooo, though folks here see where I’m going, they were left speechless when I made the hybrid — GMO — connection to corn, soybeans, etc…..How we had gotten all the hybrid seeds over the past century and more… and how we had gotten insect resistant varieties… that required less chemicals from planting to harvest. The bell rung, we paid for our produce… and my wife said as we were leaving, “They’re glad to see you go!” It was most evident that “they” were only parroting back what the liberal media — and merchants who’ve bought into it — had fed them over the past years! Mike, I’m sick n tired of all the hype out there for GMOs AND “organically grown” stuff in the stores that sells at ridiculous prices… and of course, the uneducated folks slamming of Monsanto! I now live “in town” and still have a few chemical weapons in my arsenal for those uninvited guests — namely “heavy duty” glyphosate for poison ivy. Our neighbor had an extremely well established “crop” on their back board fence that was now coming onto our back yard fence. And with dogs, the last thing I wanted was them coming in with the oil on their hair. I mixed up a batch, sprayed it… waited patiently…. reapplied about a month later as a few new shoots popped up with new leaves. The next Spring… not a sign of growth!. We carefully removed all the old vine; and 5 years later still poison ivy free! Oh, I occasionally get a new little sprout along the back fence — thanks to a bird leaving its “deposit”,: but I immediately pull the little 3-leaved seedling before it has a chance! Thanks Mike for letting follks know that there is still a place for the tried n true “chemicals” AND of course proper application!
I agree ,I’ve been around this stuff as a farmer forever. I spray roundup around trees and flower beds,not where I grow vegetables though.
My problem with Monsanto is round up ready crops. I don’t want to eat the stuff. And they have been suing farmers for using the 1st year from certified seed . farmers can’t buy seed that hasn’t been altered.. Like you said there’s enough chemicals in everything .
I am 84 yars old and have used Roundup for years..Spray my bermuda grass in February, when its in a dormant state, to kill the weeds, etc.
When the weather warms up, grass is nice and green and no weeds.
I also use it to edge all the flowers beds every year. Saves time and a lot less work then using the weed eater.
I use Roundup, I did not know you could buy it genericly. Is it saft to spray suckers growing around a large tree, with out killing the large tree?
Like anything else, one must use restraint. Too many people will misuse anything. I currently work in a retail store where I am an “expert” and give advise and directions on how to use things paint related. Too many folks ignore what I say or only hear what they want to hear. I have used Glypsophate to kill & control poision oak/ivy and Kudzu. I really have to wonder just how “safe” Dawn dish detergent is when it causes me to have rashes and it contains some nasty stuff. Trisoclan, an antibacterial has been linked to heart disease, heart failure, impairs muscle function, a potential endocrine disruptor(can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects and other developmental disorders). Sodium bisulfate can cause life-threatening side effects if ingested. Quaternium 15 is a formaldehyde releaser (can irritate skin and eyes, cause non-reproductive organ toxicity). Fragrance which the FDA doesn’t require companies to list the chemical makeup of. Too much of any thing is bad and incorrect use of a chemical is bad. How many here realize that EVERYTHING is a chemical or made up of chemical… including H2O
Excellent reply! Aside from the massive amounts of research proving the horrible effects of Roundup and other chemicals, not just on people but on animals and the environment, one only has to try NOT eating chemically grown foods, such as soy, corn and most grains, to realize how much illness they cause! While the herbicides and pesticides are busy mutating your cells into eventual cancer, the GMO foods necessary to tolerate harsh chemicals cause inflammatory illnesses that you can feel on a day-to-day basis: arthritis, asthma, COPD, allergies and even heart disease.
Luckily, I live in the Connecticut River Valley, where the availability of organically grown produce is abundant. After only a week of eating non-sprayed food, my arthritis is almost gone and my asthma much better–I’ve cut my medications by half!
Another great byproduct of this better health is that, at 62, I am now ABLE to go out and get much-needed exercise by WEEDING, along with my other garden work! Who would’ve thought???! It’s all interconnected.
As with your very apropos mention of DDT’s effects, we will one day, I hope, have legislation that bans the use of Roundup and other chemicals that weren’t needed 100 years ago and are NOT needed now! I refuse to suffer for the greed and profit of a company or so some guy can have “the best lawn” in the neighborhood!
Dear Mike,
You give your age and back condition as reasons for choosing to use a pesticide. You also note that the pesticide does not last in the soil because you were able to plant grass after many years of using it as a nursery where it was exposed to preen. These are anecdotal arguments. I am certainly happy for you that your back feels better and your grass grew back. None of that, however, is sufficient to evaluate what pesticides do and how they do it.
For example, there are many scientists who believe that pesticide use is killing bees here and elsewhere. You surely know that if the bee population fails a lot of people are going to be without food as well as flowers. A second concern is the quantity of pesticides leaching into the water table. It all runs off into streams where we fish and may eat the fish, or into streams that feed reservoirs. In both of these examples, individual reasons for using pesticides are beside the point because we lack vital information about the effects of the totality of use. You presented no scientific data to support your claims so no problems like bees and water can be addressed based on your account.
Finally, you do insult people who do not agree with you by picturing them as spreading false information, ready to throw things at you as if someone who disagrees with you must be a nut case, and by somehow using the word chemical to cover your medications and Round Up in the same breath.
This was the most disappointing column of yours that I have read. As someone who offers advice, your most valuable currency is credibility. I have read your website for years, but after this column I am not so willing to take your suggestions at face value. I don’t think you needed to write this column at all. There are plenty of other websites that explain problems that Monsanto might have caused. New technologies always create unanticipated problems and sometimes it may mrean back to the drawing boards. When I was young, DDT was everywhere. Then Rachel Caraon wrote Silent Spring. Who knew before a crack scientist and writer explained its effect on birds’ eggs or on fish? People were just trying to kill weeds, not anything else. But DDT had to be withdrawn from use and so may other pesticides as our scientific sophistication develops alongside using the products.
Respectfully submitted, Bill Oman
DEAR mIKE, i READ YOUR POST ABOUT RrOUNDUP AND i BASICALLY AGREE WITH YOUR CONCLUSIONS. i WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, HOWEVER, THAT ROUNDUP (GLYCOPHOSPHATE) IS NOT A PESTICIDE. iT IS A HERBICIDE. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. YOU SHOULD REVISE YOUR COMMENTS.
Just an observation: Your writing is too wordy, although your advice is good. You should get a professional writer to show you how to tighten up your script. Love your reports! Marion O’Handley
Bill – 1) medications ARE chemicals.
You are right Mike, I awknowledge you for being direct and honest, though I tell you that this behavior is perpetuating damage to earth and nature by using “Round-Up” and advocating it for others to use. This also perpetuates the enslavement of life forms on earth. Congratulations for being part of the problem …
It doesn’t make you a bad person it just shows that status quo is aceptable to you. Disappointing.
Respectfully submittedl,
faith o’toole
I work for Home Depot. We sell gallons of Roundup every year. I don’t use it. I have been using a similar product from Spectracide (Union Carbide) with good results. For poison ivy and kudzu, I use the poison ivy and tough weed killer with great results. My beef with Monsanto is that they sell a patented GMO enhanced seed that is Roundup resistant and sell Roundup to kill the non-resistant seed.This effectively gives them and DeKalb monopolies on the corn and soybean seed sold in the US When farmers try to save seed, they are often sued for patent violations. Even heirloom seed is often confiscated for these supposed violations. You need to watch the video “Food Inc.” to really catch an idea how our food is really produced.
You defend
Thanks for the “Roundup” on Roundup. Eases my conscience.
20% vinegar works as well as Roundup. At that concentration it is a hazardous. Material and is not readily available at most stores but it is an organic option. Supposedly this is what the railroads use to keep miles of track weed free. In a pinch I have used the 5% grocery store concentration and it works but then so does boiling water.
Boy are you going to get slammed. I would say THANK YOU showing a great deal of common sense. There is always the feeling of being “taught by the master” after reading your posts. Thanks for that!!
