Possible to Reverse Effect of Glyphosate on Plants?

[Troppofoodgardener]

There's been a lot written on this topic in the sticky, however I have one question which needs confirmation.

Can one actually reverse the effects of this chemical after it has been used on plants? Or does it signify the death knell?

My passionfruit plants are showing signs of brittle browning on the lower vines closest to the roots. They are in full fruit at the moment too.

My backyard backs onto a public laneway, and the council has conducted a weed-killing spree. I'm not 100% sure what chemical was used, but one can probably assume it's Round-up or glyphosate.

I have two passionfruit plants along the fenceline, which were growing strong up until a week ago, when the council applied weed-killer to the laneway, which included my back fence!

Can anyone help me save my passionfruit?

[Kisal]

Some plants are more sensitive to it than others ... at least in my experience. I grow annual sweet peas (the flowers) along my back fence by the alley. One year, a neighbor sprayed the alley with Round-up to kill the weeds, and it drifted onto my sweet peas. I lost 2 of the plants, but the rest survived, although they showed some browning of the leaf edges.

If you know right away, within a couple of hours of the spraying, I think you can wash it off with water from the garden hose. However, if the plant is sensitive to the stuff and actually starts to show damage, it's probably too late to effect a cure.

Can you notify the council of the damage? Not that they would reimburse you, but perhaps you can convince them to send out notices in the mail a couple of weeks before they do that sort of thing along residential property lines?

Sorry for that happening to you!

[Troppofoodgardener]

Thanks Kisal..

I thought of letting the council know, but I really doubt they'd care that much about the plants in my backyard.

The council workers did however slash off all the passionfruit vines which were hanging OVER my fence and into the laneway, and pushed them all back over my side, in an attempt to avoid poisoning.

However, this stuff can drift. Does Round-up only work through CONTACT with the leaves/trunks etc? Can it be ingested/absorbed by the plant through the soil?

[Kisal]

I can only give you my "best guess" on that. I've never actually tested it. My guess is that it probably could be absorbed from the soil, if it were poured on. The usual application, within my experience, though, is as a spray. I'm not sure enough of the chemical could be absorbed, since it would mainly be just on the surface of the soil.

As I say, that's just a guess, though. In all my years of gardening, I've only used Round-up once, and that was to clear out a very heavy infestation of ground bindweed. My guess is based on an experience I had killing a filbert tree that grew up through one of my favorite rhododendrons. I spilled some of the brush killer solution on the ground, but it didn't appear to have any effect on the rhodie at all. Of course, the rhodie wasn't a food plant, either, so I didn't have to concern myself with that aspect of possible absorption of the chemical through the roots.

[Troppofoodgardener]

Thanks.. that all makes sense.

[rootsy]

Glyphosate is non-selective and works by inhibiting photosynthesis. Some plant species are more resistant to it's mode of death than others. If the municipality was spraying to kill weeds and not grass, then a selective broadleaf herbicide was used. In order to work, Glyphosate needs to be applied to the foliage and absorbed through the leaves. Dumping it on the ground will not result in absorption in any significant amount.

A selective broadleaf killer such as 2-4D in the Ester can drift on hot days where the heat will cause the ester to vaporize. Can be deadly to nightshade plants (tomatoes for example) from quite a distance.

[Troppofoodgardener]

cheers Rootsy

An update on the passionfruit.. I've been practically drowning them every morning and they can't seem to get enough water. Especially now they're in full fruit. Majority of leaves are still lush and green, except for those on damaged vines which were slashed back. Both plants are dropping leaves like crazy, but they've been doing that ever since they got big.

The base of the vines are still looking brown and brittle.. but maybe they've always been that way except I've never taken close notice until the local council decided to spray the laneway.

So perhaps the weed-killer didn't affect my passionfruit enormously after all. But I will not take the risk and grow any food plants along the fence any more after this season!

[thanrose]

Glad to hear it. I was wondering if you'd update us!