There is a lot going on here. Use the label on the container since it is the law. Use the latest info from the maker since this post is old the day I made it
But I thought you wanted to feed the world? Is there something in there that did not come from this planet? You are very smart and I am easily confused.
Well said. I have maybe 12 different herbicides lined up in order of how scared I am of their respective toxicity along my work bench. They have been building up for several years. I just cannot find the right way to use them. And they are just for grass. Walking barefoot on them is part of my concern. I have learned a lot about the different chemistries but for a tapestry yard like mine it is extremely difficult to find a one size fits all solution. The tenacity product in the front of the pic is based of an organic from a plant the same way chrysanthemums have a pyrethrin insecticide created in their honor. But it won't work on some of my weeds. I killed some weeds once. Worse ones came. I killed my red ants once. The grubs ate the yard. I could roll it up like a carpet. You really have to be careful about the void you can create with chemistry, and thats if you do not poison yourself first. Or worse. Atrazine turns boy frogs into girls.
Apart from the dubious side effects on you, your loved ones and everything else that creeps and crawls across your land, consider the cost We look after 4 acres of land and the only thing we've used is a bit of glyphosate on a few weeds that were entangled too deep to dig em out. A problem we have created is by installing a netted tunnel. We thought this would keep birds from eating the fruit but instead the slugs ate the lot as other things couldn't get in to eat the slugs We've considered nematodes to control them but I'm thinking that once we start we'd have to carry on with them and that costs money so maybe a pond that goes under the netting so frogs can get in and out but birds can't ?
They use it on St Augustine grass, so kids can play on it. But corn is a grass they really use it on, and we eat it. Its an endocrine disruptor. And here is a link to some thinking about that danger: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
That's kind of an intimidating list and collection of chemicals! Back when the earth was young and dinosaurs sang their songs across the vast savannas, I was involved as a minor role to develop agrochemicals for a big corporation. I lasted three years and quit, went back to school for a different career. They didn't care if the chemicals were harmful, or who they hurt, or even if they worked. It was all about selling them. I was so relieved to get out of that. I do use roundup by the road edge and in the fence row. Neighbors complain if the weeds grow over the road. So Im not totally innocent either. However, none of the fruits or vegetables or flowers gets any that ... stuff. Im also someone who survives entirely because of medical chemicals, so I know they have a place. Is that because of exposures decades ago? Who knows? I don't. I see clove oil on the list, registered for everything. I don't know if it works but I bet it smells good! My orchard just gets mowed. Riding mowers are helpful. Some areas are mulched.
I enjoy using essential oils. Mainly for fungicidal or antibacterial action. I wonder now about herbicidal action.
Having an orchard can be a real challenge. Especially if avoiding poisons. mI'm not always successful. I encourage birds (who eat insects), try to stick to known disease resistant varieties, and learn all I can. This year each apple and pear fruit will be grown in individual mesh bags to keep out apple maggot and coddling moth. I put on the bags when I thin fruits. The trees are mostly dwarf or semi dwarf and I prune them so they are not too tall for me to manage. Supposedly having chickens or ducks under trees will eliminate insects with an in ground stage, like coddling moth. I dont know if they do. I didn't find Surround on the list. My state recommends it for apple maggot and coddling moth among others. Surround is powdered kaolin clay. The challenge is it has to be sprayed after every rain and about every 2 or 3 weeks. Herbicidal cinnamon oil. reference. I haven't tried it. I've used an essential oil mix for contact insecticide and deer repellent, mostly mints, rosemary and some others. Other essential oils reference. If nothing else, it must smell very good.
This reminds me that I wanted to experiment with crystalline waxes this year. They do not melt at weather temps but I do not understand the breatheability, even though these waxes are used on some of my hats and jackets.
I can see those helping during droughts as well. One reason I bought a bag of Surround was to spray on fruit trees and garden plants if we have a repeat of last year's 115F heat wave. That burnt a lot of leaves and sun exposed fruits. Wiltpruf might be a choice too. I think it contains pine resins. I don't know if it smells like pine. I could see essential oils acting as deer deterrent too. Not sure about waxes but maybe if essential oils or Habañero juice is mixed with the wax that would repel insects and critters.
I understand the clay as an enzyme barrier. This stops fungi and bacteria. As a shade, ok I see beach tourists with zinc oxide on their noses! But because chlorophyll, and heat and moisture evaporating for cooling I wonder if the crystalline waxes would be best alloyed with somthing like the clay products. Too much of any one thing is not good, but a balance or blend may be more than the sum of its parts. I hate tomato fungus Did I mention that? It is in pursuit of tomato domination (well other veg also really) that I started down this thought path about waxes. Roses come with wax, and it got me to thinking about the various oils and their downsides in the heat.