So glad to read this. I was more worried about killing the worms. I use roundup and it WORKS!!
I felt so guilty about the worms but now I feel ok about using it. Thanks for your posts!!
They are wonderful. I’ve learned soooo much!
try eating these chemicals first on your breakfast cereal then tell me how it tasted. Then spray it on your tomatoes and eat those.
I use round-up as well and poke a hole in the bottom of a plastic cup to put the wand through so I can place it over the weed to be sprayed without the worry of drift especially when spraying close to something I don’t want to get covered. I am also 58 and not as agile as I used to be and spraying is a good way to cover a large area in a small amount of time, and since this product works best in the hottest temps spraying gets me out and back in quickly.
I also use round up to weed and I love it! It saves me time and gets those weeds that I tried to get rid of only to have them come right back… I have a best friend who is a Master Gardner and she is the one who told me to use it, however don’t buy it from your local store but by the commercial round up and mix it your self! Works like a charm and your garden will never look prettier!
I really appreciate this, Mike. As much as I really like getting up close and personal to my weeds & grass while pulling them away from my fence, I also have a “mature” back and body, and not always the time to do this. The roundup type products work great. And your tips for how to apply will help me fine tune my efforts.
Mike,
I learned a lot about applying roundup and preemergents from your article. I think the reasoned approach you used was very good and detailed. Thanks for your help.
John
Thanks so much for this. My husband and I were just discussing this as we just used it on our picnic area at the swim club to remove tons of poison ivy. It worked!
Hi Mike: We live in Canada in an agriculture area and I agree with your approach to using Round Up.
Thx
Mike, I don’t think you did a good job. I think you did a great job. Thank you for being truthful.Jim
Mike,
Now you have really done it, opened up a controversy that is as bad as talking about politics. People who use Round up are happy[y it is available. People who are against it hate it with a passion and twist the truth to their benefit.
As shown on TV every product or med has it’s benefits yet has a list of side effects longer than your arm.
I use roundup, actually the generic and will continue to use it. I just don’t have the time to use it often enough.
Mike, good luck with this “CAN OF WORMS!!!!!”.
Hans
http://www.MuscadinesAndMore.com
Sad to say your decision and that of others to use these toxic chemicals has an effect on the rest of us who chose not to. That leaves us no choice. We will all have to pay for you stupidity. Including all the insects and animals that have no voice. Sorry I have lost all respect for you.
Glyphosate: Well being retired from an orchard for over 20yrs I still use the stuff BUT I WILL NOT SPAY IT, what I use is a wipe or a wand and dab or brush along edges to get rid of unruly growth.plus I use detergent mixed with it as well so that it spreads much better. .
Now back to spaying: has anyone seen a spay in action at dusk or morning, well I have and had to wear a white suit as well in the cabin of the tractor, the drift of spay is astronomical going onto roofs of houses that have rainwater collection tanks that is consumed by the inhabitants.
Used safely and in accordance to the labeling and stored in a ventilated area you, will not have any trouble with it’s use.
So Mike you are not alone and my method of use is better as one gets older.
Mike
I think what a lot of people ( myself included) do not like about Monsanto is the way they are pushing the GMO seed on the consumer & trying to stop us from having a choice about which type seed we can use Heirloom OR THEIR GMO SEED that can not be saved & replanted the next year so we have to buy their seed.. the nutrients are not the same therefore we are not as healthy as we could be by growing heirloom seeds.
Yes, I also use the product round up. I have sprayed it on weeds along the roadside that Deer eat, so far I have not seen any dead Deer other than those taken by the numerous Mountain Lions where we live. None of my eyes are hanging out or nose fallen off. Like all chemicals, I do use caution with it. I always shower, and throw the clothes in the washing machine by themselves. I am too old to worry about going sterile, I have 1.5 acres, and living in the Pacific Northwest, believe me we have plenty of weeds. I do not intend to hoe or pull them by hand on 1.5 acres. Weed eaters are an all day affair.
So put me on the side of Round up.
Yes, Mike I use roundup. But I use it sparingly . My suggestion to anyone, is read the lable. Not just the one on the back of the bottle, but the pamphlet that comes with it. Roundup doesn’t kill everything. My neighbors spray it on anything and everything. I have used it to controll the grass that I didn’t want in my lawn. Simple trick. Cut your grass. Then use a sponge soaked in a 30% solution and dabb it onto the gras you don’t want. I am trying to go organic and I am trying to eliminat the use of Roundup. Mulching has been a great help. Kill those seeds before they sprout.
I’m with you Mike. If we use chemical correctly they can be of great benefit. I have been using Roundup for years, I just don’t know how I could keep my weed under control without it. Thank for your honesty.
God Bless,
Jim
Ive farmed all my life & used round-up. You should keep cattle away form the sprayed weeds for 24 hrs. Its supposed to be safe once its dry. Lots of closed minded people reading this. If you dont like it dont use it, if you like it go for it. Farmers use some bad chemicals but round-up isnt one.
I have used Roundup/Zero weed killer in the past, but stopped using it in more recent times, especially after reading an article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Medical research in Sri Lanka has implicated glyphosate as a possible catalyst leading to an untreatable and fatal kidney disease in a number of tropical countries. The problem is the ability of glyphosate, under particular climatic conditions, to combine with heavy metals in soil and water. Environmental factors contributing to this situation are the combination of heavy metals naturally present in some soils, particularly tropical soils, and hard water. If anyone wishes to read the paper it is available here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945589/
I live in a tropical area, with mineral packed acidic bore water and soils, so I consequently do not use glyphosate containing products for obvious reasons.
May I add that if you are not in the tropics you most likely don’t have a problem.
I do not condemn anyone who chooses to use Roundup or any other proprietory brand containing glysophate, nor do I condemn those who choose not to use it. It is everyone’s prerogative to make up their own minds about particular products and choose whether to use or not use any chemical.
Unfortunately you and everyone else who uses these toxic chemicals are making a decision for the rest of us who do not. And for the creatures that have no voice.
If my neighbors decide to use it I am exposed to it as well. What choice do I have..
There is no choice for me. Its just a matter of corporate greed and narrow-minded consumerism. You are just reinforcing this egocentric mentality with your statements and now that of others. Sorry I have lost ALL respect for you.
You gave me a lot to think about. I have just learned to “put up” with weeds. Thanks for the info!
I think you are irresponsible to use Roundup. For one it gets into the ground water and contaminates other peoples water and organic crops. White vinegar does the same thing as Roundup and is environmentally safe for animals and children. You can spray it on and any weed or plant and it too will kill it quick. If you add salt and soap it will very effectively kill poison ivy. Be responsible, take care of the earth.
I do not like to use chemicals. HOWEVER, after using bagged mulch (Canadian) I now have more Canada thistle than any two or three people have. I had to resort to Roundup at triple strength, a pair of Rubber” gloves covered by cotton gloves dipped into the Roundup and covering the thistle with the Roundup. So far 80% have “died” the only problem is the thistle is growing in between my flower plants, etc. I may have to continue doing this but I do not want to lose any more plants as done this past winter. I hope my efforts are not hopeless……………………………. Being a Master Gardener I hate to lose ANY plant!!!!!!!
Eve
I totally agree with you about RoundUp and it’s generic cousins, My motto is: RoundUp if necessary but not necessarily RoundUp. By that I mean that there are times when it is needed- for spraying wild parsnip and poison ivy for example- and I use it then. If I were a nurseryman I might use it on other plants, but on the small property which I own , I can easily dig up dandelions and thistles, etc. As long as the operator is careful, doesn’t use such a heavy spray that it drifts and stay away from watercourses, I can see no problem with it.
Mike,
Good article and I agree with most of it (my only disagreement is that the EPA stopped the continued pollution of Lake Erie; the clean up of the water in Lake Erie was a result of the zebra mussel which has created its own set of problems; see http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/zebra.html for details).
