Spraying pesticides on your land illegal without licence after march 2015?

[sparrow100]

I wouldn't use commercial grade herbicides on any ground where I wanted to grow food. And I definitely wouldn't use them at all without knowing how to use them properly, given the studies on how toxic the mix is. The half-life for commercial roundup in the soil is up to 197 days.

[Guest]

The commercial round up is amazing, Clears ground totally and has no adverse effect on land after very short time

Are you sure? Just because it is said to be fine on the label doesn't make it so. Many chemicals have been thought to be safe at time of use but new research and evidence is showing otherwise all the time.

I do use weed killer from time to time but I do not believe for one second that it is fine and only effects weeds.

[Scarlet]

I wouldn't use commercial grade herbicides on any ground where I wanted to grow food.

Nor me! .

[veggiechicken]

Nor me !!...............

[Greenleaves]

They used to build houses out of asbestos, use creosote on fences......need I go on

[BertieFox]

Apparently numerous garden pesticides still on sale contain neonicitinoids, closely associated with the death of bees and other pollinators, this despite the Europe wide 'moratorium' on their use in agriculture. Any ban on products that do this is more than welcome.

[Snadger]

As far as I know glyphosate used in amenity horticulture and agriculture IS far more potent than stuff produced for amateur use. This is because it is sprayed by professionals who have completed a pesticide spraying course and achieved a certificate. They will take proper precautions, have the requisite PPE and have completed a COSHH and Risk Assessment prior to spraying.
The weaker glyphosate mixes for amateur use are solely for big companies like Monsanto to avoid the pesticide regulations by weakening the active ingredient.

[Kristen]

As far as I know glyphosate used in amenity horticulture and agriculture IS far more potent than stuff produced for amateur use

I had a look on the Roundup site: Concentrate Roundup, for gardeners says that a 140ml bottle containers 120 g/L glyphosate acid and makes 7L = 2.4g/L ?? and covers 140m2 = 0.12 g/m2

Agricultural Roundup is harder to tie down as there are all sorts of dilution rates depending on ... this & that ... a good reason for untrained folk not to mess with it of course. But to pick one from the UK label of Roundup Pro Bio:

5L container with 360 g/l glyphosate, dilute 250ml in 10 litres water = 9g/L? covers 500 m2 = 0.18 g/m2

If I've done my sums right??? not much difference in the applied concentration per unit area, and nothing to stop the amateur making a mix that is far more concentrated of course. Someone checking my sums would be reassuring!

The weaker glyphosate mixes for amateur use are solely for big companies like Monsanto to avoid the pesticide regulations by weakening the active ingredient.

Are they avoiding anything? or are the regulations just more stringent, so that amateur gardeners, not trained in such things, are at less risk to themselves? (pedantic point but is it herbicide regulations rather than pesticides? or does "pesticides" cover all such uses?)


I read a couple of posts last year from people (regulars on forums, not Newbies that had just "got it wrong") who had sprayed weedkiller on their lawns instead of fertiliser. I'm staggered how an amateur gardener can make a mistake like that, my chemicals are carefully stored and the like ... but maybe, much as I think it impossible, I too could have an off-day like that?

[Snadger]

Even professional users are using minimum concentrate quantities with high dilution rates because that's what COSHH is all about.

If the substance is 'Hazardous to Health' care must be taken to lessen the Risk.

As an example, the professional product I use at work sprayed with a constant droplet applicator,has no hazard warning symbols at all. It isn't residual like other chemicals on the market
It might not give a seasons kill but is much more environmentally friendly.

Best to only resort to chemicals if all other methods are ineffective.(Not on allotments or veg patch though where food crops are grown)

[Kristen]

Even professional users are using minimum concentrate quantities with high dilution rates because that's what COSHH is all about.

Coming at that from a completely different angle, farmers etc. will want to use as little chemical (and fertiliser etc) as possible, because of the cost. So all-in-all a good thing

[starloc]

The problem in the UK and many other countries is that the cost of the chemical or fertiliser is far lower than the cost of the man hours and fuel to spread it so if you can do it once with a strong dose they will as it makes sure it works and no more man hours needed ( can actually stop it working though! ),
many people exceed the quantities to make sure it works first time.....

What I hate is places like asda and others selling weedkillers, someone with a 3 meter square bit of concrete with some plantpots on it doesnt need weedkiller to deal with a blade or two of grass....

People with a stray weed here and there should stop being lazy and pull the plant out if they dont like it.....but no....they head to asda for a bottle of roundup or similar.

If people left stray plants here and there the world would be a healthier place , more plants and less chemicals dripping round

Weedkiller and most (if not all) insecticides need to be banned for home outdoor use, they are not needed

[Kristen]

if you can do it once with a strong dose they will as it makes sure it works and no more man hours needed

Does that work in practice? Surely farmers need multiple applications to provide a supply over the life of the crop (or, of course, a single application of slow-release, but that wouldn't cause excessive run-off etc). Farmers around here tell me that cost of fertiliser has risen dramatically in price; I'll ask them, next time I stop for a natter, about the balance of material-cost and application/labour-cost.

Weedkiller and most (if not all) insecticides need to be banned for home outdoor use, they are not needed

Can't see that working The agricultural versions are readily available on eBay (although they say "Only to be purchased & applied by qualified people" there is, of course, no check). Banning it will just cause people to buy alternatives that they are not safe to then apply.

Every year I read on the forums of Amateurs applying special herbicides for the treatment of Marestail. Its an incredibly noxious chemical and definitely needs all the special PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kit etc. but the chemical can be bought mailorder easily enough ... so people do

[starloc]

The thing is unless people stop being stupid when selling on ebay and pay some attention to the law all supplies of these products will stop for people who even have a licence

Not gardening chemicals but......A quick look on ebay I find acetone, nitromethane and hydrogen peroxide....all 3 are banned for sale or ownership, under terrorist and/or drug legislation its easy enough to buy them but you can get locked up for years for buying selling or owning them past a certain date!

People dont realise they can be locked up in the UK for owning something like acetone! never mind commercial strength weedkiller or persticides

[Thelma Sanders]

acetone and hydrogen peroxide - are banned for sale or ownership

That's news to me high strength versions may be, but I've never heard of an outright ban on the run of the mill versions.
Can't find anything about a ban on Google, either.

[Kristen]

acetone, nitromethane and hydrogen peroxide....all 3 are banned for sale or ownership

Sounds like tosh to me ... I certainly have Hydrogen Peroxide in my house - relatively high concentration too, used to sterilise bulbs and the like before planting.