How to save conifer from RoundUp?

11 years ago

Hi,

My son accidentally sprayed RoundUp solution at the top of a 5 feet conifer while trying to kill the ivy on the hedge.

One of the helpful members advised to use lot of water to clean it... But it's like 24 hours after it happened. Would it be too late to prevent permanent damage, i.e. the RoundUp solution has been absorbed completely by the tree? Can I just lop off the affected part (the top part) to save the rest?

Thanks again!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

outback63 Dennison
11 years ago
James,

I am sorry there is nothing you can do.

No amount of water will cleanse it weather its been on there 30 minutes or 24 hours. This product is quickly absorbed by plants

Just wait before you get out the loppers and see what transpires. Should take a couple of weeks to know the damage inflicted.

Davesconifers

{{gwi:641358}}
gary2010
11 years ago
James
What kind of conifer was it, if it was juniper or arb. you can
kiss the top good by. Needle conifers that are dorment will
uslually not be damaged because of the wax coating on the
needles will repell the RoundUp. Did the Roundup happen
to be the new Roundup poison ivy and brush killer if so that
is a differnt story.
Gary
Related Discussions
RoundUp ...one leaf at a time.
Q
Comments (27)
dangould....The bottle is a solvent applicator used by the plastic industry to apply water thin solvents to bond plastic together. Plastic distributors would sell them. A regular hypo needle would do the same thing and is probably available at a drug store. ( pure guess) This method has almost wiped out my dreaded collection of wild violets. :) I have also tried the stir drink straws....very small opening..not quit as much control there...you need to be close to your work....dip the straw and fill it..cover the top end with your finger..put in place and release... Being a plastic guy I have used clear sheets of plastic to cook areas. Works well when it is nice and hot. A piece of sheet metal will also work. Great thought Albert. Good call Annie..I have some old cheap black plastic pots. I could cut out the bottom and make a shield from that so I could use my sprayer in larger areas. Yeah Gardenlen....another good way to safely apply this stuff. CrAzY LaRrY
...See More
saving bermuda from round up
Q
Comments (3)
thank you i will try that. I sprayed my yard 4 days ago and when i relized what i had done, which was yesterday i started watering my yard all day long. My problem is i used a strong mixture of round up 38 ounzes per 25 gallons.
...See More
Round-up F*-up: Pray for me
Q
Comments (19)
Yes, all-too-common a mistake. You're not the first or the last. Roundup is a systemic herbicide. It is absorbed by the leaves and travels throughout the plant to kill the tops and the roots. You have very little time to wash it off before it gets absorbed. I don't know how much but the 20 minutes cited above sounds reasonable. Roundup does not itself cause rapid growth but it works faster and more thoroughly when growth is rapid. We sometimes add miracle gro to our roundup mix to enhance its effectiveness. So - as mentioned above: do NOT fertilize your sprayed roses!!! The advice to prune off sprayed branches is good too but it would have had to been done right away, before the roundup traveled to the roots. Roundup is not active in the soil at all. Don't worry about that part. I looked up Roundup for Poison Ivy and it also contains triclopyr, the active ingredient in Garlon and Blackberry n Brush killer. This is also systemic and is a powerful woody brush killer. I think I'd be more worried about that than the roundup. I use a lot of Garlon at work to kill invasive shrubs, and in spring when things are actively growing, the rinsate from the empty sprayer can still kill things. That means that when I'm done spraying, I rinse the empty sprayer with plain water and spray it out on more of the target brush and sometimes that's enough to kill them. I am crossing my fingers for you! A note to all about pesticide safety: always always always keep separate sprayers and measuring implements for herbicides versus everything else.
...See More
pine trees and round up?
Q
Comments (34)
I have(had) a very healthy pine tree on my property and round up was used to get rid of poisen ivy that had taken over ==>> first you should have started your own post ... second.. was the PI on the tree when it was sprayed ... third.. how large was the PI vine .. if it was a huge vine .. perhaps what you are seeing is how the PI caused bad previous growth on the tree and the bare spots you are seeing are due to the lack of seeing the vine leaves... you really havent given us anything to work with here other than RU was used .. how .. when.. where.. etc ... pix would also help ... ken ps: agree with killer.. lots of peeps call every evergreen conifer a pine.. so an ID would help ... may as well tell us where you are also.. big city name...
...See More
james730115
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Davesconifers... I'll wait and see : (