Keep up the good work!
Phil
You could just as easily killed that poison ivy with salt and vinegar instead of a deadly chemical. If you think Roundup does not linger in the soil you are sorely mistaken. You are indeed correct that the Great Lakes are poisoned by big corporations with PCB, and other chemicals still in the fish from dumping in the 50’s and 60’s so don’t be fooled that roundup and other man made chemicals aren’t left or depleting the soil as we speak. There are just as easy ways to edge your beds without chemicals. Talk to people who don’t use chemicals and get some good ideas that will work for you. I think a little effort on your part will help our planet in the long run. Just a note of question. Would you let your little 3 or 4 year old play where chemicals are sprayed? Not me. Oh, most people use these chemicals as if no problem to let pets and kids run free. Just saying. I am an organic gardener and my flower beds and fruits look great without the use of man made chemicals. People rave at my flowers and garden beds. I am 55 years old. I don’t want to preach; just talk to people who can give you solid advice and ideas on organic gardening. Maybe a Master organic gardener. Thank you for your time and all of your good advice on all sorts of gardening ideas. I especially liked your advice on pruning fruit trees. Thank you for your time and the donkeys, they heal sore tired eyes:) Have a great day, Bonnie
Bonnie – I think you need to reread your first sentence where you are telling people what to use to kill poison ivy. Yes, the salt will usually kill what grows in the ground where it is dumped, but it will also leach out (distance is unknown and varies depending on type of soil and moisture) and kill the tree and other plants that weren’t intended to be killed. If you are going to give information on what to use for a weed killer (probably only picked up and used by newbies) please make sure you are giving correct information.
Mike, neither you nor I own enough reams of paper to write down All of the Lies propagated by Monsanto, SynerGen, E.I. DuPont, et. al. The USDA and the FDA are ALL on the Same team.
Glyphosate, GMO Corn, GMO Soybeans, GMO Wheat, rBST Growth Hormone, and Cortisone additives are all brought to our children (and us) in our Food Supply. So, you are getting a substantial dose of Glyphosate with every meal. Enjoy.
Bill Marrs – Cert. Master Gardener
Mike, I’ve bought 3 backyard growing kits from you. Why are you banning my posts on this subject? It’s as informative to your followers as your post is. There is no reason to only present one side. Trust me, you’ll get more hits, more followers, and possibly more sales by including all opinions more than you will by excluding them.
Best to you and yours.
Shoe (35 year grower)
I see nothing wrong with what you are doing . We all need a little help once in a while ,Just don’t get carried away and spray it into streams or public water .
Mike,I’ve been reading your blog for years-I know an honest man when i see one. I trust you.
I NEVER respond to these things.. but I have to say…My allergist, who is one of the mos respected in the western USA told me that Round UP is one of the most dangerous chemicals to be used tody. You said it was a pesticide, and I always believed it to be a defoilant. WHen my allergist diagnosed me with allergies to environmental toxins ( including Round UP) he asked me where I thought it went.. I said I understood it was inert when it touched dirt.. He asked me where it went.. It IS A CHEMICAL.. I had no answer for that. does it go in the air, does it go into the ground? It is still a chemical. I read recently in the newspaper in CA.. that they can not find water tht does not test possitive for roundup.. That inclludes ALL drinking water and water that runs off and ends up in the rivers and ocean.. The ariticle was NOT written by an environmentalist.. Just stating a fact, I assume.. I know, when I drive down the freeway, behind a spray rig that is spraying along the road, i get horribly sick, with headaches, ftigue, and nausea.. I told my allergist that i felt like I should find a cave deep in the woods somewhere and stay there.. Of course, if there are new reforestation, they spray it.. I live near the coast in OR, and try to avoid the spray rigs, and other things I am allergic to, but I have to say, I do NOT agree with you. Most of the farmer friends I have in CA who use chemicals, including Round up.. have horrible allergies and use inhalors and eventually end up having to use Oxygen.. They have a right to poison themselves, but the fallout is killing others too.. I have had numersous friends go where the air is clean for a few weeks ( away from the faarming chemical-filled air in CA) and are able to get off of their inhalors, only to need them again when they return to their homes. I believe in Freedom and I tend to support those who have to use chemicals on their farm plants to make a living, but i also believe that it is fair for others to be able to breathe clean air.. Countries who have socialized medicine, have done a lot to try to rid their air of harmful chemicals because they have done research and found that those chemicals cause health problems, and even reduce the mentality of children who have to breathe chemical-riden air and eat chemical soaked food.. When they come up with something effective, Monsanto buys them out and does NOT market the safer things. They are responsible fo the GMO problems we are facing, too.. I don’t EVEN want to go into that.
I do believe you are correct when it comes to the hate. Too many people say big corporation = evil therefore everything it does is completely and irrevocably evil. Thus, everything Monsanto makes must be evil, even if it helps people, because Monsanto is a big corporation.
We used a concentrated version of Roundup, overdid it by about 10%, then kept the pressure high and the nozzle about an inch off the ground. That worked to kill the weeds under the fence and right on the building for about 6 months, so it has to have some persistence in the soil. It greatly cut down the time to maintain the lawn and it cut the use of the gas-powered mower and weed whacker, so it saved money and must have at least broken even on carbon.
I appreciated all your observations and comments. I do admit that I try hard to be as “organic” as I can, but I too just bought round up for poison ivy and I am not only planning on using it, but hoping like the devil that it really works because I’m tired of the constant rash and blisters! I think that if care is taken, chemicals can be used judiciously as a last resort in specific and targeted ways. I will continue to do as much as I can organically, but I will carefully resort to other things when all my efforts end in failure otherwise. I will also be very careful about when and where it is used. Thanks!
If your husband was in Vietnam, as was mine, and he was exposed to Agent Orange and died because of complications of that herbacide, you may think differently. I respect your view, however I can no longer continue viewing your site. There ARE alternatives to using chemicals for sunscreens, weed destruction, bugs/rats/ gophers just as there are very effective alternatives to using antibiotics and surgical procedures most of the time.
Great article Mike. I’ve been using weed killer around my 4 acres for over 20 years and I can testify that it does not stay in the soil. If it did I wouldn’t have to repeat using it. Seems like during the growing season I have to use it several times to keep the weeds at bay.
Thank you for this post, Mike! Spot weeding has been a cornerstone of my gardening for many years, and I currently have the best lawn and flower beds I have ever had after years of battling those weeds with an aim to rid the weeds and maintain the qualtiy of the environment in which I have planted my flowers. It seems clear to me that if the effectiveness of the product lies in uptake by the plant through its leaves to its root, spraying “around the plant” is an unnecessary waste of material and money. Focused targeted application is the key.
I really enjoyed this post
I have always been an ‘organic’ gardener and have tried vinegar, boiling water and other organic method.
This year I decided that I really needed to something more drastic and tried roundup and am so glad that I did. I sprayed carefully and am very pleased with the results.
i have realised that sometimes you have to use pesticides, but need to use them responsibly and carefully.
Not a pesticide as said several places, but an herbicide as said others.
Mike, your info you share regarding plant propagation is “right on!” However, you knowledge along the lines of ecology, “round-up”, and the issues of health and ecology is sadly lacking.
You stated in your article Round Up is a pesticide. Not true. Round Up is an herbicide. You should know the difference by now, especially with all the years and knowledge you seem to possess. I think you’ll lend more credibility to your followers if you speak with more credible knowledge. And no, you’re not being bashed or under attack with this post, just being corrected, which should be in your best interest as well as those who follow your posts/blog.
Round Up has been shown to be very detrimental to human health as well as the health of water, life in water (aquatic life) and most recently the EPA met with a group of mothers who brought forth definite medical evidence their children are suffering ill effects due to Round Up. It would behoove you (don’t ya love that word!?) to do a bit more research before using your opinion as fact. and misleading many people.
