Help! Possible Herbicide Damage

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norwalk

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Norwalk, CT
I made an awful mistake yesterday - I accidentally sprayed a non-specific herbicide the active ingredient of which is Prometon 2.5% (.25lb per gallon of active ingredient) under the "drip line" of several mature evergreen and deciduous trees.

Luckily I didn't use anywhere near full strength - the label says it covers 800 sq ft per gall & I used 1/2 gallon, spread over approx 2800 sq feet, diluted with a constant stream of water from the hose end sprayer as it was applied.

Several web sites I investigated talked about effective doses of Prometon being in the neighborhood of 10 - 60 lbs of active ingredient per acre. Since an acre is 43,560 sq ft and the lowest effective dose is 10 lbs, 1 lb would cover 4,356 sq ft. I covered approx. 65% of the area 1 lb should cover using approx. .12 lbs. So the minimum effective dose appears to be about .65 lbs and I used about .12 or about 1/5th the minimum effective dosage.

One web site talked about Prometon being applied at the rate of 1 lb per 100 sq ft to be effective against some weeds. I figure I applied .0042 lbs per 100 sq ft.

I spoke with a local arborist who didn't think the trees would be affected too badly and reccommended I spread ROOTS fertilizer (3-3-3) under the trees and on the area I sprayed and then some watchful waiting.

I'm very concerned about damaging these trees - anyone have any thoughts? The trees are a mix of evergreens & deciduous with trunks of approx 10-12" across.
 
Herbicide Damage?

Some time has now past, how did your trees make it through? I just did the same thing. While I was researching possible ways out of this mess, I came upon your post. Curious to know.

Todd L.
 
you might try activated choracol mixed into the soil. This will bind up the active ingredient. Check out your supplier for rates. I do know that sodium bicarbonate will reverse the effects of round up if applied very shortly after an application due to the acidicity of glyphosate being checked by the sodium bicarbonate.
 

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