HELP! Gardening emergency!

[SouthernSoul05]

I have a gardening emergency!!!

My mom is a novice gardener...she has really taken it up well this summer. She loves her plants, especially her rose bush. Unfortunately, my dad accidently got a little bit of roundup on it, as well as a few other holly bushes. They're slowly dying, and my mom is really upset. Is there anyway we can reverse the affects or at least stop it??? Any help would greatly be appreciated!!!

[opabinia51]

All I can think of is to dilute the round up with a lot of water and organic matter such as compost, manure and leaves. Hopefully Scott or someone else will have some better ideas.

Round up acts on plant foliage (leaves). You may also try going down to a local nursery and asking there.

Also, we tend to discourage the use of herbicides and pesticides here. It's better to have a healthy soil and a healthy, well rounded plant community to detur weeds, and pests.

What I do with weeds is simply turn them into the soil or put them in the compost pile. My newest pile (started in April) is now the most lovely soil in the world.

[SouthernSoul05]

Well I highly doubt my mom will let my dad use roundup again! Especially since I read online that it can cause animals to have seizures...

I read somewhere that pulling off the affected leaves before it spreads can help...don't know if this is valid or not but it's worth a shot.

It wasn't directly sprayed...my dad was spraying around it and some of it blew on it...so it's not like it was sprayed at the roots or nothing!

[Grey]

As I understand it, Roundup is absorbed through the leaves and gets to the roots from there. Removing the affected leaves may help, but if it happened a few days ago already, I'd just water, water, water, water. And pray.

I'm still trying to convince my hubby Roundup is the invention of the devil, maybe that line of it causing seizures in animals will help, we have two dogs instead of kids & that would hit home.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Removing the leaf only helps if it is done quickly...

It's a wait and see game now...

Scott

[SouthernSoul05]

My mom discovered more plants that are dying. My dad is roundup crazy. This is not good. Oy.

I agree, roundup is of the devil

[Grey]

And it's expensive, too.

[opabinia51]

Yes, round up is bad, bad, BAD! I would find wherever your Dad has the Round up stored and hide it from him. Not only is it really bad for the environment it also is VERY slow to break down and tends to linger for long periods of time.

Dilute, dilute, dilute. Not just with water, but, also with lots of organic matter. That is the only hope for your mom's plants.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Leather restraints seem in order (for Pater, methinks )

HG