“Glyphosate” in itself, is actually safer than Round Up in certain usage areas,; the latter containing an adjuvant which has been proven by many scientific studies to be the biggest problem in the product called Round Up. Adjuvants, are often kept confidential and are called inerts by the manufacturing companies, Until 2009 most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the newest study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/
Opinions are very important. Scientific studies carry much weight, even the EPA and FDA rely on them. The “monsanto studies” have been proven to be a farce, hence the number of law suits against them and won, not just by people but by several States.
All this can be easily documented with a quick Google search and I encourage you to look for information other than from Monsante/DuPont but please include the World Health Organization (WHO) and the majority of the countries of Europe as well as Scientific American. Even our own EPA will come up with the latest research on Round Up and its detrimental affects on the ecology, the environment, and human health.
Best to you and yours.
To see very interesting scientific data recently processed after years of study type in glyphosate in this website: http://[email protected].
Our family is avoiding glyphosate and gmo products. Having worked in the medical field for 40 years, I have seen how years of wrongful exposure/ingestion slowly (sometimes not so slowly) kills!
Well said. Without glyphosate my garden would have to be postage stamp size.
Mike, your are 58 … (young) I’m 75 so I just use what work best so I don’t have to. Yes, I save a lot of labor by using round-up. But not on or near my herbs.
Mike
I summer in Canada (snowbird) and I winter in Florida.The Us is more easy on supplying pesticides.
Here in Canada most pesticides have been removed from home gardeners and are just available to farmers and professional pesticide applicators. In my opinion this is the result of lobbying by self interest groups.
Nothing is done to educate gardeners about pesticides and their use> To me this would be a far wiser approach to the wise and safe use of these agents.Every attempte is made to confuse mixing and concentrations of some of these agents. You use 1 one gallon sprayer and you cant find any mixing instructions for such a small quantity.Rather you are instructed on mixing for many Hectares( yes we use metric here) and you risk making a serious mistake mixing a small quantity of the agent.
My point is this: dont let the big interests to lobby with boggymen.
We still can buy roundup but not for long but no one is taking the time to educate the home gardener on wise use of these agents and which ones are safer to use.
Here is a report done by Dr. Russel L. Blaylock, retired board certified neurologist, on studies about Roundup and it’s effect on animal and human health.
http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/blaylock/issues/gm1112/blaylock_gm1112_101.pdf
There is a possibility that Roundup use can bring about or contribute to the development of Parkinsonism.
People are NOT opposed to use of Roundup or Glyphosate because they do not like Monsanto. That is a ‘Straw Man’ Fallacy.
Monsanto, Syngenta, and Dow are in the business of selling chemicals. Monsanto and Syngenta are also in the business of making GMO seeds and controlling the food supply. They create genetically modified seeds which can tolerate the application of chemicals like Roundup. One should do real research on GMO’s and their negative effects on the environment and people. Many Asian Indian farmers bought GMO seeds for cotton, and then let their animals eat the plants. The animals died, and many Indian farmers have committed suicide from not being able to provide for their families and not being able to pay off the loans used to buy GMO seeds.
Hi Mike. I wish I could say that something I could write might change your mind. The bottom line is that one has to put several hours into researching to know what Monsanto and Roundup are all about. Roundup is only about 1% biodegradable and yes, it is carcinogenic and causes birth defects. If someone has good will, he can watch “The World According to Monsanto” on Youtube, listen to Jeffrey Smith’s free talk “Don’t Put That in Your Mouth”, and read a book like “Genetic Roulette”.
Mike, you made a great point. We do many of the things in our lives today out of convenience. Some people might point to the nuclear power plant built in their backyard a year ago and say, “See! I’m still alive!: But, you and I both know that the effects of poisons like uranium and glyphosphate are cumulative. If you are lucky enough to know have a stillborn or genetically mutated child in this day and age, that’s great. But many of us have been collateral damage of our chemical-happy society.
I say that if it’s good enough for Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, it’s good enough for me. I prefer the simple life of the Holy Family and I don’t believe in the quick buck to get ahead if in the end I am robbing from my progeny, whether it’s the national debt or battery recycling or using carcinogenic pesticides that inevitably make their way into our waterways.
And if someone REALLY wants to get freaked out so they do something to save our future generations, just look up Fukushima mutations USA. I can send you a picture of a whole bush of mutated flowers, where petals came out where the stamen did and vice versa. A product of Fukushima radiation that will keep coming hear from Japan until we die.
So is it worth it to use glyphonsphate in agriculture or uranium in our energy product or even in our wars (we put uranium on the tips of our bullets in our wars in the Middle East– looking at the birth defects online, I’m sure the people there are thrilled)? I’d say no, and we have sealed our own fate with our greed and calllousness. I’d just use the vinegar recipe that Kevin mentioned.
MD
Confession time: I use Roundup® too. Very selectively. Because I’ve used natural herbicides – vinegar is usually fantastic! for years & it works well, but there a a few really nasty weeds that refuse to be killed by it. Even straight. Saturated. With dish soap. Doing some research, I’ve discovered the reason is… Bindweed, ahem, grows a 20-FOOT deep root system! And the seed is viable for 75 years! Goatheads aren’t much nicer, but that’s enough for now… In its place, Roundup® is just dandy. Just be extremely careful around prized plantings.
P: I live in a WA apple orchard, have for 27 years, so am quite cautious about harming bees. I have loads of honeybees and bumblebees that visit regularly; they have not slowed down even when we were hearing much about colony collapse. I do not do any wide over-spraying; as I said, VERY selective individual plant spraying is the norm here. (And GMOs suck!)
Just an FYI. Insecticides, herbicides, termiticides, rodenticides are all for controlling [pests] or nuisances. So the entire category of controls are referred to as pesticides. Roundup or Glyphosate was initially an accidental discovery when a soap concentrate experiment was finished and the product was dumped out next to the lab. 1 week later all the grass was dead only where the solution was poured. It is a fairly harmless product to humans especially when you follow the label. I have used it for over 30 years and sold it for 1/2 of that time. I stay away from chemicals whenever possible and tell my clients to do the same. But there are times when it’s sensible and safe.
Mike,
Sorry Chief ~ but I gotta disagree with ya on this one…
Not on using herbicides, but on your choice of companies. I use Paraquat instead of Round Up – Why? Works great and is NOT a Monsanto product.
Back during the 60’s, Monsanto and Dow were the prime contractors for producing Agent Orange – which is basically 2-4-D – seems that Monsanto took the cost cutting steps that left quantities of PCB’s in the spray instead of higher cost of removing them. After all, we were just spraying it on trees and vines – and our enemy…
They learned that you can do more – more cheaply by controlling the politics than making your product better.
http://ivn.us/2013/02/11/the-revolving-door-fda-and-the-monsanto-company/
Seems there are similar situations in USDA and EPA..
Gosh, but we still trust FDA – USDA has always been for good food and crops – EPA cleaned up our rivers too…
But what happens when corporations exert control over the regulator by infiltration?
FDA can find no wrong in Monsanto – USDA can’t wait to approve their GMO lines and tout them to the world – Dear old EPA who orchestrated major clean-ups now chases it’s own tail in efforts to remove every minutia of anything from the environment, can’t seem to see anything wrong with unnatural – man-made gene concoctions being spewed all over…
Bt delta endotoxin’s donor organism is a naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis – that won’t hurt you – rBGH in your milk must be OK – Bt-potatoes, Bt-corn, Bt-sweet corn, Roundup Ready soybeans, Roundup Ready Corn, and Liberty Link corn – no amount of scrubbing will remove it from your food. GMO’s surely must be fine though… Oh, did I mention that there are other things that go along with that – like marker gene manipulations, and enhancer genes too – then there are the enzymes we use to split the genetic string and the one they use to recombine them… Often E. Coli bacterium is the agent used…
We don’t really know all the inter-workings that go on, but it MUST be safe – Government says so… Well, at least ours does – lots of other countries seem to disagree though.
