Dear crittergarden , Roundup is just a trade name as you know for Glyphosate. Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses known to compete with commercial crops grown around the globe. It was discovered to be a herbicide by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market in the 1970s under the trade name Roundup, and Monsanto's last commercially relevant United States patent expired in 2000.
It is not as damaging as other herbicides and does break down or become non toxic when in contact with soil depending how much is used % wise and the spraying method. Most of the problems with it are caused by run off in cities as it is used to spray pavements in streets to get rid of weeds. most of the damage to water courses is by overuse in cities.
In the UK to spray in a public place or with certain chemicals you need a F.E.P.A. license. This is involves training to quite a high level, and the right calibration of sprayers so it keeps the chemical to a minimum!
Roundup is a rip off and always has been, as a lot of it is diluted ready for the amateur gardener to spray. It is cheaper and far more effective to buy glyphosate as it is, and Amazon sells it. It is the same stuff but without a trade name and not diluted.
However on Ivy it can run off the foliage and ICI do a product that is cheap, that you add to the water and chemical when mixed that makes it stick to the leaves. You therefore do not need so much glyphosate so not much gets on your soil or into any water course! However most amateur gardeners just add washing up liquid and environmental one preferably to the water/glyphosate mix. The stuff you use to wash your dishes in is washing up liquid and that sticks it to the leaves. Glyphosate works on growing plants and new growth is particularly susceptible to the desired effect. Do not spray if there is any chance of rain and never spray in high temperatures.
The only other thing and I hate spraying as I have a F.E.P.A license is SBK which is a brushwoood killer. This is a lot more deadly to the environment than glyphosate.
I hate chemicals but sometimes there is no answer except from hours of back breaking work to dig the offending plant out. In some cases like Japanese Knotweed even digging it out does not work.
Hope this helps.
Regards from a cold England.
Neil.
