# Roundup Drift, advice please



## unluckygardener (Jul 21, 2009)

Hi,

I've lurked for a while and when this problem came up I thought you guys might be able to advise me.

A couple of weeks ago our neighbor asked if he could spray the weeds on the lot next to us with Roundup. We at first said yes, but after some quick internet research we told him no because we were afraid of drift, especially right close to our fence, because our garden is right there. 

He seemed slightly offended and said he hadn't intended to wave it around, but anyway, he didn't do it. Not then. No, he waited about a week or so and on a slightly breezy day, he sprayed. Granted, not right next to the fence, but on the other side of the lot, about 3 yards, maybe less. He was nearly done when we saw him doing it, so what could we do?

Anyway, now, we've noticed a few brown leaves on various plant in our garden and on a few of the leaves on one of our apple trees. I'm not sure if it's the Roundup, but if it is, is it going to be safe to eat anything in the garden? 

Our Swiss Chard, beet greens, beans, potato plants, everything. The beet tops and the Swiss Chard even seem to be a slightly different color than they were before. And if even one leaf on one potato plant has been touched by the Roundup, will the whole plant and all the potatoes that will be under it be contaminated? 

I was told that Roundup enters through the leaves and follows the stem down to the roots. So will it contaminate the potatoes? How do I know if the brown spots are caused by Roundup?
Any help and advise would be appreciated.


Update:
I'm adding a link to some pictures of the brown spots on some of my plants. If you wouldn't mind having a look and giving me your opinion as to what you think it might be, I'd be grateful.

http://s682.photobucket.com/albums/vv188/variousthisnthat/


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Doesn't sound like Roundup, if it got enough of a drift to notice, whole plants would be wilting and dying by now, not just a few leaves here and there. Even if it was Roundup, I sure wouldn't hesitate to eat anything in the garden.


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## T-Bone 369 (Jan 18, 2007)

DaleK said:


> Doesn't sound like Roundup, if it got enough of a drift to notice, whole plants would be wilting and dying by now, not just a few leaves here and there. Even if it was Roundup, I sure wouldn't hesitate to eat anything in the garden.


I concur - if you had received a lethal dose on your plants you should see much more damage by now (as I read it it's been well over a week). I have seen sub-lethal effects - mostly wilting and stunted growth - but not browning of individual leaves. I would not loose any sleep eating your produce.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

I generally see slow yellowing until the leaf dies entirely as does the plant. 

I agree that it doesn't sound like glyphosate damage. Hand sprayers, if that is what he was using, generally put out larger droplets instead a fine mist that would ride the air.

I also find it unlikely that any drift would rise into an apple tree unless the branches and leaves were nearly to the ground. Water droplets tend to go down quickly from gravity. If some sort of higher pressure sprayer was used then you might see some damage, otherwise I'd say not.

I also agree that if there were glyphosate damage it would be widespread and not just on a few leaves. Haven't a clue what part of the country you live in but it isn't at all unusual during summertime for plants to shed a few leaves as a moisture conservation method.

As far as eating food that has gotten glyphosate on it I wouldn't be afraid to. Roundup and now generic glyphosate have been around for decades and is used on many crops that become foodstuffs. Corn end result of corn syrup is a good example that many consume without a second thought.

Welcome to the forums. I hope you will continue to use them and enjoy them.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i've seen round-up damage plants and not kill them. i had a very slight breeze carry fine mist from my hand-held sprayer and spot leaves on various shrubs. i had leaf damage on lilacs and i had an arborvitae with a patch of brown with green in deeper on the shrub. both bounced back in a few weeks. i think i also had some tiger lillies survive round-up drift that day. i know round-up won't always (rarely on the first application, actually) kill poison ivy. if someone is using a fine mist, it can and will carry on the wind for a surprising distance. i don't think a small amount will kill whatever it touches and it will travel. i have no clue if the round-up will have any impact on the veggies as far as your safety is concerned. personally, it wouldn't bother me so much with something like corn or beans, but i think i would shy away from eating any green that has been turned brown.

your neighbor was told not to spray and he sprayed. gain control of your land before he gets any ideas. refer to various threads on HQ to get info on what neighbors can do with your land. if he wants to gripe about weeds, let him file a complaint with your municipality. don't let him trespass and manage your property.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

All of the Roundup that I've seen used turned the plants white, not brown. Even when a few stray drops went beyond the end of the boom, affected plants had white spots, not brown. Thus it doesn't sound like Roundup damage.

