Amenity Glyphosate

What products are available to amateur users to provide total weed control?

A selection of authorised products are widely available from DIY stores, garden centres or online for broad spectrum weed control in the garden or on paved areas around homes. Like professional products, amateur use products are regulated by Chemicals Regulations Division of Health and Safety Executive and are specifically approved for this use. Often these products are supplied in a convenient Ready-to-Use applicator and as such are more appropriate for amateur use in a domestic setting.

Evergreen supply these products into the market using the Roundup® brand under license. Please click here for more information.

How much Roundup® ProActive do I need to put in a knapsack sprayer for general weed control?

Roundup® ProActive is a Bayer glyphosate formulation containing 360g/L glyphosate and is a product registered for ‘Professional Use Only’. If you have purchased a pack of product, the law requires operators who apply it to be trained and certificated. Rates of use are supplied on the product label, but see below a link to guidance on the correct dose rate to use for the weeds being treated.

QUICK RATE GUIDE

Some further information relating to calibration and filling a knapsack sprayer is available below.

KNAPSACK CALIBRATION

BEST PRACTICE FOR FILLING

How much Roundup® ProVantage do I need to put in a knapsack sprayer for general weed control?

Roundup® ProVantage is a Bayer glyphosate formulation containing 480g/L glyphosate and is a product registered for ‘Professional Use Only’. If you have purchased a pack of product, the law requires operators who apply it to be trained and certificated. Rates of use are supplied on the product label, but see below a link to guidance on the correct dose rate to use for the weeds being treated.

QUICK RATE GUIDE

How do I protect nearby plants from spray drift?

Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide and by its nature will control green plant material. If there are plants that want preserving within a treated area, these need shading from direct application or spray drift which will cause incidental and unintended damage. It is not advised to apply glyphosate using a watering can, and care should be taken during application to limit the risk of spray drift. A shroud can help direct the spray pattern towards the target plants and further limit drift. Beware of drips from the nozzle or application equipment when moving between treatment areas

Is a watering can appropriate for applying Roundup®?

A watering can is not the preferred method of applying a dilute Roundup® preparation since it cannot apply accurately, the droplets are too big for treating small weeds and tends to lead to run off which can compromise activity.

Can I use Roundup® to control moss?

No. Glyphosate is not active against moss or lichen as these simple plants do not have a developed vascular system.

What is the safe re-entry period for animals to an area treated with Roundup® ProActive or Roundup® ProVantage?

In most situations*, there is no need to exclude people, pets and wildlife from an area treated with glyphosate, although it is best practice to do so. It is best not to walk in areas where the spray is still wet as transfer to other vegetation may lead to unwanted damage to other foliage. Wait until the spray droplets have fully dried on the leaf. Allow a minimum of an hour in warm weather and several hours where temperatures are lower or conditions are overcast.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® products, controls weeds by blocking the plant’s protein production system. It stops the production of an enzyme, which is present in plants but not in humans, animals, fish or insects. If ingested it passes straight through the body and is not absorbed or accumulated. Consequently, if animals like dogs or poultry were to ingest treated leaves from Roundup-treated areas, there would be no problems arising from ingesting the glyphosate.

*it is important to remember where poisonous weeds (eg. Ragwort, Giant Hogweed, Hemlock, St John’s Wort) are present (usually pasture), these become more palatable and attractive to grazing animals as the plants die. It is imperative all treated poisonous plants be removed from the treated area by pulling or cutting at least 5 days after treatment. Remember to wear gloves when handling poisonous plants. Alternatively, exclude animals from the treated area until all the plants have completely degenerated.

Is there a safe period to wait before re-seeding an area treated with glyphosate?

Once sprayed any glyphosate not captured by the foliage is tightly bound once in direct contact with the soil and as such has not residual activity. However, the advice is to wait 48 hours before re-seeding

The greater risk comes from the decaying foliage impacting establishment, particularly of small seeded crops and especially if there is a lot of biomass.

It is also important to be sure to leave the plants undisturbed for a period of time to allow the glyphosate to take full effect. This is especially important for pernicious weeds that have a deep tap root or propagate by underground rhizomes to allow sufficient glyphosate to be mobilised to the site of action to provide long-term effective control. In this case, allow a minimum of 5 days to elapse before trying to re-sow (allow longer in cool conditions).

How rainfast is Roundup® ProActive and Roundup® ProVantage?

Avoid spraying if rainfall is imminent. It is important there is no rainfall for a period after application in order to allow the herbicide to penetrate the waxy leaf cuticle and be mobilised within the plant’s vascular system. Typically for Roundup® branded products, because of the sophisticated surfactant system, this can be as little as 1-4 hour for annual weeds, but for many other glyphosate-based herbicides a minimum of 6 hours should elapse before a rain event.

I have made an application of a Roundup® product but it has not worked very well. What is the explanation?

Roundup® ProActive and Round® ProVantage are premium glyphosate formulations and provide very high levels of reliable efficacy if used in accordance with the recommendations. Experience suggests a combination of external factors usually explain poor weed control. Here are listed some of the main reasons:

Visual symptoms of herbicide activity will not be obvious immediately. Typically symptoms of damage will be visible first in grass species, taking around 7 days to appear and could be 10-14 days for broad-leaved weeds. Symptoms may take longer to develop in periods of cool weather when the plants are not growing as quickly.

Insufficient product dose rate applied for the plants being treated. But, remember some species are naturally less tolerant to glyphosate than others (eg. Ivy, rhododendron, gorse) and may not be well controlled by even the highest approved dose rates.

Poor timing. Weeds become harder to control as they get larger. For best results, aim to treat weeds when they are small. Weeds are always less vulnerable to glyphosate treatment as they go through a rapid stem extension phase of growth. The predominant flow of nutrients during this time is naturally upwards in the plant in support of the developing stem and ear, away from the roots; this typically leads to plants regrowing from the base. Plants become more receptive to being well controlled again if treated beyond early flowering stage.

Rainfall after application or poor application practice results in too little active ingredient penetrating the leaf surface and reaching the target site leading to disappointing results

Application during periods of plant stress (eg. drought, extreme heat, waterlogging) can limit the uptake and movement of glyphosate in the plant. Poor weed control or re-growth of plants from the base can result. Best results are achieved when plants are actively growing.

Some well established plants, especially those with extensive underground rhizome networks / storage organs (eg. Japanese knotweed) will not be well controlled by a single application of glyphosate. Successful long-term control of such infestations will require a planned management programme, often with professional input.

What is a safe way to dispose of Plant Protection products and their packaging?

Up to date information about the routes for safe disposal of Plant Protection Product packaging, products no longer carrying an authorisation or out of date stock is available on the Bayer Crop Science website: Waste Stewardship

When preparing dilute spray solution, be sure to only mix sufficient for the intended job so as to leave no surplus.

What is a COSHH assessment, who should conduct one and how should one be completed?

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2004 come under the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and place a legal duty on employers and employees working with hazardous substances to evaluate the risk to health and to eliminate or adequately control such risks.

More information relating to COSHH and conducting an assessment is available below.

What is COSHH?

How to carry out a COSHH risk assessment

In order to conduct a COSHH assessment, information is needed from the product Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). These are available below for Bayer amenity glyphosate products.