Gary, it's "Platycladus orientalis", 4 years old, I think. I used the "Roundup 5705010 Extended Control Weed and Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer Concentrate Bottle", not sure if its strength is less than the one you mentioned.
outback63 Dennison
11 years ago
Again...Round Up is a systemic, which means it affects the entire plant system. It can be absorbed by any part of the plant even conifers the have wax coatings on their needles attached to the woody part of the conifer. While it does do considerable damage, it does not always completely kill the plant.

Again wait and see.

Davesconifers
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
i would have soaped it up within minutes ... with what i dont know..

and washed it rather roughly ...

and then hoped for the best ...

i dont know what to tell you now.. other than.. to kill a tree.. i would guess you would need over 50 to 75% coverage.. to dose it well enough for the kill ... [presuming you were using proper dilution rates]

hopefully.. you will only have some branch death.. and recovery .. but only time will tell ...

by fall you will probably know.. might even take thru next winter ...

the only issue.. is whether you can find a replacement cheaply.. and just divest.. and replant.. so as to not guilt your son forever .. lol ... on my 5 acres.. i could ignore this for 3 years.. and 'see what happens' .. but if it is in a prime focal point in a small yard .. and this waiting will drive you insane.. just divest ... the other side of that coin.. is whether you are the science type.. and would love to 'see what happens' .... personality A or B ... its up to you ...

i use plenty of RU around here.. when the kids were younger.. it was always an issue.. whether they would walk up.. and try to emulate daddy spraying ... lol ... but the worst was.. the unexpected sneeze.. wherein who knows where that wand might end up when you convulse erratically ... lol

i wish you luck

ken

ps: BTW.. you dont happen to know.. if your RU had a spreader/sticker in it?? it would be on the label ... it might help to call the 800 number on the label.. and ask mosanto what they suggest.. i would be curious ....
nothotsuga
11 years ago
How to save conifer from RoundUp?

The best way is to never buy this useless product. There is always something else you can do. Sorry.
bobfincham
11 years ago
The effectiveness of the Roundup depends upon a number of factors. Was the Platycladus coming out of dormancy (where are you) and what was the strength of the mixture? If you are in an area where winter still has some grip and your mixture was at the recommended rate or less, the worse you will see is some foliage burn and I suspect you won't see anything happen. Roundup can actually be sprayed directly over COMPLETELY DORMANT conifers at about 1/2 the recommended rate without causing any damage while still killing weeds, especially grasses. However, that being said, it can build up in the foliage and repeated applications can cause severe damage.

I also suspect the Roundup will have little effect on the ivy other than burning off some of the leaves. There is too much bulk tissue for enough to be absorbed to kill the trunks and roots.

Roundup is excellent for grasses and has mixed results on broadleaves, often allowing them to flower and ripen seed before they die. Often it will only put the weed under stress and not even kill it. I have had almost no success trying to kill vines with it.

Bob
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
yes.. there is something about ivy leaves.. they are hard.. often with a waxy coating ... and seem oblivious to sprays.. hence the drip suggestion.. which when doing so.. you are applying it to the cambian layer and it is being sucked into the root system ...

there are actually killers exactly labeled for ivy .. as RU is.. but sometimes specificity of target helps ....

ken

How to save conifer from RoundUp?

Comments (8)

outback63 Dennison

gary2010

Related Discussions

james730115
Original Author

outback63 Dennison

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

nothotsuga

bobfincham

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

How to save conifer from RoundUp?

Comments (8)

outback63 Dennison

gary2010

Related Discussions

james730115Original Author

outback63 Dennison

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

nothotsuga

bobfincham

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

james730115
Original Author