OK, I'm going to discuss purchasing glyphosate here...but I'm discussing various formulations and this is NOT a place to have a discussion about glyphosate itself or any ecological or social issues related to herbicide use.

I had to use more than usual of various herbicides this summer, it was probably the worst possible pattern for fueling massive weed growth on my 3 acres. Wet May, bone dry June, and wettest July ever. I'm 'down to my last 2.5 gallons' of Rodeo, even though at the rate I was going, that would usually have lasted me at least 2 years. Figured it was time to buy the 'spare to the heir' so to speak LOL.

Called my local Lesco-John Deere-Site One. He said he only had the generic. Decided to investigate before driving up there. I'm posting fair use pictures found on the web, so I don't seem like I'm advertising any particular reseller. Here's a picture of Rodeo:

And here's the generic the guy recommended:

This is puzzling. Glyphosate is a colorless chemical. Most chemicals that could hypothetically be added as stabilizers, are colorless. (seeing EDTA decolorize a solution of potassium permanganate during a titration is actually an exercise in some introductory analytical chemistry lab courses) So, what's up with the generic? Does anyone else besides me question the quality of the formulation when it has such a muddy color?

Now, I will say I have used a mix of name brand and generic over the years, and haven't seen a different in performance. And I expect there probably wouldn't be in this case. But since I'm going to be keeping this for a few years, possibly, I wonder about the shelf-life of something that seems to have so many by-products or contaminants already present.

And btw, has any seen a switch to SiteOne promoting generics more than they used to? I know for sure that when I first bought Rodeo in the late 2000s, I bought it at a John Deere. Although that was a different branch.