Bye bye grass!

Had a friend who used round-up on bamboo and it worked but it took many, many applications!

It must have to do with how solutes are transported through the plant. Bamboos have very impervious outer epidermal layers compared with any other commonly-encountered grasses, and many in addition exude a waxy coating that would be almost impossible to penetrate with any water-based chemical. That would certainly impede uptake and effectiveness of any of the common herbicides. There may be some internal structural differences as well that could inhibit translocation within the plants. And another possible issue: "running" bamboos grow so fast as a rule that it's unlikely anything applied on new growth would make it back to the older rhizomes or culms, which could be many meters away - or for that matter, to the new growth which sends out its own roots as it spreads and doesn't require much in the way of nutrition from the older parts of the plant. It could finally also matter a great deal at what point in the growth cycle the herbicide was applied. Bamboos are tropical grasses, more or less continuous growers as the temperature allows, and have one of the most unusual flowering/seeding habits in the entire plant kingdom.

-Rich

I haven't used Roundup for ages, but I thought it had to be applied to the foliage in order to work. Maybe I'm wrong-

Research indicates "Up to 70% of absorbed glyphosate can translocate out of the treated leaves to the root and shoot apices. However, glyphosate translocation is self-limiting and only occurs for the first 48-72 h after application." (http://www.ncwss.org/proceed/2006/abstracts/94.pdf). So if the plant is not actively growing when the Roundup is applied, the effects will be minimal or nil - it needs to be used when the plant is making lots of carbon ring structures (e.g.: amino acids, auxin, etc.), because it works by interfering with that process. Application to leaves is typical for the simple reason that they represent the greatest amount of surface area for absorption.

One alternative method of herbicide application that minimizes the hazards to surrounding plants or deposition on the soil surface that has been reported is to cut a section of stem above the ground and insert the root side of the cut directly into a bottle containing some of the herbicide. For most plants, using a standard dilution of the herbicide may be more desirable for this than using a "full strength" concentrate. The carrier (solvent or oil base) may so damage the exposed plant tissues that it interferes with uptake, or the concentrated material may be so viscous that it is not easily taken up by the plant.

-Rich

I just dig the sod up before making a raised bed.....less labor in the future....even if you are in a hurry now......

I hate bermuda grass......nothing kills that crappy grass......The roots live like cockroaches. I hurl if i see a cockroach .
I throw fits when I see the bermuda If that stuff gets a tiny anchor in a potted plant, you have to throw out the soil and start over.
I am ready to spray it with concentrated round up. Take that! #%$^%&
Maybe Kudzu killer will kill it?

This message was edited Jan 16, 2012 9:52 PM

LOVE your garden! I dream mine will look like that someday :) Thanks for sharing!

You have a surfactant sitting close to your kitchen sink- lo sudsing dish soap is a 'sticker to' for spraying and it doesn't take but a little bit,