Martin


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

If it is applied on a wet field or a humid day, it can boil up and drift around.


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## unluckygardener (Jul 21, 2009)

Thank you all for your replies. I feel a bit better about things now.


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

unlucky gardener you need to change your name before you jinx yourself! LOL


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## unluckygardener (Jul 21, 2009)

Caren, 

I think it's already too late for that! LOL

I've added a link to pictures at the top so that maybe you guys can tell me what the brown spots are.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

If he is spraying on his property there is nothing you can do about it.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

The bottom right could potentially be from a drop or two of Roundup but more likely not, the others look like a leaf disease or insect damage, not like anything I've ever seen from Roundup.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Callieslamb said:


> If he is spraying on his property there is nothing you can do about it.


If he is spraying on his property and there would have been chemical solution drift there is plenty that could be done about it. You notify the extension office and ask them to take tissue samples for analysis and report the guy to the property authority if you want to pursue the issue. Division of Agriculture from my state is the agency you would report to.

The damage to me looks like a sucking insect has been at work. First and last photo shows it best where the bug as moved locations and sucked from the back of the leaf.

Where's a master gardener when you need one anyway? Yoo Hoo, oh master gardener, can you tell whether it is insect damage or not via the photos?


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

None of the pics in your link are of Round-up damage. Most look like some kind of fungus or bacterial damage. Pic #5 from the left is leaf miner. I've had over 20 years of experience spraying Round-up.


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## elkwc (Jun 3, 2007)

I agree none of the damage looks like Round Up damage. I use it here mainly around the borders of my property to keep the bind weed at bay and also control soap weeds.I use it as I have found it too be the safest product I can use. And have never had any problems. Common sense needs to be used when applying anything. If applied properly you won't have any problem with Round up and it isn't volatile and won't vaporize and drift. 

Windy basically I agree with what you said. But in reality anyway in this part of KS it is very hard to do anything about chemical misuse and overspray or drift on a persons property. I talk from experience. The north east corner of my property is at least 50 yards west of the SW corner of a dryland field. Most of the time when they spray it in the summer I haven't experienced any problems. But twice in particular an aerial sprayer has sprayed with the wind too high from the wrong direction and killed some of my garden and also trees ect onneighbors property. One morning in particular I was doing chores and came out of the feed house which is another 50 yards west of my property line so at least 100 yards west of the end of the field and he still had his nozzles turned on and spraying. He covered me and my horses and also killed a swath out of my garden and some neighbors trees and plants. About all he got was a warning. His reply was he has to make a living and other than that refused to say much. I had to call in to work and tell them i would be late. Take a bath and wash the horses off. As I remember it they said we would have to prove intentional negligence and some other things. I lost over a 1/3 of my garden. He is no longer spraying in this area as far as I know. I didn't feel it was worth the cost of hiring an attorney. Just my experience. Jay


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

Your best bet is to ask your neighbor if you can take care of the weeds yourself. He should be happy to let you do his work for him! Spray them with vinegar and you won't have to worry at all, and you'll maintain good relations with your neighbor.


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## Meconella (Dec 21, 2008)

Sadly my garden has been the victim of round up drift more than once, and your photos arent it. If it's light RU drift, the plants wont die, but they will start to grow stunted and have an odd, pinched appearing vein pattern. If they are perennials, they can recover with time. Annuals may not. At least that is my experience.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Unlucky, next time he asks to do it say yes but tell him to let you know when he does it. Then you can be right out there with the hose in your garden washing the plants down "just in case". Better to keep on good terms with him.

Jennifer


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

That doesn't look like Roundup overspray to me. If there was overspray, it would have been more generalized.

I agree with Jennifer L that you might want to improve your chances of being on good terms with your neighbor. It makes a lot of difference in how your day-to-day life goes.

Oh! And I wouldn't worry about eating anything that may have had some incidental spray hit it. Glyphosate breaks down pretty fast.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

Do you live in the NorthEast? Somewhere between Maine and New Jersey to the Ohio area? Your potato could have Late Blight. The Swiss Chard or Beet looks like leaf miner. Go to http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/
Linda


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