No this is not a post about an early 70's progressive rock song by Genesis, this is an actual article posted this week about the invasive weed up near Renfrew Onatrio, that is threatening to move south. This plant can cause severe blistering on your skin and potential blindness if you get any sap in your eyes.
Just great! Try telling your kids not to touch it when this weed grows in excess of 6 metres tall and stands out like a sore thumb.
In the same breath I came across this article, how a new University of Guelph study reveals some organic pesticides can have a higher environmental impact than conventional pesticides because the organic product may require larger doses.
Could they be talking about Fiesta, that works well enough, but has to be applied to the point of run-off? Or, corn gluten fertilizers that have me applying with my spreader wide open? Or, perhaps the 500 million nematodes I'm putting down per acre to combat grubs?
Look, I'm all for what's best for our environment, but to be told that I can't use traditional means to combat weeds and then be told that, "we're not sure the organic methods are any better in contamination", well....you can see the dilemma especially when Phomamicrostoma is still 2 years away from hitting the market.
My thoughts on the matter are, the powers that be, jumped the gun without having a suitable replacement so they could look like they were doing something.
Yet, don't think there weren't some back room handshakes on this whole deal and someone out there isn't rolling in the green while we all roll in clover and *ouch* Canadian thistle.
I now have a product that costs 3x more then what I used to pay for the Tri-kill and I have to apply at a rate 4x heavier to be effective. It only stands to reason there will be more leeching into the soil. Meanwhile, weeds with a deep tap-root are just laughing.
Heracleum mantegazzianum! Giant hogweed lives!
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