plain old round up becomes inert on contact with soil ... so spray perennial weeds early.. plant a week later ...

i am not aware of REGULAR ru ... being used as a one year preventative ... and you dont mention any special type ... i would love to see a link from which you read that ...

so need some clarification before i go on

if you want to use a seed preventor.. start you seed in flats.. and transplant into treated soil ... i think ...

ken

Hi Ken, I still remember you from about 7 years ago when I was more active in gardening. I asked about how to propagate my sedum, and part of your answer was "I could give you a truck load if you want...." :-)

But about the roundup, this is the one I read about:
http://www.roundup.com/smg/templates/index.jsp?pageUrl=365

Dave, you are talking about the formulation that works for 365 days, right? If you read ALL of the information on THIS website, you'll see that you can't seed NOR can you plant into the treated area for a year.

That's not the right kind of Roundup.

hence the reason i asked for the link ...

my use was plain old generic RU ...

the stuff you found.. i would use in parking lots.. fence lines... gravel .. etc ... where i would want nothing.. ever ... a once a year spray ... not really forever ...

and the website says: For use on driveways, patios, sidewalks and gravel areas

go figure.. lol ...

i know you are looking for the easy solution ... there isnt one.. spray whats there with regular RU ... and cover with mulch ... or weed by hand .. and cover with mulch ... or anything.. and cover with mulch ... lol ... note the key words ...

better link to product below

how did rooting sedum work out ...

ken

http://www.roundup.com/smg/goprod/roundup-max-control-365-weed-grass-killer-plus-weed-preventer-refill/prod11000010

Ah, I didn't realize there were different kinds of roundups. The link that you gave shows the same roundup as the one I showed before, but that is ok. I know what to look for now. Thank you all!

As for the sedum, I had since found that the common sedum (with yellow flowers) propagate so easily that I can just pull a few out and stick them to an area that I want. :-)

...which would also be of some benefit to your new garden.

I second Jillian and Tiffany. There are many alternatives to spraying poison. I'm no crusader, but check this out:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/pesticides/factsheets/Glyphosate.pdf

one might think you are a crusader if you provide such a link .. ken

Think what you will.

I will try to use the cardboard method for some areas, but I have also read that Roundup is not really that bad and that the debated health risk is more applicable to heavy usage like in farming.

I am only using it in small areas of my small garden, and given that I haven't used any in years, I doubt if I will use much in my whole life.

If you have neighbors nearby, please use extra caution to ensure none drifts into their yards and gardens. Be sure to spray only on calm, non-windy days. Our new neighbors decided to spray RU on their beds last year and some drifted onto my roses and front garden. Needless to say it was a bad foot to start off on with the new neighbors...

Arlene, I will use extra caution. Thanks!

I use roundup in my flower beds every spring to kill off quack grass and I have perennials in that bed. If you read the label it says it is most effective sprayed close to the root I use a large piece of plastic. Actually it is an advertising sign that they put on our lawn when we had our windows changed but even cardboard would work. I place the sign in front of the plants I don't want to spray and bend over and spray the weed close to the ground. That way there is no danger of spraying what you don't want to spray and you can use the roundup sparingly.'

I plant that same bed with more flowers a couple of weeks later and have never had a plant damaged by my practice of spraying roundup

davemichigan, I disagree. You need to read more about the dangers of Roundup, esp on men. Any chemical use is a hazard. Weeds can be controlled by pulling or with 3" of mulch.

zzackery---Have you ever tried pulling quack grass. You get the top but leave all the root to grow again. I have pulled and dug and pulled and dug but you never get all the root. Mulching doesn't work either. The grass just grows up through it or it snakes along and comes up where there is no mulch. Your solution only works for weeds. If you are worried about breathing in roundup you can always use a mask. I don't use it when weeds can be pulled and get all the root but I have used it when necessary for over 20 years with no ill effects

I know a bit about round up from a professional standpoint. Like any other herbicide, use it cautiously. While you want to limit your exposure, no one uses roundup daily so we're not talking about inhaling or dermal exposure routinely. I use Roundup as needed. If a weed has shallow roots and it can be pulled, then by all means, do so. If you're struggling with invasive weeds with a tough root system or quite frankly, if your back and knees can't take it, use the roundup...cautiously. When the weeds die back, mulch really well. Use some black plastic or thick cardboard before laying the mulch. Have a wonderful gardening season and enjoy the blooms.