Great product. I worked as a professional gardener for 8 years. This Gallup brand is 5 times stronger than the concentrate that I used to use and is fantastic value for money.
Here are some things everyone should know about Glyphosate weedkiller.
1) It kills everything! (Almost every plant)
2) It only kills a plant when applied to the leaves and if the plant is growing. (I.e. it wont stop seeds from germinating or kill weeds that are dormant at the time)
3) It can be washed off by rain . Note that this weed killer works really well AFTER rain (because the plant will be growing well then) . If the weather has been really hot and dry, I often water the weedy area before applying this weed killer.
4) Works even better on tender young leaves. If I have a big shrub to kill I usually cut it to ankle height then when new soft growth arrives, I put the weedkiller on that. The gluphosate is absorbed readily by the young leaves and the plant will be growing really strongly because it is trying to make up for all the leaves that have gone. This means the weedkiller is absorbed very well and the results are especially effective.
5) This weed killer works through stopping the plant making proteins. This means it can take a while for the plant to look dead. Often it takes 2 weeks for the plant to go brown. It means that it is a fairly harmless chemical to people, pets, insects etc. However, like all chemicals treat it with respect and don't let it get into the water supply or anywhere sensitive. Don't throw away excess into drains or garbage. If you have excess, give to another gardener or dispose of safely in the chemical waste part of your local tip
6) This product only works when the plant is photosynthesising (turning sunlight into food). Understanding this helps you to understand how to use the product (ie on the leaves when the plant is growing strongly).
7) How to kill really tough plants with waxy leave (like ivy or holly): Simply spraying in the normal way is not always effective on a waxy leaved plant. This method however works extremely well: Note: this recipe is a very strong and powerful plant killer so be careful: Mix the Gallup concentrate with 5 times as much water to make a mix that is still hundreds of times stronger than the mix you would use in a watering can or sprayer. Then mix this with an equal amount of washing up liquid or other detergent. So for instance, using an old yogurt pot or jar, put 1 part glyphosate concentrate, 5 parts water and 6 parts washing up liquid. Stir. Then get rid of as much of the plant as you can so there are just a few leaves left. Then get an old and unwanted paint brush and carefully paint the mix onto the leaves. It works best if you paint onto the underside of the leaves as well as the tops, as this is the part that it not so waxy and it will be absorbed best from here. If this is a holly bush, cut the bush to ankle height first and then paint this onto the few remaining leaves. If Ivy, pull up what you can and then paint this onto any bits that you can't pull up. Note that a big, strong plant will sometimes grow more leaves in a week or two later, in a desperate attempt to live. Put more mixture on these when they grow. Note the detergent in this recipe helps to penetrate the waxy protective coat that many plants have on their leaves so that it is absorbed more easily into the plant..
8) How to kill a weed that is near a favourite plant: I have convolvulous (bind weed) growing through favourite shrubs. I pull the bindweed out of the shrub and curl in on the grown nearby. Then I paint on the recipe above. I weight the weed down with stones to stop it blowing in the wind onto my shrub. Note painting the weed killer onto a plant allows much more control than spraying especially in windy conditions
9) How to kill brambles: Cut away most of the bramble and then paint onto the remaining few leaves.
10) The smaller and weaker the plant, the easier it is to kill off. For instance a lettuce or bit of grass is easily killed. A dandelion which has a very long, strong root takes longer to kill and might need a second application later in the year.
11) The bigger and tougher a weed is, the harder it is to kill. For instance: A big shrub (imagine those huge roots) might take several applications to completely kill it. Remember the plant is taking the product deep into the root system. The bigger the plant, the longer it takes for that process to happen. Also the roots of the plant act as it's storage system and reserves, so a plant with big roots will have more power to try to regrow. Don't worry, simply apply a bit more each time it tries to come back and it will soon go brown and give up.
Things to do:
Apply in dry weather to a plant that is growing strongly
Be patient
Apply several times to really strong shrubs if needed (each time they regrow) remembering that the product works through starving the plant and this can take a while with a big, strong plant
Things not to do:
Never spray if the spray will go on the wind to nearby plants that you like (you will kill them)
Avoid getting the liquid on your feet or hands and transferring to other plants or the lawn (it will kill them)
Don't try to kill weeds in the lawn with this or you will kill the lawn
Be extremely careful near soft leaved plants such as roses which are very easily killed by even a little spray
Do not try to kill suckers with this as it will kill the main plant as well. For instance, if you have a plum tree and are getting fed up with all the extra little trees growing nearby, don't try to kill them with a systemic killer. It will reach all the connected plants including the main tree and will kill them all
If it does not work:
Sometimes people get upset with gluphosate weed killer because it is slow action. Give it enough time to work. If the weather is very hot and dry it will take longer because plants grow slowly in these conditions. If it rains soon after you applied it, that may have washed it off. Apply again in dry weather or put a clear plastic sheet over specific plants you are keen to kill. Note that this must be a clear covering or the plant wont grow and the weed killer cannot then be taken into the plant
Sometimes a big plant is weakened but not killed. Don't be frustrated. Simply apply again. You are working with nature and a big plant has reserves that it will try to use. I.e. it has not yet starved. Apply again to any leaves that are growing strongly and when enough product has gone into the plant it will eventually work. (Note most small weeds are killed thoroughly with one application and only really tough stuff comes back for a second go).
Also note that once you have completely cleared a bit of ground, weeds will come back. This is because new weeds are growing from the seeds that were lying on the ground. That grass or dandelion you successfully killed had left seeds waiting their chance to grow. A bit of ground that has had weeds for several years will have a lot of weed seeds waiting their turn to grow. These will come up over several years and will need to be controlled by hoeing or mulching or weed killer.
Rescue: if you accidentally get a bit of weed killer onto a leaf of a wanted plant then remove that leaf.
If you realise that you have accidentally sprayed a wanted plant, then you can try hosing it down, but we warned this may not work. Avoid spraying wanted plants at all costs
Mix only the amount that you need because you do not want to throw this stuff away into drains where it can kill plants in rivers. Use all weed killers with great care.
Personally, I always weed by mechanical means if I can. Some weeds are very hard to remove (for instance bind weed) and others are growing through big shrubs and cannot be dug up. I use glyphosate with great care and think of it as sculpting in the garden. I treat this product with appreciation and patience and have had fabulous results over many years. I also treat it with respect and keep it away from ponds and drains.
Good luck!