"' "There has been quite a bit of discussion of Sequoiadendron in the East on here in the past, blight problems seemed to be a factor even when trees had survived cold winters for years. Even here we may see dead leaders some years on ones that have been in place a long time. I assume this to be cold related but do not know for sure. Might have something to do with our cool summers, the leaders not hardening off fully before cold comes' "Not cold, nor cool summers; this doesn't happen in e.g. Scotland where summers are even cooler". I've had some experience growing Sequoias in northern Indiana and have had blight issues that can actually be fatal. I believe it's the long, hot and very humid summers that do this. I have had good luck spraying the foliage with a systemic fungicide. That has generally taken care of it. However, it has been the combination of extreme cold and high winds that killed my trees. I have now planted a strain of Sequoia known as "Hazel Smith" that is credited with being hardy to zone 5 so we'll see. The Hazel Smiths now have only one season under their belt. Regards, Fred M. Cain, Topeka, IN

LOL - laughing at your descriptions... "grow one micron from the base of any plant...", "soaking the ground... to a muddy mess". It's amazing how a single little plant can create a horror show nightmare in the garden which we planted for our own enjoyment. Even after eradication, the memory of the nightmare lingers on. I had that experience with Ipheion, the cute little bulb about the size of a garlic clove that grows into a cute little grass-like clump ---- then spreads BILLIONS of seeds around the entire yard, and the bulbs multiply underground as fast as ants and grow one micron from the base of any plant. Can you brush Roundup on it with a paper towel or paintbrush?

hello fellow gardeners. I have really had alot of fun, and learned a bunch, reading the many different questions and follow-ups on a wide variety of subjects since getting a membership to "Garden Web" for a Christmas present. Sooo, here is my two-cents worth to the Round-up question. We have been working for the last three years landscaping over 4 acres which was horse/cattle pasture for decades. Before that the land was used by native americans for hunting and fishing. The acreage is bordered on two sides by BLM land that is totally ignored by that department. Cheatgrass has invaded many acres including ours. We have also "distrubed" the virgin soil which has brought to the surface a whole host of weed seeds. OK now I am ducking and heading for cover because I am going to confess we have used many gallons of Round-Up trying to get the weeds and cheatgrass under control. We tried to mow the weeds but ran into to many hidden rocks; we hired local teenage workers to pull weeds but after we passed the $1000 wage mark (just this year) we had to reconsider; we tried solar kill (laying plastic and let the heat kill weeds) which worked that year but they came back as soon as we tilled again the next year. Now that we have pulled as many weeds as possible this year maintenance will be with Round-Up. Local folks in the know tell us to hang in there as the weed problem will deminish greatly each year and our use of roundup. We are, a section at a time, getting ground cover in place which is stopping the re-grow. Yes, we did decide to use landscaping cloth under bark and stone ground cover. Guess time will only tell if it was a smart move or not. Now, if your not asleep with this long disertation, our final comment which goes back to the original question. Two hours of hot direct sun jump starts the demiss of the pesky weeds. Usually see curling or yellowing the following day. Rain within the same day hasn't seemed to stop the process. The warmer it is the faster it works. Next spring we are starting our spraying as soon as temps hit 50 degrees and we see greening of the weeds. We will continue to spray into the ajoining BLM land then burn the dead and dried plants re-seeding with native grasses to help curb the take-over. All possible precautions are taken when doing this-calm day, hoses/water at hand, grass seed from local ag group. So final answer: follow all directions when using any product, use protective gear, pull as many weeds as possible by hand before they go to seed for a natural approach, burn with caution, and read and education yourself while staying open minded to both sides of the forum.

* Temperature--use when ambient air temperature is between 60 - 85 degrees F. * Do not use if rain is expected, or if foliage is wet. * Do not water treated areas for at least 6 hours after treatment. * Allow seven days for plant to die. * Recreational use may resume in a treated area after Roundup has completely dried (usually six hours although in some climates, drying may take up to 24 hours). * Do not use in windy conditions or on water. * In cool, dark or dry climates the effects of treatment may take longer than a week because plant growth rates are slowed and the chemical requires more time to act and the plant to die. RU is made by Monsanto. After doing your own research, you may not still want to patronize this company.