Roundup

[Paul Cherubini]

Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX wrote:

> This active ingredient works only on an enzyme
> pathway found in plants and has zero toxicological effects on animals.  I
> think it also breaks down rapidly under UV rays and is not know to be
> persistent in the soil - unlike products like tordon. It is widely used in
> agricultural environments and for home use.

At this time of the year in my monarch butterfly garden, the still dormant
milkweed I have planted in the ground has living roots that will be sending
up new shoots in about 2 weeks. The ground where this milkweed
will be coming up is currently covered by a sea of weeds that rob sunlight
and soil nutrients from the milkweed.

So tomorrow I'm planning to spray Roundup on those weeds as it
will kill the unwanted weeds without poisoning the soil or the underground
roots of the milkweed. So what I end up is a nice weed free stand
of milkweed that harbors no toxins that could harm monarchs or
other butterflies.

This is why I consider Roundup a useful tool in maintaining a butterfly
garden - especially large gardens where it would be impractical to manually
weed. Last year my Roundup treatment in combination with a few applications
of 16-16-16 chemical fertilizer help me obtain a stand of Asclepias syriaca 
milkweed that was 7 feet tall!

Paul Cherubini, Placerville, Calif.