Weedkiller

[ItsEssexRob]

My friend who helped me put up my plastic greenhouse, decided to help me wedkill today as I dug up my garden yesterday before rotavatoring it.

He sprayed the weedkiller in the greenhouse and then watered the ground, afterwards he put my plants in the greenhouse on stones and the shelving.

My question is, how sensetive are plants vegetables etc to the weedkiller. If he accidently got a tiny bit on the stones and then put pots/troughs/growsbags on them would it affect my plants?

If he sprayed my concrete slab cracks, I stepped on them later and then stepped inside the greenhouse could that affect them?

He is adament he knows what hes doing and has done it before, I was keen to keep weedkiller awya from my garden really though.

[salome2001]

i think roundup's label says you can plant in the soil after 24 hours... but that's a lot longer than "i just sprayed it everywhere and now I've put your plants in a non-ventilated environment with it"...

... I would ghet your plants out and air it for 24 hours, just IMHO

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use a small amount of weed killer on my concrete slabs.

But have to say your friends attitude would leave me cold. A spot of systemic weed killer on a plant and its usually done for. Hopefully it will have been dry in the weather we are having before it could be spread further.

Colin

[Potstubsdustbins]

Oh and I hope it was not windy at the time of spraying.

Colin

[ItsEssexRob]

None of the plants are in the actual soil itself theyre all on slabs or shelves above it. They werent in there when he sprayed but about 20 minutes afterwards he put them all in there. He then sprayed outside the greenhouse on the soil. Its a regular b and q one. Not sure about the time limit. Would pots/troughs.growbags soak weedkiller up from the slabs underneath them?

[ItsEssexRob]

Just to add, my peppers/tomatoes/straweberries are on shelves at least 1-3 feet above ground level. If the wedkiller was sprayed 15 minutes before they were put in there it cant affect them can it?

How quickly would weedkiller act on the plants so I can reassure myself?

[Feral007]

I'd expect your plants to show signs within 24/48 hours. Weeds of course can take 2 weeks to die - b*ggers! I expect they'll be fine. But if the humidity is high then if you are watering in the tunnel and then it mixes with the water, vaporises and then settles on the leaves they could get some. I don't know that it would be enough to kill them tho. Hopefully he was spraying at the rrecommended dose and not - one for the pot - extra. My weed spray that I use on the farm (as little as possible) states that any spray already mixed will breakdown over 5 days. So after 5 days it shouldn't be a problem anyway. But I wouldn't invite that person again on sprayday.

[Florence Fennel]

I hope your plants don't suffer Rob, fingers crossed. I used Roundup just the once between my paving stones. It worked, but they grew straight back, so I've never used it since. You're right to avoid it if you can.

[Snadger]

If you can smell it, it will still do damage.......................

[Two_Sheds]

So did he spray actual weeds, or just the soil?

[ItsEssexRob]

He just sprayed the soil where he excavated for the greenhouse. There were no weeds in there but it was to ensure they didnt start growing before anything was put down. He then put all the plants in the greenhouse and sprayed the rest of the garden outside the greenhouse.

I dont think it can really have come into direct contact with the plants. Its weather any slight contact the plants had could suck weedkiller up or if weedkiller could somehow get from the ground soil/stones into the air.

What would be the signs of damage?

[rustylady]

IMHO your "friend" is an idiot.

[ItsEssexRob]

Im worried now, will I have lost all my plants ? Can the weedkiller get from the soil into the air and onto my plants then?

[rustylady]

The only thing you can do is wait and see. And cross your fingers - If you don't want weedkiller on your plot then don't allow it in future.

[ItsEssexRob]

I went out there just now. Everything seems OK, but I noticed the plastic cover on my greenhouse at the top was covered in dripping condensation. I assume this was from the watering in the evening? I trust this cannot contain any of the weedkiller that was sprayed on the soil/stones? I ask because its dripping down onto everything.

The weedkiller tub says ' it leaves no residue in the soil' is this a good thing?

What are the first signs of damage?