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New Carlisle IN

Hi everyone, I'm Terry, a first year grower of AGs, and
I just made my biggest bonehead mistake of the season.
I went to spray pesticide mixed with fungicide and after
emptying the first tankfull I discovered I had sprayed
pesticide and Ortho Weed b Gone. Is this going to be fatal
to my plants? The active ingredient is Triclopyr, Triethylamine salt.
Well good luck to everyone (and don't do anything stupid)
Terry

8/16/2005 7:11:29 PM

Puyallup, WA

Congratulations Terry! You, like the rest of us, have discovered one of the 99 ways we can kill our plant. We all have done "non-thinking" things to our plants.

8/16/2005 7:43:27 PM

San Diego

oooooo man, I feel for ya! unfortunately,probably lethal my friend.

8/16/2005 7:59:08 PM

Montoursville, PA

I would not squeel on anyone but I know a guy that hit his patch with Roundup. Feel for 'ya my man. We have nearly all done something stupid more than once in this crazy hobby.

This gives you a wonderfull opportunity to have a bonus cover crop. Plant buckwheat now and till it under in late September. Then follow with your rye grass for spring tilling. Wow........You feel bad but this is how to gain some ground, in soil conditon, health and tilth that will be nothing but great.

I do not think one application mistake will nuke your patch beyond reasonable recovery by next spring.

8/16/2005 9:27:05 PM

Follansbee, Wv

The first thing you should have done is spray the plant with water to wash off the weed-b-gone. That might have helped. By now, the mistake is probably lethal. I don't know what the active ingredient in Round-Up is, but if it is the same as Weed-B-Gone you may have a chance. Tom Beachy has said that Round-Up will not harm a mature, terminated AG plant. Compare the actives and see.
As far as a cover crop goes, if it comes to that, buckwheat is a waste of time. Plant a legume like Big N Alfalfa or Hairy Vetch. Select a crop that will fix nitrogen AND provide OM when tilled under. Buckwheat does neither. It mearly holds the soil in place. Hopefully your plant recovers.

8/16/2005 10:02:00 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Terry,

If it was Roundup I'd say not to worry. But I see where one ingredient applied was one of my favorite selective broadleaf herbicides (I sell boat loads of Triclopyr to lawn care applicators). Unfortunately even if you watered like crazy, it would find the roots all the same.

If you have a digital camera maybe for the sake of education you can do a photo sequence of the next couple weeks & post them here for all to see.

And who knows? Maybe the fruit won't rot or there might be some other as yet un-thought-of side effect we aren't aware of.

8/16/2005 10:06:09 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I have been afraid of that happening myself. I have 2 hand sprayers that look very similar, so I labeled one herbicide only, and the other one insecticide and fungicide only. As far as the Weed B Gon is concerned, the main ingredient I think is 2,4,D. In high temperatures, it can volitalize and move through the air. So washing it off might not help, as the fumes could rise up from the ground. I hope you didn't hit it too hard with that mix.

8/17/2005 9:46:58 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

yep...two sprayers is a must one never sees a herbicide.

8/17/2005 11:11:16 AM

Montoursville, PA

My suggestion, for buckwheat was because it germs fast and is cheap. Thought it might be better, to lose it, to what might still be poison laying there, to harm whatever would be planted next. When tilled in the organic mass rots quickly and boosts the existing bacteria along with molasses to help clean up any harm done.

To me it would be a shame, to invest the time and money, in other choices when we really do not know how bad the soil is nuked or even if it is. No matter what the condition biology within the soil has, to clean it up before anything will grow normal, following this type error. I was looking, for a fast way, to get, to the boosted rotting mater and peaked bacteria.

8/17/2005 12:04:08 PM

New Carlisle IN

Thanks everyone
But please understand, I don't feel bad or depressed, I feel stupid and I certainly can see the humor in this.
Cover crops? I really don't want to pull three healthy
AGs, two of them at 350lbs, a personal best for me (by a bunch) and Tremor, sure I'll take pics and post em in my
diary, but I'm still hoping they recover, The lable says
1gal for 200sq ft and I sprayed at least 2 or 3 times that.
Ok and lastly, 2 sprayers? Will this make me smarter?
I have 4 Ortho products all in green bottles with yellow
caps, I grabbed the wrong one, but I know what your saying
I forgot to rinse my sprayer after spraying roundup:(
Well good luck all and best wishes and I may have something
for Noblesville yet.
Thanks
Terry

8/17/2005 9:54:28 PM

Utah

Terry,
I feel badly for you! I was enjoying the updates, especially on my 891 plant... wishing that it would do really well for you. I hope they recover.
gordon

8/18/2005 9:48:19 AM