roundup and bananas
 

I am lazy. don't like pulling weeds and hate to start up a weed eater, you just have to start it up next week. can you carefully use roundup for grass and weeds around a banana plant or will it damage or kill it.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

Bananas are very susceptible to roundup. Good mulching should keep weeds to a minimum and hand pulling works for the few left.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

It can be used, but must be used very carefully to avoid getting any in contact with the banana. It is unlikely to kill a larger established plant (young plants can die from accidental exposure), but it is very easy to cause damage to the plants. The leaves will become stunted and chlorotic for a time, and eventually they grow out of it, but it sets them back.

It is more beneficial to the plants to have a ground cover of some kind however, either living (which you usually have to mow) or as a mulch.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

I worked as a landscaper for a few years; weeding consisted of spraying RU not pulling because "time is money". If you direct your spray properly and only "wet" the weeds, you'll be fine; the few times I had a "RU accident", I was instructed to immediately flush foliage (lawn in my cases) with water. Never had a brown spot which was great; I hate a "comeback". If you don't trust your aim, shield precious plants with cardboard.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

I use roundup all around mine when needed. Once a year gets the job done for me. I only use it around grown plants. Nothing under 4'. I have hit pups and they sometimes die or turn black and get set back for a couple months. I've hit big plant Pstems and they just leave marks. No noticeable damage.

On small plants I would just mulch. Large plants or mats go for it just be careful to spray away from the plants. Wait for a calm windless day.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

Not to mention, the roots will absorb it and you will be eating roundup... Not something I recommend.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

HEAVY HEAVY mulch is what I use and I never have weed problems around my mats. I collect bagged leaves that are put curbside for pickup. I mulch 8 -9 inches deep about twice a year. Never have weeds and the mulch retains moisture plus it enriches your soil. Yes it is a little bit of work but it has so many benefits.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

+1 what Darkman says, also that heavy mulch will benefit that corm during those hard winters helping them come back strong and healthy in the spring.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

I also agree with sputinc7, Darkman and hydroid!.....Heavy mulch!....

Re: roundup and bananas
 

Roundup type products are a Contact herbacide...

Any plant you spray will die........but the plant has to absorb enough of it to become effective.
Some plants tolerate a little dosing as with most Ivy's but will destroy most broadleaf weeds......why... ivy has a tough and waxy leaf.
I The g
I have been lowdosing the ivys for many years to control the garlic mustard and walnuts in some of the beds.
With responsible use many similiar glycophosphate products will work.

Locally, vandals/highschoolers/ trump supporters will spray a lawn...with epithets.....the writing is precise and well done and letters are sharp.

Its kinda like crop circles .....but more permanent.

I would not hesitate to use it......even in containers.

However....heavy mulch works awesome..I use that too

Re: roundup and bananas
 

kinda sorta what I am thinking. thank you all

Re: roundup and bananas
 

nother one of those old posts i need to tend to.

i saw no problems using roundup. even the brush killers for poison ivy. be carefull to not spray your plants.

thanks gentlemen, my old friends, for all your advice.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

I was actually thinking of creating a post asking this very question.
I have this invasive grass overtaking my raised beds even after I've pulled them out by hand several times. Was thinking of using roundup.

Thanks Beam

Re: roundup and bananas
 

what i found rather hilarious about this post is the fact some of them told me to mulch heavy when i just posted to mulch lite for light rains.....whats a mother to do. :ha:....... one of the best things i used for mulch was spanish moss. onward and upward. :ha:


here some of the best advice is given from a personal/certain location, weather, soil. etc.
its like they tell you plant bananas in a well draining area. i at first thought i had it made. appears i am to well draining making it to high acidity. some bananas i cant get to grow much more than a foot high, rajapuri..?.....9b/8a...........i have 3 fruiting right now.
also depends on what kind of banana

well, keep the roundup off the leaves as best as possible and watch for pup. little suckers pop up anywhere.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

Surprised how many use herbicides. Our world is getting quite toxic thanks to pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, over fertilizing, and thinking a green weed free lawn is wonderful. This is a huge problem in Florida. They spray the rivers and lakes with herbicides and the dead plants cause excess nitrogen to feed the algae growth and kill everything else.

Re: roundup and bananas
 

We use plastic grass edging to keep the grass out. Spraying weed killer is probably going to be a pretty regular thing with invasive grass, and it will be sucked up by the banana roots as some members have already said. You don't want to eat that stuff. I'm also sure the soil microbes and worms don't like it. Putting in grass edging is not really a fun job, but it's a one time thing. Sometimes the grass runners will hop over the top of it, but those can be pulled or a weed eater can be used to quickly get rid of them. Here's what we used.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Valley-V...-60H/304531407

Re: roundup and bananas
 

I maintain my patch similiar to BBJ---St. Augustine clippings every five days, brick border around the edge of the patch, weedeater/edger to remove the grass that jumps the border.

The border jumping problem is most problematic at the beginning of the season due to lack of attention during the winter and early Spring before the leaf canopy is fully deployed to shade the area underneath. I just cleared the runners yesterday which involved some hand pulling of the runners that were far up into the patch. It usually requires a couple hours labor once per season.

There are a couple guys on here that have large patches/farms and they use glyphosate/roundup herbacides to control weeds.