Then we come across things like Rape Seed Oil (now called Canola – sounds better) – used to be only good for machine oil, but we were able to breed the undesirable ingredient out, then Monsanto decided to do it with gene splicing – even took out patents on it – how else could they sue neighboring Organic farmers in Canada to collect royalties when Monsanto’s seed with their markers blew over into that neighbors field… Yep, they destroyed that farmer and made him destroy his own crop as well as pay a huge royalty and fines… Nice guys… (They must not like competition)
I wouldn’t be too quick to jump on pro-Monsanto wagon over seed companies – No, Burpee was not bought out – but did you know:
‘As of 2005, Monsanto owns Seminis. It is estimated that Seminis controls 40 percent of the U.S. vegetable seed market and 20 percent of the world market—supplying the genetics for 55 percent of the lettuce on U.S. supermarket shelves, 75 percent of the tomatoes, and 85 percent of the peppers, with strong holdings in beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and peas. The company’s biggest revenue source comes from tomato and peppers seeds, followed by cucumbers and beans.’
I for one don’t like the trend one bit… About 4 companies control the vast majority of seeds…
Now we just have to worry about those super weeds and bugs that are created by over-use of chemical controls…
Guess I can’t get past what our POTUS might say – ‘Uhhh don’t worry at all about those chemicals and GMO’s – there is not a smidgen of evidence that they aren’t super healthy for you… Just ask…. ummmm anybody. Everybody knows that…’
Sorry for being windy and a bit slanted- but had to get it off my chest..
After all this technology, they (a couple of Universities) now say that it doesn’t increase yields either and the savings you would have made now go to the giant corporations… Where IS that Reset button?
I am all for using roundup or any other glyphosphate herbicide if it is used as directed. Last summer I hit my backyard with Rounup, rototilled it under, smoothed it out and replanted. It came up fine. Used as directed is the key element. As Mike said spraying to the point of runoff does no good, and wind drift/overspray can kill plants you , or your neighbor wants to keep, so beware !
Thanks, Rod.
Mike, I have to agree with most of what you said and sharred over Monsanto’s Roundup. Ive been a user of this product for several years and I know how to handle it and to treat various areas of my yard that requires erradications of specific weeds, grasses, etc. You said in your article that most people don’t know much about Monsanto Chemical Co. Plese let me be clear about this because it was Monsanto that came up with the GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) seed probagations. More and More States and Consumers are becomming aware of GMO Foods and are avoiding them like the plague. Ask yourself this? “Would you (knowling) purchase vegetable seeds that were Genetically Modified by Monsanto’s chemists? Believe me Mike…The word is out about this subject and the State of Maine has totally banned all GMO’s. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. Other State’s are following suit. I’m more passionate about this subject than I am Roundup! Thanks for listening…Paul
Please check out info on glyphosate at http://[email protected] and type in glyphosate. Many lab studies with physicians globally related to this product, and some good basic chemistry related to how these components may be harmful to our bodies.
If Maine has banned all GMOs, then there must be no dogs at all there, and hardly any flowers. Humans have been using GMOs for thousands of years. Every dog breed today is a GMO. Monsanto just does it faster in a lab. GM seeds feed more people for a lower cost and a higher yield in increasingly poor conditions than any so-called “organic” method (folks, ALL foods are organic, without exception- *motor oil* is organic!) could hope to do. The real issue with Monsanto’s GM seeds does not come from nonsense about health effects, it comes with the licensing issues that make it difficult for farmers in poor areas to buy the seed. It’s a legal, not a scientific or health issue.
It would also mean that Maine severely limits the treatment options of diabetics. I am a diabetic that uses human insulin obtained, not by harvesting people, but made by GM bacteria. Without GMOs, I would have to use much less effective and much more expensive insulins. Let’s not be blinded by Monsanto hate.
Good informative post, Paul. Glad you spoke up.
I just posted about Round Up and was zapped. I don’t think Mike wants to be corrected on his opinion about it. Sorry Mike, didn’t mean to offend.
I too am against using it around the vegetable garden. I don’t bathe in it. GMO FOOD PRODUCTS ARE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MONSTER.
The reason I’m not a fan of Monsanto’s Roundup, specifically is because the surfactant in it is a known amphibian killer. It is dangerous to the local frogs and salamanders. I am not anti glyphosate– that is not the chemical that kills. I do agree it is one of the safer herbicides as long as it is purchased in a form without surfactants..
I just can’t figure how vinegar, lemon juice and dish detergent is cheaper.
I am a beekeeper. Long time have I seen pesticides & herbicides affect my bees.
A few good rules to follow when applying these chemicals into our environment.
1- follow the 72 rule then top the undesireable before it flowers or pollenates.
2- strictly apply as directed by manufacturer
3- keep a record and pay attention to what you apply to your soils. You never know when the accumulation & creation of hazmat may ruin everything you desire most.
I’ve used it for years around young trees in Orange Groves and my yard along fence lines here in Florida. If you follow directions on the container it is safe.
Thanks for your honesty. I am not a fan of Monsanto and will do my best to not support them or any of there products.. I am, however, young and in relativly good health. I have a pretty small gardening operation and have no problem rolling my sleves up and pulling weeds in the heat.
Please take me off your mailing list.
I had a lot of respect for you until you began advertising for roundup.
What a shame.
Not a fan of roundup but I won’t beat you up about it. I find that I really don’t need it. I have a good size landscape area with rose, dahlia, mixed border and vegetable gardens so I get my share of weeds. I just yank them out the old fashioned way, weed wack or use heavy duty vinegar in areas that are really bad! Compost them and don’t worry about what the ramifications. I used round up years ago along with other chemicals but after having survived cancer I’ve made some choices in my life to be less reliant on things that may not be so good for me or the environment. My husband started beekeeping last year and I want to keep them around too!
Hey Mike
I have been in the nursery business since ’82 and have sprayed more than my fair share of chemicals …
The make up of roundup/RU has changed over that time … the strength of RU started at 360gm/l went up to 450 gm/l when tolerance to weeds became an issue …
The future will prove that RU is possibly one of the worst chemicals to be used in agriculture … not by the individual using it as you or I would use it … but because Glyphosate/G (the active ingredient in RU) is now in our food chain in all of the genetically modified crops/GM …
A history of G … first patented in the 60s as a mineral chelator … So G ties up minerals within the plant which is important when you consider that most of the GMs are designed by the biotech companies to tolerate G being sprayed on them (RU Ready GM crops) … either that or to produce its’ own pesticide (Bt Toxin) in every gene of the plant , even in the pollen … it doesn’t take much to realize that pesticide in pollen is not a good thing for all the pollinators out there …
Monsanto patented G as a herbicide when one of their chemists discovered G killed plants …
But the biggest issue with G is that it is now patented as a very effective antibiotic … http://www.google.com/patents/US7771736 …
The way weeds are killed with G or RU is by the chelating action , and by interfering with a metabolic pathway within the plant … this is called the shikimate pathway
Humans don’t have that particular pathway in their bodies , so this is where the line that G is safe for humans comes from …
But the good bacteria in the flora within our guts have the shikimate pathway … and the good bacteria in the soil has this pathway , so you get a situation where the good gut and soil bacteria are being killed off and the not so good ones thrive …
So RU is a mineral chelator which is also a strong antibiotic … and it is in the food chain in all the GM corns, soy,alfalfa, sugar beets etc etc etc
If a baby formulation is made from any GM input then the babies are being fed Glyphosate drenched crops … I’m not being alarmist just stating the facts as to what G/RU does in GM frankenfoods …
This is a huge problem … check out DR Stephanie Seneff to see her work in Autism and Glyphosate …
Also check out Dr Don Huber who has been at the forefront of Agriculture in the USA ( at government advisory levels ) …
G used as little as possible should be the mantra … I don’t think that there is any bad karma for responsible use of G/RU as long as you appreciate how it works … that’s being reserved for the biotechs …
More good bacteria in our guts by taking probiotics , or good old cow poo in the soil will help …
Banning the use of Glyphosate ON any food product is the only solution …
Growing food used to be called AGRICULTURE … now it is called Agribusiness
That’s why people hate Monsanto
Good gardening 🙂
I agree with your use of Round-Up or other glyphosate products and at 67 years old I just don’t have the time and energy to “baby” weeds. I use glyphosate products, actually knock offs of the Monsanto product that are much cheaper when I want to “nuke them all”. I use glyphosate sparingly and generally use a 2-4D spray when I want to kill “broadleafs” only, like the various thistles. This way I do not harm the grasses and it gives them (grasses) a chance to overcome the broadleafs. Once the grasses crowd out the thistles it is much easier to control the remaining weeds. We have lived on our property here in Idaho for about 9 years and the thistle population is down by 90%. When I first stared using glyphosate I was killing everything and I found out from the extension service that this was counter productive. However I do reserve glyphosate for the extreme circumstances. Great article and I agree with you 100%. Happy gardening!
