Hi

Just starting out on an allotment and need a pointer.

I have been advised to treat the weeds with 'Roundup'. now this stuff is
about £20 a container. Is there a generic eqivalent I might buy? And where
from?

Cheers


Steve

'Steve',

Don't use weed killer. Just dig it (double digging is best) and remove
the weeds as you go.

Regards.
Emrys Davies.




"Steve" wrote in message
.uk...


Hi

Just starting out on an allotment and need a pointer.

I have been advised to treat the weeds with 'Roundup'. now this stuff
is
about £20 a container. Is there a generic eqivalent I might buy? And
where
from?

Cheers


Steve

In article , Emrys Davies
writes
'Steve',

Don't use weed killer. Just dig it (double digging is best) and remove
the weeds as you go.

I agree with Emrys. Poisonous herbicides like Roundup are not suitable
for use where food plants are to be grown.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

I have been advised to treat the weeds with 'Roundup'. now this stuff is
about £20 a container. Is there a generic eqivalent I might buy? And
where
from?

The main ingredient is glyphosphate.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Emrys Davies
writes
'Steve',

Don't use weed killer. Just dig it (double digging is best) and remove
the weeds as you go.

I agree with Emrys. Poisonous herbicides like Roundup are not suitable
for use where food plants are to be grown.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.

In article , Jimbo
writes

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.

I try not to. :-(
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Jimbo (remove $ ) wrote in message
...

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Emrys Davies
writes
'Steve',

Don't use weed killer. Just dig it (double digging is best) and remove
the weeds as you go.

I agree with Emrys. Poisonous herbicides like Roundup are not suitable
for use where food plants are to be grown.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.



In this context, it doesn't matter what happens to commercial potatoes.
Most gardeners growing their own crops do so to avoid the poisons associated
with commercially-grown crops (excepting organic produce, of course).
Spider

The message
from "Jimbo" (remove $ ) contains these words:

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.

They are sprayed with very strong sulphuric acid - IIRC, 85%

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

I agree with Emrys. Poisonous herbicides like Roundup are not suitable
for use where food plants are to be grown.

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.

I assume you are saying that commercial potato growers use glyphosate
on the field before they harvest the potato crop.

If they do does that make it good practice? I would have thought that
if someone is taking the time and trouble to maintain an allotment,
then they are probably aspiring to growing food that is not tainted by
commercial practices.

I dont want to put words into the OP's mouth, just that would be
uppermost in my mind if I had the time to 'dig'.

The message
from Martin contains these words:
On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:09:19 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:
The message
from "Jimbo" (remove $ ) contains these words:

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes
plants
before the crop is harvested.

They are sprayed with very strong sulphuric acid - IIRC, 85%

To remove the leaves before picking or what?

Since there is a weak solution of sulphuric and hydrochloric acid
falling out of the sky daily, does it really make any difference if
the spuds are sprayed with 85% mix?

It's to kill the foliage so that the skins quickly harden on the tubers.
If you just harvest spuds when the haulm is still green they don't keep
so long.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Philip) contains these words:

I agree with Emrys. Poisonous herbicides like Roundup are not suitable
for use where food plants are to be grown.

Alan--do you ever think about what happens to "commercial" potatoes plants
before the crop is harvested.

I assume you are saying that commercial potato growers use glyphosate
on the field before they harvest the potato crop.

They don't. It's probably quite safe to use Paraquat/gramoxone, but I
wouldn't. Roundup/glyphosate is systemic.

If they do does that make it good practice? I would have thought that
if someone is taking the time and trouble to maintain an allotment,
then they are probably aspiring to growing food that is not tainted by
commercial practices.

Nothing the matter with Roundup when applied sensibly.

I dont want to put words into the OP's mouth, just that would be
uppermost in my mind if I had the time to 'dig'.

It's certainly the right time to prepare the ground by digging, and the
wrong time for applying weedkiller.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
(Steve) wrote:

Is there a generic eqivalent I might buy?

Look for weedkillers mentioning glyphosphate as an ingredient.

And where from?

Garden Centres, etc.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

In article , Martin
writes
Organic producers uses organically acceptable poisons in some cases.

I don't know any herbicidal poisons acceptable to organic producers.
Could you be more specific?
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

I don't know any herbicidal poisons acceptable to organic producers.
Could you be more specific?

Vinegar is a non-selective herbicide. Is it acceptable to "organic" producers?

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Steve) wrote:

Is there a generic eqivalent I might buy?

Look for weedkillers mentioning glyphosphate as an ingredient.

And where from?

Garden Centres, etc.

But make sure you compare like with like when looking at prices. The
stuff is being marketed at various concentrations.

Franz