Paint-on weedkiller

[lumpyjumper]

Not sure which board to put this on, so thought I'd try here.

My mum is wondering if there is still a weedkiller that can be painted onto the leaves of a plant? She says there used to be but she a) can't remember what it was called and b) isn't sure the EU haven't banned it!

I think what she plans is to paint the leaves thus isolating the killer to the weed rather than damaging others in the bed?

Thanks as always

[MaureenHall]

I know the one you mean, but I can't remember the name and haven't seen it around for years. I make my own version now using a small amount of wallpaper paste mixed up with Roundup. Paint it on to the leaves (use a thick mix) and if there's any chance of it dropping or dripping onto nearby plants you don't want to kill off, wrap the treated leaves in a poly bag and tie up with a wire tie. I've done this on brambles poking through my veg, and sycamore seedlings in my flower bed. It's even worked on mare's tail on the lottie. Just be careful with it, and keep the left over mixture in a screw top jar ready for when you next need it

[Snadger]

There used to be a 'Mum, roll on type' weedliller which was banned yonks ago. I think the reason being was it contained 2-4D!

[Snadger]

I know the one you mean, but I can't remember the name and haven't seen it around for years. I make my own version now using a small amount of wallpaper paste mixed up with Roundup. Paint it on to the leaves (use a thick mix) and if there's any chance of it dropping or dripping onto nearby plants you don't want to kill off, wrap the treated leaves in a poly bag and tie up with a wire tie. I've done this on brambles poking through my veg, and sycamore seedlings in my flower bed. It's even worked on mare's tail on the lottie. Just be careful with it, and keep the left over mixture in a screw top jar ready for when you next need it

Sorry to be a bit of a pain here Maureen but you shouldn't really keep any pesticide that isn't in it's original container. Other people, especially children wouldn't know what it was and if for some reason they were poisoned by it, however unlikely that may be, the doctors wouldn't know what it was either! MIxing chemicals with other agents could be problematical also. The wallpaper paste/ weedkiller will not dry instantly and could pose a problem to wildlife I would think.
Better safe than sorry!

[Kristen]

I think it was Tumbleweed, by Murphy, which was based on Glyphosphate (same active ingredient as Roundup) - there was a sort of deodorant-style push up stick, and they did some sort of foam as well.

Not sure why it is no longer available if it was Glyphosphate. The "child proof caps" have got very much more secure over the years, and maybe they couldn't do that for a paint-on type product? Or (cynic mode) it used less weedkiller and made less money

I think 2,4-D is still available and isn't it the stuff that is put in selective weed killers for grass? (and therefore probably not quite the right thing for a kill-all product!)

I think the main scare with 2,4D (and its cousin 2,4,5-T) was that the manufacturing process stuffed it with Dioxins, which were bad news , and probably the thing that caused Agent Orange to have been a Bad Idea. Anyway, they can now make it without Dioxins

Still doesn't make it a friendly chemical though!

[Hilary B]

I think you can still buy "Deep root weedkiller gel" made by "Growing success" although the jar I have must be 2 years old.
IF you make your own mixtures, and IF you decide to store thsm in containers which are not the original ones, get heavy handed with the home-made labels! (and keep it locked up, and in every other possible way, out of reach of children).
If you wanted to mix wallpaper paste with Roundup, I would put the mixture in the Roundup container, and write something like "+ wallpaper paste" somewhere on the label.
The other possibility is a 'weed-wiper' which you may be able to find in an agricultural shop. You mix the roundup much stronger than for spraying, and fill the 'handle' (which is the reservoir). Useful if you have a LOT of weeds, but don't want to spray. I used one to get rid of a patch of ragwort from a paddock. It is especially helpful if the weeds are the tallest plants in the patch....

[MaureenHall]

Home-made paint-on weedkiller

Thanks for all your warnings. As a mum and grandmum, it becomes second nature to make sure that ALL nasties are kept well away from children (locked in a secure cupboard) and ALL have been labelled with large skull and crossbones labels, stating exactly what is in the container, list of ingredients, and date prepared.

With regards to the possible danger to wildlife, I haven't yet seen evidence of anything getting into the poly bags fastened over the treated weed, however, I'll take that on board and thanks again for your concerns. It still works though and I'll be continuing to use it