Hi All,

I never use pesticides.   Would definitely not recommend it around any plants that you want to eat.  

Cecil,

I've used it around my figs in clay soil with no ill effects. 6-oz/gal of concentrate sprayed at close range during windless weather.

Thanks Ruben,

Hi Cecil i bet your right especially if your fig plants are dying soon after the application .

@Hi  Martin      They usually die within a year of using the roundup, I think I will discontinue using the stuff!    I have lost some nice trees/plants because of using Roundup

The only time I have used roundup (or any pesticides in my yard) is to keep down the unruly asian wisteria that sometimes comes over from the neighbor's yard.  What I have done is to add some round-up to a small plastic container with a lid (e.g. what olives bought in bulk come in), put a slit in the lid, cut the apical bud off of the shoot of the vine, insert the shoot through the lid into the roundup solution. I leave it that way for 2 days then cut off the shoot a few inches from the container and throw the whole works into the garbage.  This minimizes the collatoral damage and seems to be pretty effective against wisteria.  Of course this won't help you with bermuda grass.  I have heard off people getting rid of it by brute force e.g. removing a chunk of sod and separating soil from vegetation by hand.  It's supposed to be therapeutic :)

Cecil, I don't know how reliable the "ehow" site is but it is worth reading:

I have used roundup around my figs without ill effects....

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5436386_long-roundup-stay-soil.html

Excerpt:

"Roundup acts only on the leaves of plants, and the instructions do not require it to be poured into the soil. Should the herbicide come into contact with the soil, over time it breaks down into harmless carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The exact time depends upon the amount and strength of the Roundup in the soil. Roundup sticks to the area of soil it came into contact with and will not spread. In most cases of Roundup being poured into the soil, the glyphosate begins to break down immediately in the soil, with residue gone after a few days."

@ Rewton

Hi Cecil,

Yes, Bermuda grass roots go deep.

Round up should not be a problem for the fig trees. Have used it for years. Just don't allow direct contact with the tree. It is supposed to be biodegradable on contact with soil, so doubt leaching into the soil is an issue.

You might try watering the trees well before applying the Roundup, to diminish the possible uptake of the Roundup. Much like watering a tree well, before applying fertilizer, so that you don't burn the tree.

Well Jon,

Roundup will break down more slowly in Sandy soil.  It's safe to use as long as you don't have any drift and keep it on the leaves, not letting any in the soil.  A paintbrush will work.  You can put a cone on a sprayer and put the cone on the ground so none can escape.  Then 1 quick burst so there's not enough to drip in the soil should work. 

Cecil,

I have never used any herbicide near my fig trees;
so I am not speaking from any such experience.

This what I think I know.

There are two kinds of Roundup sprays.
One that kills 'everything' and another that is targeted to kill
all (bad) weeds in the lawn, exec pt the (precious) green, green grass.

Once it gets into contact with the leaves; its killing effect
is supposed to do down to the roots.

One of them has the active ingredient 'Agent Orange' that
was used in the Vietnam War to defoil some jungle areas.

I believe that Bermuda Grass, besides roots; it also has some
tough rhizomes (like bamboo), and I am not sure what effect
roundup has on it (if any).

If you ever spray any weed killer near any 'keeper'
plant/tree make sure it at a time of day when there is
ZERO wind.

BTW, natural (not treated with ANTHING) Bermuda grass rhizomes
can make some good tasting different (heathty/herb) tea.... 

Thanks George

Figluvah,

I hadn't realized the roots were so deep - wow!  Anyway, here is a link to a blog describing one person's efforts to deal with Bermuda grass without chemicals.  It should be entertaining, if not useful.  Good luck.

http://thedirtioccupy.blogspot.com/2012/01/bermuda-grass-lawn.html

Steve

@ Rewton,

Make sure to not over-pump the sprayer, higher pressure will atomize the liquid and cause it to drift farther. I like the paintbrush idea, a telescoping roller sounds even better!

You can also get a piece of 1/8" plywood, or some rigid plastic and put is between the spray and the tree, and keep moving it around the tree as you spray.

There are herbicides that will make the ground sterile for a year or more.

Then there are things like brush-b-gone that kill bigger plants.

Then there is round up that will kill pretty much any weed or grass as a systemic. It will also kill things like ice plant (pickle weed) as a contact agent, but not as a systemic agent. A small tree might react either systemically (though contacted bark or leaves) or by contact only affecting the parts actually contacted. Different woody plants react differently. I have seen it sprayed on some flowering plants with no affect other than changing the color of the flower.

Then there are ones mentioned my gorgi that kill weeds, but not grass, or weeds and crab grass, but not regular lawn grass.

The bottom line is that avoiding actual contact should greatly reduce or eliminate the problem.

I have removed Bermuda grass mechanically or physically (without chemicals), but it is a long, labor-intensive process that may take several seasons. Mow it short or weed whack it to as short as possible; roto-till it as deep as you can, sift or rake out as much as you can; water deeply to force the roots and stolons left behind to sprout, and then deal with them as they appear. The small pieces, if they have even one node, will stay dormant for a long, long time and will resprout when they finally are watered (irrigation or rain).

Dang,

Thanks Brent,

I think hoosierbanana's  rcantor's, and pitangadiego's points are all right on. 
 
I have used round up for years around figs, veggies, and ornamental with no ill effects.  Washington soil was loose and powdery,  Havasu was rocks and sand, and here in north central Arizona  it is clay.
 
Low pressure in the tank, keeping that stuff at least a couple feet away from whatever you want to save, just a short spot burst on selected weeds, and using it only when it's dead calm or down wind of anything precious.
 
A retired farmer friend from Iowa gave me some "super concentrate" round up a couple years ago.   He used it near his fields without ill effect. 
 
I am trying hard to think of anything I've ever accidentally killed using roundup, and offhand, I  can't.  Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe my old brain just can't remember anything...but for me it works good.

My apologies for the above corrupted post.  Not sure how that happened, other than I posted usernames and then tried to edit it a couple of times.

Tried that.  My messege text covers the delete button and renedrs it inoperable.

Pitangadiego!  Help!  Help!

Should be better now.