I should have mentioned that we have 41 acres to attend to and a driveway that is in excess of 500 feet long, so a grub hoe and typical weeding is NOT an option. It certainly depends on your situation, If we had a small town garden and flower bed, then chemicals like glyphosate would not be on my list. I prefer not to use insecticides and fungicides, but sometimes you do not have an option.
I read the replies and wondered if any of these gardeners notice any absence of bees. I have three acres and even the Russian Sage is pretty well bare of the bees. We are surrounded by farms by the way. I have stopped using Round-UP years ago. I use muscle and weed wackers, the old fashioned kind that takes a wack over the back. The absence of bees on clover, flowers and bushes has me concerned. Any answers?
Roundup and many other chemicals are poisoning the earth. Several studies have shown that 90% or more of all earth and water samples taken around the world, contain the chemicals in Roundup. Other methods do work, it just takes a little longer. By not using chemicals (I have an acre of yard and garden) I have more toads, skinks, butterflies, and bees. Many of us here in my community are doing what we can to promote chemical free yards for a local bee keeper. We will kill off bees and butterflies if we don’t pay attention to what the earth is telling us.
Mike I agree with you I am not that young either I use round up for poison ivy and we have an issue with gypsum weed I cannot burn that and besides no matter how much we pull some of the root gets left behind and I don’t want to cause people to hallucinate, lol Like you no chemicals on plant and flowers have to protect are honey bees what few we have! And finding out that local nurseries use pesticides won’t be buying any flowers next year everything will be started from seed! But sometimes we have to break down or be over run.
Happy Gardening!!!!
Please read this: Roundup herbicide causes smorgasbord of fatal diseases, new study concludes
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040226_monsanto_roundup_glyphosate.html#ixzz32LCtJExq
(NaturalNews) The immense dangers associated with exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide are becoming incontrovertible, with the latest indictment of this deadly chemical cocktail coming from a new paper published in the open access, peer-reviewed journal Entropy. A scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her colleague found that, contrary to industry claims, the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, interferes with human digestion and the biosynthesis of nutrients, which can cause a host of fatal diseases.
Most of the chronic illnesses that plague Western society, in fact, are the same residual consequences that can arise due to exposure to Roundup. This stunning fact raises some serious questions about the safety of the general food supply, much of which is derived from or contains ingredients made from genetically-modified (GM) crops that are sprayed with Roundup. In other words, when the vast majority of today’s most prevalent diseases can be traced to the same long-term side effects brought about by exposure to Roundup, we have a very real public health crisis on our hands.
To arrive at this conclusion, independent scientist and consultant Anthony Samsel and MIT researcher Stephanie Seneff evaluated a plethora of scientific research on glyphosate, including data showing that the toxin disrupts microbial balance in the gut; impairs the transport of sulphate; and suppresses the normal activity of various members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of enzymes, which are used by the body to break down toxins and produce blood. And in the process of their quest, these two inquiring minds determined that the negative effects of glyphosate on mammals, which includes humans, have been greatly underestimated.
“Glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals,” write the authors in their abstract. “Residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, comprised primarily of sugar, corn, soy and wheat … Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Roundup exposure linked to brain disorders, reproductive problems, and cancer
The discovery that glyphosate directly inhibits CYP enzyme activity is noteworthy, as this class of enzymes is responsible for regulating proper metabolism. When CYP enzymes are blocked from functioning as intended, in other words, a condition known as gut dysbiosis can result, which in turn can lead to inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic gastrointestinal disorders. Such disorders, as you may already know, are often linked to autism spectrum disorders and various other brain conditions.
Beyond this, glyphosate has also been shown to directly interfere with reproductive function. A known chelator, the spraying of Roundup on crops has been shown to not only deplete nutrients from crops, but also block their absorption from soil. When ingested, glyphosate and glyphosate residues can cause similar damage in humans, as it both depletes and decreases the bioavailability of important reproductive nutrients like cholesterol sulfate and zinc. Glyphosate has also been shown to cross the placental barrier and damage developing human life in mothers’ wombs.
“Contrary to the current widely-held misconception that glyphosate is relatively harmless to humans, the available evidence shows that glyphosate may rather be the most important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions that have become prevalent in Westernized societies,” explain the authors in their discussion.
“While glyphosate is obviously not the only environmental toxin to contribute to these diseases and conditions, glyphosate’s ability to disrupt the gut bacteria, to impair serum transport of sulfate and phosphate, and to interfere with CYP enzymes, logically progresses to this multitude of diseased states, through well-established biological processes.”
You can read the study’s abstract here:
http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416
You can read the complete study here:
http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416/pdf
Mike — Yup, you’ve gone and done it. While you had some good advice to pass along on a number of things — Roundup is NOT one of them. You don’t have any knowledge of chemicals and the dangers some of them present to people and the ecology, obviously. And you obviously don’t appreciate the difference between the term pesticide and herbicide. Study up before you impart more of your “wisdom” to your unsuspecting but well-meaning readership. But then, you really want to sell us something, right? Your posts are now going in the trash.
Roundup is NOT safe …. for human beings!
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/
And get your back looked at! 58 is too young to have a “bad” back.
Dr. Horwitz – I do hope you are not a licenses medical doctor. If you are, you (of all people) know that age has nothing to do with having a “bad” back. Remember auto accidents, skiing accidents, etc? Do be so rude.
I thought Roundup was an herbicide? They refer to it as a pesticide??
I would never waste $$ on Roundup.
I use a hoe instead to control weeds, it puts the dead plant back into the soil, root and all, and I am aerating the soil. I never let the weeds go to seed, I tackle them before they ever produce seeds. Sure, you have to keep on top of them, but that’s what everyone did, years ago.
Plus I am getting exercise and Vitamin D.
For some people not fee-sable especially when you have a lot of land and not enough time with everything else that needs to be done.
Thanks for your thoughtful treatment of this subject Mike. One question: what about bees and other beneficial insects? Any harm to them? Thanks.
Ginny,
According to all I’ve read it will not harm them. It’s designed to control vegetation, not mammals. However, allow it to dry before letting pets near a sprayed area or don’t spray where your pets go.
I also use Round-up. I have several .acres to manage and have some control over. A small city gardener could possibly keep 10 foot high weeds out. But some of us have no choice to spray and spray. Keep up the great web site.
A lot of research implicates Round Up in the demise of the bees. For that reason alone, I do not use it.
A new peer-reviewed report authored by Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant, and a long time contributor to the Mercola.com Vital Votes Forum, and Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), reveals how glyphosate wrecks human health.
Mike, the wonderful thing about America is the diversity of opinions that are guaranteed. I am enclosing a link to an extremely interesting video and article about the latest research on Roundup and similar products. Please take the time to listen and read. You have an influence with many people, and I am sure you would not want to endorse a product that might be a detriment to your grandchildren and their grandchildren. Remember the information put out about DDT years ago, once endorsed by the FDA but now prohibited. Let’s learn from our mistakes.
