if you HAVE to use a weedkiller - how close to the vegetables can you get ?

[gunDriller]

i have been accused of having this "invasive" spearmint and now that i've used some kind of weedkiller ("Spectracide") i'm wondering how thoroughly i need to avoid it.

the mint has crawled next to some brussel sprouts and tomato plants. if i spray the Spectracide on a spearmint a foot away from a food plant, i'm not getting any on the leaves of the food plant but it is dripping into the root system. when i water, the Spectracide gets diluted.

i know these weedkillers are bad but, like i described in another thread, i was getting major flak from other gardeners and had put in a few work sessions digging out the spearmint. which was not enough, the spearmint came back and so did the complaints.

would you eat food from a plant that had been watered with water that had a few drops of weedkiller, 3 months before harvest ?

[SLV^GLD]

Spectracide is reportedly safe for human consumption. IIRC, it disrupts the plants ability to photosynthesize. You don't need the ability to photosynthesize do you? OTOH, I've also heard spectracide has gluten as an "inert" ingredient. If you are allergic to gluten you would be wise to avoid applying this product at all, much less on plants you intend to eat.

[SLV^GLD]

BTW, the spectracide I'm referring to is subtitled "Garden Safe". Spectracide is a brand of various weed and bug killers so it is ambiguous to use that name only.

[ximmy]

It's good to hear you say... if you HAVE too... I suppose if I had a large garden I might.. I am presently spending about 2 hrs week pulling weeds (maintaining) by hand.

[gunDriller]

It's good to hear you say... if you HAVE too... I suppose if I had a large garden I might.. I am presently spending about 2 hrs week pulling weeds (maintaining) by hand.


i worked pretty hard to avoid it. dug up several cubic feet of dirt with spearmint roots.

mainly the people in the community garden are a little psycho about the spearmint. once i had dug it up i had the question of where to put it. so i put it about 100 yards away, in a little wild area with blackberries in the corner of a vacant lot.

and i got flak for doing THAT. like "it'll take over the blackberries".

personally, i think it would be an interesting competition, Blackberry vs Spearmint !

but i don't think the spearmint is going to make its way back to the community garden. or invade the ivy covered mobile home park next door.

getting a lecture about the mint from another gardener whose own space was about 50% covered with weeds at the time put me over the top.


in the meantime i'm growing potatoes and carrots in another part of the plot. that's the good news ! 8)

[osoab]

I would have put a massive amount of black plastic over it. In the heat of summer it probably would have killed it off.

The mint will take over areas if left to its own devices. I would suggest growing in containers @ your abode. How much mint did you want?

[palani]

Most plants cannot tolerate repeated application of ROTOTILLER yet it harms no plant beyond the reach of the tines and there is absolutely no residual to contend with.

[skid]

Use vinegar to kill it. It is organic. Most white vinegar you can buy in the grocery stores is 5% acetic acid which will kill the plants that it directly contacts, but won't poison the soil. Horticultural vinegar is 20% and much more potent. Vinegar kills by dessicating plants. Just spray the plants you want killed...

Pervasive, established weeds may take several applications.

[beefsteak]

Use vinegar to kill it. It is organic. Most white vinegar you can buy in the grocery stores is 5% acetic acid which will kill the plants that it directly contacts, but won't poison the soil. Horticultural vinegar is 20% and much more potent. Vinegar kills by dessicating plants. Just spray the plants you want killed...

Pervasive, established weeds may take several applications.


Took the words right out of my mouth! Good Job. I didn't know about "horticultural vinegar" and have just been using the regular white. I don't mind multiple applications.

Thanks again!

[skid]

Horticultural vinegar is specifically designed for killing weeds organically. It is quite potent...

[gunDriller]

I would have put a massive amount of black plastic over it. In the heat of summer it probably would have killed it off.

The mint will take over areas if left to its own devices. I would suggest growing in containers @ your abode. How much mint did you want?


that's exactly what i did - black plastic & pieces of plywood.

then, because i like spearmint, moved one chunk of the plant to a 22 gallon rubbermaid container.

& used the herbicide to knock out spearmint sprouts because i was tired of hearing about my "invasive spearmint" from other garden members.

[SLV^GLD]

It's good to hear you say... if you HAVE too... I suppose if I had a large garden I might.. I am presently spending about 2 hrs week pulling weeds (maintaining) by hand.
Damn, that's hawt. ;D :-*