North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Idell Weydemeyer" <iwgarden@earthlink.net>]

I think it is important to be very careful with Tordon. Tordon is toxic to fish and gets in the water table (check the Dow chemical website) -- it also is very persistent in the soil--supposedly for at least 7 years so used when spraying knapweed--seeds of which last 7 years in the soil. In Montana, you cannot spray Tordon without an applicators license.  (Tordon is a restricted use herbicide to be applied by licensed applicators--from the Montana State University website) It is said to kill trees nearby if not done carefully (many areas have sandy soil so Tordon moves though). I have sprayed large areas of knapweed and Canada thistle for years using Curtail--(which also has some problems) but I will not use Tordon.

 

Perhaps the cattails will die with just dilute Roundup painted on them -- Roundup is said to be the least toxic of many herbicides but supposedly it is the inert ingredients that can cause many problem.

 

Idell in N CA and in N Montana

 

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From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jwlehman@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2010 7:52 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] stump dissolver

 

In a message dated 11/14/2010 8:51:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, jerrydana5@aol.com writes:

1.  I have a stump from a Sassafras tree I cut down in the middle of the yard.  Does anybody know of something I can put on it to "dissolve" or make the stump soft so I can chop it out?

Sassafras is a soft wood and I'd recommend cutting it off at ground level, take an electric drill and drill holes in it maybe 1/2 x 6 inches deep spread some decaying vegetative matter in the holes to help seed it with fungus.  In a very few short years you'll have a hole in the ground where the rotten stump was, in the meantime as it is at ground level you can mow over it, drive over it and you won't know it's there until there is a hole in the ground where the rotten stump was.

2.  I have a couple of shrubs which in my garden I've been cutting back in hopes of killing them and it hasn't worked.  The roots are very deep and I cannot dig them out.  Is there something I can put on them to kill them?  I eventually want to use the soil so don't want to put anything on it that will render the soil useless. 

Yes, the root system will send up many shoots and you will have little sassafras trees trying to grow everywhere. Tordon (carried by farm stores) which can be purchased in small containers works very well.  Simply cut the shoots off again at ground level put a few drops of Tordon on the cutoff portion and the roots will draw it in and then be killed.  Although I have not tested it thoroughly but in some cases I have used Roundup diluted with 50% water and then applied to the stump of cut off trees and shrubs and it seems to work.  When you apply this to the top you will notice that in a matter of a few seconds it is drawn into the stump.  Apply it several more times that a good dose of it will be sucked up into the root system.  No need to apply so liberally that it runs down the sides as it is absorbed by the phloem exposed on the top then carried to the roots. This must be applied immediately after cutting off.  If you wait for a short period of time the surface cells dry up and will not absorb the chemical. 

I have a new six acre pond and the cattail clumps are getting established around the pond's edge.  About three weeks ago as a test I went to about six of those clumps cut off several of the stalks about 3 inches above the ground and applied a mixture of about 25% Tordon, 25% Roundup and 50% water.  One clump had about two dozen cattail stalks and I cut off maybe six scattered throughout the clump them applied the mixture.  All of the clumps or clusters that I treated are dying whereas untreated clusters are still very green and alive. Next spring I intend to treat all of the clusters as I don't want the pond's banks lined with cattails.

One word of caution on the Tordon container. It comes with a funky little cap you pull up then turn the container over and apply the liquid to the cut off stump.  It is the poorest designed applicator I've ever seen as it leaks, leaks and leaks and more and runs down the side of the container exposing it to your hand. My cynical guess is Tordon likes it because you waste so much and they sell more chemical. They have been selling it in the same container for years. I wear heavy rubber gloves when I'm applying it.

Jerry