The link is: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/09/monsanto-roundup-herbicide.aspx
Mike…been using for years…no weeds…no thistles…beautiful plants and trees. Hey…Monsanto is just a business. ..not a zombie plotter wanting to take over the world one weed at a time. Check out my garden at “Kim’s garden in Washington”.great edges are Roundup caused….there I said it….my, but confessions are good for the soul 😉
People hate Monsanto because they want to own the world food supply,destroy farmers who don’t use the poison they produce, and destroy lives. Thousands in India alone.
watch The World According to Monsanto.
I love your work,but you are wrong on this one.
Now I AM THE one at risk. You have no clue what M is about.
I used Roundup until I found that I could make my own weed killer. 1 Gallon White Vinegar, 2 cups epson salts , 1/4 cup Dawn dish detergent mixed in sprayer and applied to the weeds. I applied this in the heat of the day and it worked as well as Roundup. The only thing I haven’t been able to find is something to kill off sumac.
So you are 58 years old, Well I am 78 and I use Round Up also. No way can I trim roadways etc. without some help. I do use responsible . Now Monsanto is another story I hate their GMO foods and will never knowingly use their products.
1 Gallon of White Vinegar +1/4-1/2 cup of salt + 1 Tablespoon of dish soap does just as well and way less toxic to pets and children too
It would be interesting to see what your yard, flowerbed or garden looked like after you sprayed anything with salt in it. The salt will leach out in the ground and kill your plants that are situated in that area – the ones you didn’t intend to kill. And you soil will remain contaminated with the salt for quite some time, preventing you from replanting in that area. Sorry to pop your bubble, but vinegar mixtures will not kill bindweed. There are those of us who have many acres on which we fight that awful weed and we must use what will work. Nothing totally kills bindweed except for sterilizing the soil. But Roundup (or the generic) at least allows us to beat back the bindweed to where it doesn’t kill out the good plants/grass that is needed in the pastures. Common sense and vigilance in use of anything is what is important. Use whatever you wish and we will do the same.
I don’t have time for a big long comment, so I’ll just say: I’m not emotionally attached to what you use or don’t use, but I’m disappointed by your lack of knowledge, and lack of logic in your Round Up rationizations. Yes, lots of corporations do things that can only be described as evil; people hate Monsanto because it’s one of the most evil, and that’s saying a lot. It has a lot to do with SEEDS, PATENTS, and RUINING SMALL FARMERS. Please find out why thousands of farmers have committed suicide in India. And explore the implications of the GMO ‘terminator gene.’
Lastly, I’m no expert on the chemical(s) in Round Up, but mentioning how MANY chemicals “we” love to use or exposed to, has nothing to do with whether it is safe. Neither does ‘what you believe in your heart.’ What I hear, is, you do not feel you can garden or have a business organically. That’s too bad. Lots of people do. It’s the best thing for our grandchildren and beyond, for sure… but we all have to cope and do what we can. (Perhaps you should consider partnering up with a younger, idealistic gardener who will put in the work, instead of the generic Round-Up.)
I agree with Mr.McGroarty.
Glyphosate is a very safe herbicide. I have a farm in Costa Rica, and have used it for years to clean around fruit trees, right of way etc…
No toxic for people and animals(LD 50 is lower than for aspirin)
NO DANGER TO THE PEOPLE SPRAYING IT. (as compared to other herbicides…)
Very good for cleaning land and sowing grass for pastures immediately after.It is also one of the cheapest herbicides.(produced in many countries now).
I just bought some last week, $5 a liter.
It works slower than other herbicides, but kills difficult weeds in the long run(2 or weeks)
Hi Mike,
Are the used railroad ties that are sold at some “big box” stores safe to use as borders or some people use them as a modified raised bed for gardens. Does the creosote leech into the veggies? We just bought Round-up today to spray our driveway. Thanks.
bj
good information !
Mike, sometimes you are stating that glyphosate is a “pesticide.” But I don’t think it kills insects. Has anyone found that it will?
herbicides and insecticide are both classed as pesticides
insecticides kill insects herbicides kill plants both are pesticides
Thanks Mike for sharing with us. We use Round Up sparingly to kill weeds. Sometimes that is the only thing that works.
Mike, I really appreciate all the information that you give us so freely and willingly. I want to be a backyard gardener, but my husband is not on board. I told him that if anything happens to him, I am going for it. In the meantime, we have a large yard completely landscaped and it takes a lot of work to keep it beautiful.
Thanks for all that you do to help others.
Delores Nelson
Delores and others, thank you for your positive comments. I know this subject is politically charged, that’s why I’ve avoided it for so long.
Just because something “works” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for us in the long term.
What big organization in their right mind would ever get enough funding to prove the negative effects of chemicals like roundup???
Monsanto can afford the very best lawyers, and have the backing of our current political machine.
Doing that kind of research requires MUCHO money, and most scientific organizations don’t want to take that risk.
Just look at where some of the successful alternative cancer clinics and drs had to run to once the FDA shut them down here in the states. Just a thought…
Thanks Mike,
“Now” … I don’t feel so guilty!
I would be living in a weed field, if I didn’t use spaying, to control them.
I use roundup on my gravel dirveway and on all my borders. I love it.
I do use chemicals in the gardens I have because a garden around here is attacked by bugs, mold, mildew, grubs and whatever god put on this earth to aggrevate gardeners.
I DO NOT buy organic foods either, they are too expensive and not all of them are worth your “WOLE PAYCHECK”!!!
Plus we only have the word of the producing company that the product is truly organic.
I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with using “round up” Need to pay attention , where you are spraying. I have used it for a number of years and have found it to be very helpful in controlling “WEEDS” or anything else I want to get rid of. So what’s the big deal ,they probably use it as well just don’t want to share that information.
You can also mix Epson salts, vinegar, dawn dish soap and spray the weeds….home remedy
Where have all the honey bees gone? Long time passing. Where have all the butterflies gone. Long time passing.
When I grew up thousands of them. Now,none.
Sadly, no one is able to remember the time , or don’t care.
1 Gal of White Vinegar
2 cups of Epsom salt
one half cup of blue dish soap.
Works as good as roundup.
Try it.
Does the mixture work against poison ivy and gypsum weed?
Thanks for the informative article, Mike. I don’t use chemicals in my gardening, but I don’t condemn you for using them. I can definitely see using something like Roundup for poison ivy. That stuff is nasty and hard to get rid of. And I must say that I am very impressed that you don’t use a lot of chemical insecticides in your nursery.
I’m really glad, Mike, that you posted this. I’ve been personally against using spray herbicides because I’ve always thought you can just dig or pull up what you need to get rid of. Now I’m a homeowner, and the front yard and back yard is nothing but plaintain, dandelion, and poison ivy with patches of clover and something that resembles grass but resists cutting. I had a huge 10×10 patch of nothing but broad leaf plantain, and even chopping, pulling did nothing. I tried to mulch over with layers of cardboard and inches of wood chips and they just grow right through it all. I finally gave in and purchased some glyphosate, but felt bad about using it, but learning more about it, I realize I’m not poisoning the world or preventing any future plants from growing. And it’s helping me to control the 100 ft poison ivy vines growing through the trees. I too am a skeptic and like to know all the facts before using something controversial, and I feel better knowing your confession and why. I also learned about pre-emergents to help keep the plants from turning my mulch into their own personal bed. I’m still a beginner gardener and any tips and knowledge help immensely. Thanks for coming forth.
Plantain & Dandelions are edible food
Exactly! When I weed my garden, I gather the small dandelions, lambs quarter, purslane, etc….it goes right in my morning berry smoothie. Best solution for weeds? Eat them!,
Plantain and Dandelion are also food (nectar and pollen) for the honeybees. Our yard is full of both and our bees love it. We need more of these types of yards. Grass does nothing but feeds a man’s ego!!!
Thanks, Mike. A sensible approach.
