No way would I use Roundup close to desirable plants. There's too big a chance of drift. I do, however, use a product called Grass B Gone. It is specific for grassy weeds. I have sprayed it directly on creeping phlox at the edge of my bed. It worked on the bermuda grass without harming the creeping phlox.

If labels are read and followed, RoundUp is safe. I have dealt with thistles, and they are NOT grassy weeds.

ctcarol said:If labels are read and followed, RoundUp is safe. I have dealt with thistles, and they are NOT grassy weeds.

I don't often use chemicals, especially herbicides, but sometimes the situation just is never going to get better (at least not in my lifetime) otherwise.

Sometimes that is a last resort after pulling/digging, and trying home remedies.

You won't use landscape fabric again if you have to dig it up after years of it slowly getting buried in the soil!

Give me newspaper any time. Or that brown paper that comes as packing in boxes is good too. I spread it on the basement floor and brush it flat with a push-broom and then fold it for future use. Great stuff for covering paths between framed beds!

ctcarol said:If labels are read and followed, RoundUp is safe. I have dealt with thistles, and they are NOT grassy weeds.

This is correct. RoundUp is perfectly safe when used correctly. I have seen so many people refuse to use it because they're afraid when in reality it could help any number of situations immensely and prevent them from getting even worse.

Jai_Ganesha said:

This is correct. RoundUp is perfectly safe when used correctly. I have seen so many people refuse to use it because they're afraid when in reality it could help any number of situations immensely and prevent them from getting even worse.

I don't like Roundup or others like it. But I have persistent poison ivy and english ivy that creeps in through my fence from the neighbors' yards. I use it there. Carefully.

The great thing about Roundup is that it doesn't matter whether or not you like it. It will do the job efficiently and with precision anyway!

I find it disturbing that a lot of people seem to be using the term "Roundup" as the name for any weed killer; and to add to the confusion, there are now a number of different formulations of Roundup itself. The importance of carefully reading and following the label directions really can't be emphasized enough.

Yeah, "Roundup" is a proprietary eponym.

I don't agree that it is 'harmless' and have never used it. Just my divergent opinion - no judgment.

By what standard do you form your opinion if you've never used it?

Sounds like somebody else's opinion, not yours!

Ha ha - by your standard, if I have never stuck my head in a toilet, how do I know I wouldn't like it? Actually, I've read numerous articles online, trying to ferret out those that have good scientific basis. I don't keep track of them all and don't feel like doing a search now for something that is simply not in my universe - but I have done enough personal research to convince me to opt not to use any herbicide or pesticide. Ever. I've been 100% organic for the past 30-some years and it has worked well for me. I am comfortable with my decision. Score one for the planet!

Sorry, I didn't realize you were serious.

No worries. There is definitely Team Organic, Team Chemical, and Team Somewhere in Between on this site, and we all seem to get along fine.

Weed killers work to a degree if used carefully.
I have put a LOT of vegetation killers on the crushed granite driveway/parking lot up here this spring.
I will now have to go out and do it again as it looks almost as if I had not done it but at the same time, where water ran off of the drive way, there is dead grass.
It did not kill more than a foot or so off of the driveway but it is still an ugly brown spot.

If it killed where I sprayed as well as it doe where I did not I would agree Deb should try it, but it has not.
I have found the "kills for one year" stuff to be an absolute farce.

The specialized ones are a hit miss: Nutgrass killer seems to work pretty well; Chickweed killer is a bad joke.

Bonehead said:I have done enough personal research to convince me to opt not to use any herbicide or pesticide. Ever. I've been 100% organic for the past 30-some years and it has worked well for me. I am comfortable with my decision. Score one for the planet!

yay!

I've had the misfortune to be around other people using the stuff.

When you work in other people's yards, you see some stuff.

What I've observed....
Is that while it will kill stuff that you don't want, after the plants die.... Additional seeds come up right where the original patch of vegetation was.

In reality, all you've done is poison the less hardy stuff.....
So... While there is less vegetation.... Its become just a few types of fast growing plants.... The diversity has been lost.

Can't tell you how heart-breaking it is when every year.... Another patch of bloodroot fails to come out of dormancy.

And.... It's not like you can stop the property owner from spraying the chickweed....

When bulb plantings fail, she convinces herself that they got run over by heavy equipment or something.... Anything except admit responsibility for spraying roundup just as the bulbs were most sensitive.....

And.....
What about that team of lawyers advertising for cancer patients....
What is it?
Non hodgkins lymphoma?

Scary stuff.....

I really don't mind the poison ivy.... Any time I dig it out.. it's pretty well gone.... Any I miss? Well, there's like 30 species of birds depending on my patch of poison ivy for a meal.

@RpR.
What kind and type of nutgrass killer worked good ?
I've used a few kinds, over the years, Monterrey, weed and hoe. Diluted round up. Brushed with full strength round up.
I did one kind, several times, different kind, each year.
Nutgrass, comes back, in same spots, every year. It's been, same thing, for 23 years !!!
Thanks 😁 philip
😎😎😎

Philipwonel said:@RpR.
What kind and type of nutgrass killer worked good ?
I've used a few kinds, over the years, Monterrey, weed and hoe. Diluted round up. Brushed with full strength round up.
I did one kind, several times, different kind, each year.
Nutgrass, comes back, in same spots, every year. It's been, same thing, for 23 years !!!
Thanks 😁 philip
😎😎😎

Ortho dedicated nutgrass killer has worked well for me.
It may take spraying for two years, and hand spritzing of hooligans but it got rid of mine and I had a lawn full.

Thank You RpR
I'll have to give it a whrill.
Heck ! My garage is probably allready listed on the toxic waste list, anyway !

Philip 😎😎😎