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Some history first
I'm old enough to remember when The Twist was cut on a 45 RPM
record. Our 7th grade class was just the right age for
twisting to the hit song. Seems I even won a twist
competition or two. Glory days gone by!
Today's twist
The twist featured in today's blog isn't nearly as much fun. Deadly in
fact. Betty F from Pennyslvania got her twisting lesson the hard way. Research determined the grass clippings she used to mulch her
tree with were contaminated with
weed killer, the type used to kill
dandelions and other broadleaf weeds.
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Norway Spruce doing the 'Twist & Shout' |
The grandaddy of lawn herbicides is 2,4-D. It's been around since
The Twist hit AM Radio. It's a veteran of the Vietnam War,
serving as one of the key ingredients
in Agent Orange. It's been the focus of
health studies on
farmers and pets, with hints of it causing lymphoma. In spite of all
that, it's been cleared for use on
lawns no less than three times. And that sort of recertification
isn't cheap these days. But lawn care companies still need it for their
shock & awe weed killing arsenal.
2,4-D is a growth auxin that works by making weeds grow to
death. The most noticeable results can be seen on a dandelion's
flower stem, when it takes twists and turns like the
Burma Road. Other
plants respond in a similar fashion, so when you see twisted
foliage, weed killer should be your first suspect.
This isn't to say insects won't distort
plant foliage, because they certainly do. The White Pine Weevil is
one insect that causes a similar looking "shepherd's crook" on the growing tip of a pine
or spruce.
 But the tell tale sign of 2,4-D damage
is the "S-turn" twisting that resembles a great motorcycle road.
Let's hope you hear The Twist again, before you see it in your
landscape! Bob
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7 WAYS TO AVOID 'THE
TWIST'
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ALTERNATIVES
- Follow all the basic fundamentals to keep your lawn healthy
without using pesticides. A vigorous lawn will resist weeds on
its own.
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NEVER use
lawn clippings that have been treated with herbicides
around your garden or landscape plants.
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DRIFT -
Prevent collateral damage to non-target plants by spraying
lawn weeds only when winds are calm. Early morning (right after
sunrise) is usually your best bet.
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VAPORS
- Don't spray weeds in high temperatures since
herbicides are more volatile with heat. Ester formulations are more
volatile than Amine formulations.
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SPRAYERS -
Never use the same pump-up sprayer for weeds and insecticides.
2,4-D leaves a residue in sprayers. Buy two sprayers and label
one "WEEDS ONLY."
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RINSE 3x -
Triple rinse pesticide containers into your spray tank mix to help
minimize ground water pollution.
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EDUCATE -
Invest 10 minutes in your "Green education." Pesticide labels
contain critical information, so read and follow label
directions. You'll definitely learn something!
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