Any Tree Surgeons On Here?

[jims-terrano]

Last Autumn we had a willow tree cut down in our garden, the chap drilled holes in the stump and poured a poison solution in the holes. He told us to cover it up for a couple of days until it had dried so that our dogs would be safe. Never uncovered it, wanted to leave plenty of time and then just forgot all about it.
Anyway we have a privet hedge next to it, in the last month or so Ive noticed one privet the closest to the willow has turned yellow. The rest of the hedge is fine nice and green as it should be.

Is it possible the poison is still active and has leached in to the soil and killed the privet? No idea what he used.

 

[Fez_uk]

He probably used neat roundup thats what I've used in the past when poisoning rhododendron.

Don't know much about cross contamination but I can ask as I have loads of friends who do it. But think it's possible.

 

[perelaar]

It seems likely, even. Worst case scenario you might have to dig out and replace quite a lot of earth around the treestump to make anything grow there again...

 

[johnb5177]

I would probably agree with that, Roundup (Glyphoste) is a translocated herbicide....it goes through the trees circulatory system to the roots and kills them, rather than just a foliar killer (Paraquat).
Given that neat Glyphosate was applied to a root stump, and depending on the size and amount, it is likely that it may have leached out.
Although...........Monsanto (Spawn of the Devil) will tell you that it is supposed to immediately on contact with soil, decompose into carbon and water.........
purely as an experiment....why not try planting an unexpensive shrub in the hole dug out to remove the Privet, and see if it suffers....canary test?
It could just be that the Privet had its time, and went to the great hedge in the sky......

 

[jims-terrano]

Just been having a closer look and there are a couple of weeds in the same area. They are withered and contorted which to me is exactly what a weed looks like when Ive used a systemic weedkiller in the past. Now what is worrying me is my dogs! Dont care about what will and what wont grow. It's just over a year since the tree was cut down and for the chemical to be still active is not good. I can't do a right lot with it at the moment but will have to keep an eye on the area.

 

[perelaar]

you might want to avoid your dogs licking or sniffing too much around there...

 

[johnb5177]

I would put some sort of barrier around it.......some light piquets and a bit of rabbit wire perhaps.......:nenau

 

[jims-terrano]

For the moment the dogs can't access the back garden so that's a blessing. I've got one of thos large plastic builders bin bucket thing over the stump which has been there since the tree was cut down. So if it is a systemic weed killer such as Roundup how long should it last in the soil? As stated earlier I thought it degraded very quickly.

Think the tree surgeon is going to get a new year phone call.

All this is happening about 13 or 14 months after the tree was cut down so Im beginning to worry a little. As for the dogs, theyre labradors and one is 10 months old so they pretty much pick anything up outside:doh

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

[johnb5177]

Last Autumn we had a willow tree cut down in our garden, the chap drilled holes in the stump and poured a poison solution in the holes.

Is it possible the poison is still active and has leached in to the soil and killed the privet? No idea what he used.

Well, it depends on what solution he diluted it down to. Glyphosate as a foliar spray, in a backpack unit, is normally between 5 - 7 mls/ litre dilution. I would use this for stump treatment as well personally. What your guy used, and his dilution rates are a mystery....:doh until you ask him, when you do be specific, see the label, get the name, then you can b#####k him soundly for the damage and potential harm he has done and may do........

 

[AlexD333]

Just been having a closer look and there are a couple of weeds in the same area. They are withered and contorted which to me is exactly what a weed looks like when Ive used a systemic weedkiller in the past. Now what is worrying me is my dogs! Dont care about what will and what wont grow. It's just over a year since the tree was cut down and for the chemical to be still active is not good. I can't do a right lot with it at the moment but will have to keep an eye on the area.

Well if your suspicion is right, your older dogs have been perfectly fine for the past year so would not panic too much but keep an eye certainly. As suggested a soil test is a good idea, plant something you don't care about :thumb2

 

[jims-terrano]

Most of the garden is paved and the stump was covered up so hasn't been a problem. Its only the last couple of months that the problem has reared it's head. Yeah will find something to plant there after christmas.

My main concern is my dogs, kids are grown up and I don't have time to grow veggies anymore even if I had the space.

 

[supergnome]

Hate to be technical,but Is your dog peeing on the privet. That will kill it. Won't be glyphosate.
Phone him, he is qualified and has insurance?? G4VOV

 

[jims-terrano]

No can't get to it as it's behind chicken wire. Older dog is a bitch and youngun has only just started scent marking and it started before he learnt to pee on all threes:lol

 

[supergnome]

My cocker all ways tries to pee on the same bush . He' killer 2 so far.

 

[johnb5177]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Glyphosate seepage. It has not done that in my experience of its use (20yrs+).
He may have used a more persistent chemical, and maybe from the back of his chemical store......I remember that we stopped using Atrazine some time ago, EU regs etc, but he may have still had some knocking around. I remember that stuff did creep, in fact in US, it was found to have contaminated water supplies underground. Led to its ban.

 

[jims-terrano]

Well we wont have a working back door intil second week in January so no rush at the moment. If I get chance tomorrow I'll have a nosey and may be a photo or two. Will call the tree surgeon after Christmas but much as weve used him before that and seems reputable I'm not so sure he'd fess up to using an old chemical or even dilution.