Whew. What a busy and productive morning.
Drove to that neighborhood to survey damage, talked to a resident who also had minor damage to his oakleaf hydrangea in the front yard. But I didn't see any other evidence of herbicide damage there.
While I was there, ran into the farmer responsible for spraying that farther field. He followed me and looked at all the damage I found north of his field.
He went home and checked the date he sprayed - 04/29 started early in the morning across the road from that field then did the field on the same side of the road as my yard, about 1/4 mile south of me. Said he used 2-4-D and
Sterling Blue (dicamba... and another Winfield product)
He speculated that some of the damage could be from when he sprayed, and since it was several weeks after the first spraying event before I noticed the extent of the damage in my yard, it very well could be. When I said I doubted it was his spraying, he said he wouldn't be too sure it wasn't... and mentioned how under the right conditions the stuff can be picked up, carried quite a distance, then dropped.
He also told me once he saw it happen while he was spraying and the cloud crossed into a neighbors nursery field and caused substantial damage to an area.
Very nice man, known him as long as I've lived here. He's coming by tomorrow to talk to the inspector since he's noticed extensive tree damage to the fence rows on other properties he's sprayed.
On my way to that neighborhood, the out of town cousin who owns the field next to mine just happened to out mowing another property 1/4 mile south of me on the opposite side of the road. He wasn't the least bit interested. And the only damage I saw was the ancient grapevine behind the farmhouse. He said that was :normal" new growth. I don't think so....
Met up with my other cousin and the farmer at my house to survey damage. Both concurred, pretty bad damage. Cousin wants me to send the inspector to his place tomorrow when he's finished with me.
Spoke to the woman whose nursery was damaged years ago. She said see what the inspector says then attempt to get paid for damages. Hard to do when only one redbud actually appears to be dead - but, as my cousin said, at least the incident will have been documented and if things should begin to drop dead in the next few years, we can proceed from there.
A local nurseryman is coming by this afternoon to look at the damage and hopefully offer suggestions to reduce the impact.
It all seems to be resting on what the inspector says tomorrow.
