RoundUp Mishap

[Noreaster]

I'm so upset about this. I was using RoundUp today on some tough, thorny weeds that grow along our back fenceline...they come in from the neighbor's wooded backyard and are impossible to pull by hand. I was about three feet away from my hosta garden, which I though was ok, but when I turned around, I noticed some fine drops misting over in their direction. About three got misted, and I am most upset about Thunderbolt, which is looking beautiful after many years. Hadspen Blue had it the worst, and I could see the speckles on the leaves where the mist had landed. I tried hosing them off, but the speckles remain, so I fear that it didn't do any good.

How much Roundup does it take to kill a hosta? I'm worried sick about this, and so mad at myself for not taking more care. I need a glimmer of hope that they will be ok...especially Thunderbolt.

These are the speckles..is this a lot?

[steg]

sorry to hear about that Noreaster....I have no idea what it would take to kill them

Would it help to cut off the leaves that got sprayed???? might keep it from getting to the roots. I really have no clue, just grasping at ideas...good luck

[Noreaster]

I thought about that, but almost every leaf on Hadspen Blue seemed to get a bit of the mist, so I wasn't sure that would do any good, unless I wanted to cut all the leaves off. I'm not sure about Thunderbolt..it didn't appear speckled like HB, but it's right next to it, so I'm sure it got hit, too. I wouldn't know which leaves of Thunderbolt to remove, since the spots weren't as visible. The roundup bottle says rainproof within ten minutes, but I know that I rinsed them before ten minutes had passed. I hope it was enough. I guess it will take a few weeks before I know?

[steg]

cross you fingers and hope for the best...they are hardy perennials

[eastwood2007]

Bummer...but if you washed them off right away they should be okay. Also, with such a small amount it probably won't hurt them. Could the speckles have been caused by something else? It looks like the wax is off in those spots...I don't know if Roundup would do that. Seriously, though, if you rinsed them right away they should be okay. You can take this from someone who has rinsed Roundup off many a plant.

[JaneG]

Been there, done that!

I rinse them off real well as soon as I notice the overspray. If it's only a couple leaves, or if a couple of them got it really bad, I will snip off those leaves before the plant has a chance to suck in all the poison. On hardier plants, like hostas and daylilies, it may cause the affected leaves to become distorted or yellowed, but often they survive, especially if you took care of it right away.

Good Luck!!!

[jgh]

With just a little drift, you'll probably be fine...

Even if all the foliage dies back, don't assume they are dead. I've done it. Sometimes the crown will throw new growth the same year... sometimes not until next year. I have had them recover completely. I've also had crowns seem to survive and struggle, only to ultimately die the second or third year.

Last year I split an old Embroidery plant into five nice divisions... then hit them all with overspray. Four came back, three of the four came up distorted this year, the fourth looks fine. Indications are that they will end up being OK.

[steg]

wow....I'm filing this information away for later. I'm sure it'll happen.

[Noreaster]

No, I'm pretty sure the speckles were caused by the Roundup...the wax is off because I tried to rub at the speckles, so it came off when I did that. I was hoping the wax actually might help protect the leaf, but I don't know. I went out a little while ago and checked out Hadspen Blue, and I think I'm seeing little pinholes that weren't there before...or maybe my mind is playing tricks. So far Thunderbolt looks fine, but I guess I have to wait a week or so before I know, right? I'll just be ill if Thunderbolt shows signs of dying or distortion...it's been so slow and looks so great this year.

[jgh]

This might be a good place to insert some of the things we've learned about using RoundUP around our hostas. Each tip is the result of some stupid error made...

For spot treatment, a strong mix applied with a sponge brush can prevent accidents - perfect for those persistent dandelions that insist on coming up right next to the hosta and can't be removed without a lot of damage to the root ball.

A variation on this is the extremely satisfying, if not particularly practical, technique I dubbed "the fickle finger of death." One dons a nitrile glove, then a cotton glove over it. Dipping a finger in a strong solution, one simply runs a soft stroke along the leaves of the offending plant. Maybe not quite as sensible as the foam brush - but it can make you feel like the Angel of Death.

Sometimes the area requires spraying. To prevent overspray, the best I've found is a 4x8 sheet of plywood and an assistant who can hold it up perpendicular to the ground to prevent overspray. Cardboard from an appliance works, too... but the plywood is rigid and easy to slide along. And the assistant is helpful - I always find myself so involved in the actual spraying that I can lose the necessary attention to the plants behind me or that I'm working toward.

And be careful where you walk. I've never been able to spray a significant area without getting some on my shoes. I wear my crocs so I can wash them off - but if I spray an area in "the back forty" and then walk across the lawn, it is possible that there will be a series of dead patches marking my path. Switch to clean shoes and carry the lethal footwear to a safe place to wash it.

And cleaning out your equipment... even if very diluted by filling the tank with fresh water to wash it, the rinse water may be strong enough to do some damage, even if it doesn't actually kill plants outright...

[Noreaster]

I normally am so careful with the stuff, and don't really use it that much. I've had a lot on my mind lately and I think I just lost my focus, spraying a bigger area than I normally would. I'm really angry with myself for making such a stupid mistake.

[Noreaster]

Please think good thoughts for Thunderbolt! The stuff I was spraying was about 2.5-3 feet to the right of Hadspen Blue. Stained Glass might have gotten some too, but it was a little more shielded. It wasn't even windy or anything...I think the RoundUp sprayer nozzle just put out a lot of mist. Ugh, what a terrible lesson learned.

[flowerchild59]

That is a beautiful picture Noreaster.

[steg]

That is a beautiful picture Noreaster.

wow...looking good, we'll hope for the best, but it sounds like it may very well be OK

[vawildflower]

great picture of some great looking hosta! Hope everything is fine for you.
wild

[Linda P]

I've done the same thing! Many years ago, my grandson (who was then around 5 or 6) found my sprayer, and decided to help. I had no idea that he even knew how to get the pressure in the thing, but he did. He sprayed a few hostas before I saw him. I immediately flooded the plants with water, and none of them even showed any damage. Yesterday I got a little roundup on a couple hosta leaves, and just pulled them off.
Something the works as a shield when you don't have an assistant to hold the cardboard or plywood is an old snow shovel. I use that quite often. Another good thing to do is carry a bucket of water to the area you're spraying before you start, so you have it handy if you mess up.
I hope your hosta will be fine. That's a beautiful spot you have there!
Linda P

[Noreaster]

Thanks everyone. It does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only one to have done this. Hopefully it will turn out alright. I'll update in a week or two and let you know if it looks ok. (I hope I'd know by that time if there are going to be problems)

[yardmom]

Very pretty! Nice colors and texture.

[renaldo75]

That is a gorgeous part of your garden, Noreaster!!
I hope it all works out OK for you and no real harm was done.

Makes me want to see more of your garden...