Using Roundup To Kill Grass & Plant New

[Guest greyfiend]

We are having an entire back yard landscape remodel, installing both hardscape and softscape/plants. We are removing the grass, in favor for "Fleur de Lawn" Eco-turf. This involves the contractor spraying Roundup all over the grass to kill it. I have googled online and extensively checked the Ortho (they make roundup) website for information. They say it just has to dry then it's safe. I'm not convinced and since Greyhounds are sensitive to drugs & chemicals I am wondering what the REAL deal is?

 

Do any of you have experience using herbicides and how did you keep your pets safe? I want to err on the side of caution, so any information will be helpful.

 

Thanks so much.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I know a gray that ate grass sprayed with Roundup a few days before. He almost died and provided his owner with very expensive hospital bills. ORTHO doesn't know what they are talking about when it comes to greyhounds.

 

Frankly, I would keep my dogs off it, until the contractor removes the dead grass.

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

Any way you could just dig the grass up? I try to not use pesticides and herbicides when possible, not only for the greys, but so I am not putting harmful things into the environment.

 

Having SAID that, I realize that you've weighed your options and need to do what you need to do.

 

 

Just for my own piece of mind, I'd keep the dogs off of it for 24-48 hours before letting the dogs back into the yard.

 

I know a gray that ate grass sprayed with Roundup a few days before. He almost died and provided his owner with very expensive hospital bills. ORTHO doesn't know what they are talking about when it comes to greyhounds.

 

Frankly, I would keep my dogs off it, until the contractor removes the dead grass.

 

 

After reading that, I agree! I'd wait until all the treated grass is gone.

[Guest greyhoundude]

I avoid using ANY chemicals on my yard, ever.

[BootsyCollins]

We just had our front yard redone and asked the contractor to simply till it instead of poison (we have a teeny tiny yard and there wasn't much grass anyway). He agreed and the yard looks great with its new fur (sod) coat. However, if that is not an option for you - if you have a full lawn for example, that is too thick to be tilled over - keep the dogs off it until the poisoned areas have been recovered with the new grass. That poison stuff is scary! I've had to use it on heavily overgrown areas before and it kills EVERYTHING.

 

You'll need to keep them off the new grass anyway, while it takes hold, whether its seed or sod. I'd just wait until the whole process is done.

 

Congrats on the new yard!

[Guest greyfiend]

That gives me some ideas. Our back yard grass is thick and there is a lot of it. We usually try to employ environmentally friendly practices and use organics as much as possible. I think, however, given our particular situation that the Roundup, then dig up treatment will need to be done. We are also having a 30 year old Box Elder tree removed, roots and all, along with concrete patio removal, etc. AND they are temporarily taking down the fence/gate, so allowing the dog out there off lead is definitely not an option anyway. We have one indoor/outdoor cat also and we don't want to let her our either.

 

Project to take 4-5 weeks total. Our back yard backs up to 98 acres of urban parkway with a creek, forests, riparian, etc. and there is a park entrance just one house over. So I plan on taking Filbert to the park multiple times per day anyway.

 

Alright then. That clears it up for me.

 

Thanks for the insight.

[ahicks51]

Grass can be effectively killed by covering with clear or black plastic- cut off the water, and cook the plants alive in the sun.

[Guest mandm]

I think the plastic method is best for killing vegetation, but it doesn't sound like you have time for that to work. Sounds like the landscaper want to kill & plant. I live in a cold, cloudy climate and that method takes longer than it does in sunny, warm climates.

 

I have used Roundup and then covered that area with a thick layer of newspapers. Wet the newspaper before laying them down, otherwise they blow around, and secure them to the ground with something heavy (like rocks) or garden staples. The newspaper can either be tilled in or removed when you are ready to plant. With this method, you get a quick kill and your greyhounds can use the space right after you cover the Roundup. Also, any underground vegetation that the Roundup missed may get smothered by the newspaper when it tries to emerge. I usually wait a day or two before touching the Roundup areas. Supposedly, you can plant soon after you apply the stuff. It's not nearly as bad as Weed 'N Feed and WeedBGone type products. Roundup doesn't hang around as long as the others.

[Guest luvRgreys]

My vet told me that Roundup has been found to cause lymphoma in dogs! Since hearing that no pesticides for us. We kill weeds with vinegar, just spray it on and in a few days they are dead!!

[Guest KsFrets]

3 or 4 more greyhounds and a week or so should do the job nicely and naturally

[ElizabethGPAPS]

Geez, if I knew that gallons of poison had been poured in my yard I'm not sure I'd ever let my dogs back there.

 

Enlighten me - what's the point of an "eco-lawn" if you have to apply toxic chemicals into the earth to clear the way for it?

 

 

[ahicks51]

My vet told me that Roundup has been found to cause lymphoma in dogs! Since hearing that no pesticides for us. We kill weeds with vinegar, just spray it on and in a few days they are dead!!

 

To be fair, there are some so-so studies indicating a link between lymphoma and Roundup (glyphosate) use in humans. There's also a decent link between the selective herbicide 2,4-D and various cancers (including lymphoma) in dogs. I'm not aware of any studies linking lymphoma and glyphosate in dogs.

 

Compared with other herbicides, glyphosate is a real sweetheart.

[Guest longdogs]

It is one of the safer herbicides and should break down within a few days but it pays to be cautious. I've noticed my greys are attracted by the smell when it has been used in the local park. It shouldn't be necessary unless you have persistent weed species, otherwise a thick layer of wet newspaper, cardboard or black plastic work well but take longer.

 

Edited to add: the plants need to keep growing after glyphosate has been applied for it to work properly. Covering with plastic or digging the weeds/grass in immediately (rather than a few days later) is not a good plan - you might as well not use the glyphosate.

Edited April 14, 2008 by longdogs