poplar trees, plotting their deaths

[Larry Caldwell]

In article <34EAF6D5.3BC3 at livingston.net>,
Don Staples <dstaples at livingston.net> wrote:

> Not knowing the circumstances, nor having the credentials of the good
> Doctor, I would suspect that the "sprayed" Roundup had drift, which is
> why most applications in this situation are with a wick wipe.

Yep.  Glyphosate is inactivated immediately on contact with clay soils, 
and breaks down almost immediately.  The persistance in the soil is zero.
Round-up is also not very effective on woody plants, though it does a
job on most grasses and broad leaf weeds.

It's commonly used around here to control grass competition the first year
after planting.  You put a stovepipe over the seedling to protect it from
drift, then spray a 3 foot radius around the seedling.  Use a dye in the
spray solution to mark application.  This will remarkably enhance seedling
survival.

I can't imagine how applying round-up to the ground would damage a plant,
unless there was bare root showing above ground level.

-- Larry