Mike I have exactly the same opinion of Round up. I also buy generic same brand as you and I’m in Oregon. I’m 70 and had garden fever for a long time. Stay inspired because I enjoy your articles.
If I’m not mistaken Roundup is a herbicide not a pesticide as you mention n two places in your post. Later in the same post you correctly mention it is a herbicide.
One of the objections, I think is Monsanto’s involvement with the development of GMOs, (Genetically modified organisms).
Do you have an up-to-date list of patented plants?
Mike, I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW DISAPPOINTED I AM IN YOU. I have always taken your advice as the best! but now you’ve let me down. There are a heck of a lot more than 2 reasons why people hate roundup, and if you don’t know what they are then you need to get started doing your research and find out. And what excuse is age 58? Being that young just gives you more years to poison yourself and your family so you will all come up with some disease and die early. I’m 71 and I wouldn’t touch the stuff with a 10 foot pole. Shame on you. Get started reading and change your ways and explain to your faithful followers that you have seen the light and will not be so ignorant and stupid in the future and maybe you will be able to hold onto them….maybe not.
This is exactly right Elaine!! There are safer ways to control weeds instead of poison. Shame on you Mike
Thank you for the truth/ facts Mike! I live in the desert, AZ, and those bothersome weeds that appear out of nowhere in barren sand/ soil can often get way out of hand. I too use Roundup and in most cases the spot spraying, often, is pretty effective. Thank you also on the info about the effects not lingering in the soil to cause future destruction of other plants, should I choose to try my hand at additional beauty to nature and our home. Take care and Gods Speed, Ben.
Mike,
Thanks again for the research you have done on the Monsanto and Glyphosate topics. Now, at least, I feel I have ammunition to respond to the hysteria and misinformation that seems to be running rampant in our country. People need to do their research before they condemn and criticize everything!
Mike, I used Roundup for years for edging around my fences and house and of course flower beds. I have recently found something much better and works quicker. The recipe is: 1 gal vinegar, 2 cups of epsom salts, and 1/2 cup of Dawn dish washing liquid. I mix it all together in my 2 gallong sprayer and go at it. I sprayed some poision oak last week at 10 in the am and at 2 in the pm I went to check on it as it was suppose to rain, it was completely brown, it rained later that afternoon and the next afternoon I checked again. It was
not only brown, but dry and crumbly. I of course gave it a good dose because I am highly allergic to the stuff and wanted to make sure it was dead. Have used it close to the house but have not checked it out as closely as I did last week. I love the stuff and gave the recipe to my aunt who used it on her weeds round the garden. She too is a fan now.
Mike,
Please do more homework about roundup and other toxic poisons that all very harmful products that Monsanto and other chemical companies have on the market. A good place to start is mercola.com. He’s a doctor and very vocal about how harmful these substances are to both Mother Earth and us. This is no joke, because of this there’s a 40% decrease in bees, bats, butterflies and birds! I know for a fact how bad this junk is, I can’t walk past it without it getting sick by just smelling it. Please do yourself and the world a favor and learn how evil this stuff is. Very sincerely yours.
Lois,
Roundup is orderless if you ask me. There are a lot of pesticides on the market that kill insects. I just don’t believe that roundup is one of them because that’s no how it works. But I’m pretty sure that I’ll never convince those who are already committed to believe what they believe. I’m just telling people what I do and why.
Hi Mike–Thanks for your article. Although I think it’s probably ok to use Roundup, as carefully and sparingly as possible, on tough brush and poison ivy, etc.. but you’d never use it on your vegetables, right???? Go to any garden center and they tell you to NOT use a systemic pesticides or herbicides like Roundup around vegetables, because the plant absorbs them into its vascular system (and it can’t be washed off). Yet we eat Roundup every day thanks to Monsanto’s GMO Roundup Ready crops. (Monsanto has always vigorously fought mandatory labeling of GMOs in stores.) Roundup Ready crops are bred to resist being killed by glyphosate, so instead of farmers selectively only spraying the weeds in between crop rows, now crop dusters can blanket the entire field- weeds and crops together- without worrying about killing the crops. (I won’t even begin to talk about another GMO, the bT toxin crops.) This video shows some of the health risks of GMO’s (nutrient malabsorption, hormone disruption, gut problems which lead to systemic inflammation, etc. etc.): http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/06/dr-huber-gmo-foods.aspx The vid is long but there’s a transcript, and of course lots more info on the web.
Lots of info on Monsanto’s monopolistic practices as well. Here’s one article that calmly explains how this bloated corporation has affected farmers: http://www.gmeducation.org/latest-news/p207220-the-monsanto-monopoly.html
I am a very strong believer in free market capitalism, and I believe it is the greatest producer of wealth in the world!!!! However, in the US we have what amounts to cartels in agribusiness and the food business, where there are only a few corporations running the whole show. This isn’t how our market is meant to work. Monsanto for instance has very powerful lobbyists and very large sums of money used judiciously to make sure their interests are supported, even in our FDA and USDA. The “food czar” of the FDA is Monsanto’s former chief lobbyist. Can someone say “fox guarding the henhouse”? Independent safety testing of GMOs is not required, and Monsanto is permitted to do its own self-testing for food safety. Again, there is a ton of info on GMO’s online for whoever wants to read up.
Well, this is the first time that I have not agreed with you and I’m really surprised that you really don’t understand the danger found in glysophate. The information is out there and glysophate is a poison and it poisons us…and the bees.
I have a small (5lb. dog) that was exposed to glysophate and he lost all of his hair and his liver enzymes were elevated. He was bald for more than six months, and all I could give him were liver supporting vitamins. He’s better now, but, I know in my heart and soul that glysophate is inherently very toxic and dangerous and caused his problem.
Condoning this poison for every day use by people is very irresponsible of you. Without absolute proof (which you’ll NEVER find) from legitimate scientists not associated with Monsanto should have influenced you to at the least have been non-committal until further studies are available.
Your followers believe you so you must be careful what you are saying, most certainly in this instance you are wrong and you may be causing some people harm.
Leslie, I am simply telling people what I do and why I do it. As do just about all farmers in the U.S.
Mike, I appreciate your honesty about Roundup. I wish your stance was different. I am your customer and I have enjoyed your blog. I think you do an awesome job with information marketing. However, just because so many farmers and others do it does NOT make it OK. In fact, it demonstrates even more clearly why we should avoid these toxins and pollutants.
I have a little different perspective on invasive “weeds” – I EAT THEM! Dandelions are legendary for their nutritive and medicinal properties. Lamb’s quarter is a personal favorite, I use it as a spinach substitute. Stinging Nettles when they sting actually hit you with neurotransmitters (7 of them is what I was told) which has helped a friend of mine’s arthritis…of course it is also edible and makes a great compost activator.
The weeds are here for us…MONSATAN only seeks to profit and control us.
I am not subscribing just yet, although it was my initial reaction. I appreciate what you have taught me so far, but this article demonstrates that you can’t blindly follow anyone … Not even you, Mike 😉
You are right Lulubelle…………….we should always use natural ways to control our environment…Mike should not have posted this because there are people who will blindly follow without question……Any kind of toxin we use can not be good for us or our Mother Earth….just think about it….what Mike is saying doesn’t make sence
I like hearing both sides of an issue! I use vinegar to kill weeds. It is a great herbicide!
I’m curious to know if the dead leaves of poison ivy cause a rash or just the live ones.
I too use Roundup or what ever brand comes out I am CAREFUL, taking precautions and I will continue to use it. I have tried many organic and they work to a point but I have a long driveway and Roundup/ weedkiller spray keeps in clean. As a Master Gardener I have defended the use and I will continue to use. Thanks for the information Mike. Another Freedom I enjoy.
Happy 4th.
thanks so much Mike for the info on round up.. I’m 73 yrs. of age and to old to do a whole lot of weeding anymore. I’ve always felt a little guilty with using round up and preen but after reading your article I’m ok about it.
Love what you have to say.
Walli.