Glyphosate approval

That's good to know. 2,4D is used as a selective weedkiller here on young wheat. I get the odd litre from farmer friends to spot-treat lawn weeds so could mix up something definitively fatal to the worst pests I find a 7l hand sprayer very precise and economical, too.

 

Apparently there was something that was far better on mares tail - it got through the crystalline stuff on the stems. I believe that was banned only a couple of years ago

 

Maybe glufosinate-ammonium, or perhaps ammonium sulphamate. Both banned as herbicides, although you can buy ammonium sulphamate as a "composting accelerator". Ahem! Don't spray it on your horsetail though or you will instantly become a criminal! I think I may buy some to try it out. Oh yes, of course, as a composting accelerator. Yes. Spray it? Oh, no. No, no, no, no...

 

Do you happen to know what the active ingredient was in the pre-emergent weedkillers like the original Pathclear, @Drahcir? The bane of most Brits' lives here is gravel drives and no effective way of keeping them clean and tidy. A clear case of glyphosate not being appropriate in all circumstances, as it doesn't get rid of annual weeds and their seeds. It beggars belief what is being chucked around nowadays...bleach, vinegar, salt...and when that doesn't work, application of a flamethrower . Who needs terrorists?

 

Probably sodium chlorate. Banned! Banned, banned, all banned...

 

Groundsmen can still get Pistol which contains diflufenican for pre-emergence

 

No , I remember sodium chlorate being banned. Didn't rate it much anyway, it's only real advantage being that it was cheap. The big plus with Pathclear was that usually, only one application was needed to see you through the growing season.

 

Ah..thanks @CarolineL! Knowing the active ingredient is half the battle won!

 

Glufosinate ammonium is a contact herbicide with no systemic action
Ammonium sulphamate was a very effective weedkiller with a systemic action. I used it to remove a thicket of lilac suckers. The main problem was you had to use a fairly high concentration (200g/L), but it was fairly safe to use, fairly slow acting if I remember correctly and broke down over a number of weeks.

 

You seem to be right. Pathclesr seems to have been simazine, from looking on t' net.

I think I have an old container of sodium chlorate weedkiller, will look to see what it is.

 

Simazine! That was the name...it all comes back (eventually)