A few years ago a friend of mine plagued by broad-leaved weeds on his very large lawn, dotted with trees, decided he was going to get rid of his broad-leaved weeds completely.
Having tried unsuccessfully with a lawn sand (Sulphate of Ammonia bulked up with sand) he decided to use a hormone weed killer based on a hormone chemical called 2-4D. He borrowed a proper distributor which allowed the solution to dribble onto a rubber-coated cylinder and then onto the grass as the machine rolled along. He then treated hundreds of square yards one evening after work and the effect was spectacular. In no time at all most of the weeds which had irritated him for so long were beginning to grow furiously, curl up and die out. This happened during the damp early summer and in due course he thought it was time for a repeat dose. This time the weather was warm and sunny, and having some spare time one morning he repeated the treatment but on a smaller scale.
Jacko had some very fine fir trees on his lawn, as well as some broad-leaved trees like copper beech, birch and weeping willows. The conifers were his pride and joy. On this occasion the hormone weed-killer was again mixed carefully, there was no wind but that didn’t matter anyway because the liquid was again going to be rolled onto the grass not sprayed. After a little while it became clear that he had a major disaster on his hands, for what happened was this: The rising temperature caused the solution to evaporate at a rate of knots. Wherever he applied the weedkiller the deadly fumes rose into his gorgeous leafy canopy and defoliated the lot. Most trees died out completely and no conifers survived at all. The moral of this tale, nauseating though it is on this fine Sunday morning, is that one should never never, never apply hormone weedkiller on warm sunny days when the temperature is rising, but only in the latter part of the day when the temperature is falling. In fact no chemicals ought to be applied to the foliage of plants either when it is sunny and getting warmer. It is most especially true when there is the slightest wind or breeze, because your neighbours and their pets as well as their plants are put at risk because the fumes will drift over and through the hedge or fence. Your own workers as well as your neighbour’s workers can also be put at risk by fumes from evaporating chemicals. As far as hormone weedkillers are concerned, I have yet to come across any that I feel comfortable with near livestock and pets, and as we have a bit of an unemployment problem probably the best thing to do is employ people to do it the hard way by rooting out the weeds with a hand fork. Finally, never apply any insecticides or fungicides to plants that are dry at the root, as you’ll almost certainly scorch the leaves.
I am sorry that I missed writing a few lines to you last week. Taking an early morning coffee at the Pegasus recently I watched one of their gardeners spraying the vegetation under the large flamboyant near to the pool and creating the perfect forest atmosphere. Shade-loving plants love this treatment several times a day if you have the time to spare, and it’s a lovely sight to see the water droplets on the foliage and flowers. As I write this after an early morning shower I am enjoying the benefit of this sight now that we’re in the ‘dry.’ Enjoy the cricket and don’t worry at all about the Windies score of 85 in the ‘friendly.’ Wait until the real thing starts. Then they’ll start to earn their enormous salaries. May your Gods go with you wherever you are in Guyana.
