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Old May 15, 2022   #7
b54red
Tomatovillian™
 
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
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Tomatoes and beans are especially sensitive to 2,4-D herbicides and that is one of them. If it doesn't kill them it will cause weird growth and eventual death to tomatoes. It only takes the tiniest amount to affect tomatoes. I would take my chances with Roundup near the garden because a tiny amount won't usually kill tomatoes but a good drift of Roundup mist will; so be careful. I have used Roundup around the edges of my garden due to a weedy lot that runs right up to the edge of my garden which if left to grow will take over my nearest bed. I have only damaged a few tomato plants using Roundup to control the weedy edge of that lot. The plants were very young and I was very careless but I have lost over a hundred tomato plants over the years from 2,4-D drift from some neighborhood lawns being treated.

I don't think most people realize how dangerous to tomatoes any use of a 2,4-D herbicide can be. I have heard of some local tomato farmers losing their whole fields because of careless spraying of nearby pastures when wind conditions allowed some drift. If it gets in your garden soil through contaminated manure or compost it will ruin the soil for tomatoes and beans for years. Never use manure from cattle grazed on fields treated with any 2,4-D herbicide and most pastures are unless they are used for organic dairy grazing.

Bill
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