stone chips.

I don't know if this applies to formulations available to amateurs (yet??) but the latest Commercial Roundup formulation no longer has a hazard rating (which is not the case for the "generics", nor for older formulations of Roundup). Monsanto have changed the surfactants / adjuvants to create this improvement, which I think is a Good Thing Also no longer toxic to aquatic organisms.

Glyphosate itself has low toxicity, so its always been the "other stuff" that has been the issue, but speaking for myself (and having used cheaper / generic brands for years) I've now switched back to Roundup (although I am buying the commercial formulation).

IME it has always been years / decades before the true side effects of complex chemicals has become apparent, so as I get older I lean more towards safety ... it would have been better to have done that when I was young! the way we used to use Gramoxone, and so on, around the garden in the 70's was very slapdash ... bit late to worry about that now though!

 

This is very interesting what you have said Kristen. I tend to agree that the effects of chemical use can take decades to be known. Since moving to Anglesey and having been involved closely with hedgehogs I have been trying to garden as organically and wildlife friendly as possible. I have read about hogs being poisoned by slug pellets or weed killer, so have stopped using both. It also occurred to me to think about the effect of using these products may have on the soil and other creatures that live in it, ie worms, moles, insects, beetles,etc

 

We had a problem area in our back garden. It used to have a horrid straggly tree growing there which sent up so many runners it was impossible to keep up with them among anything we planted. So we dug it out, turned over the soil, covered with membrane (but we did use very thick stuff) then planted, then covered with plum slate chips. To my dismay we do still get weeds too, but they are easily pulled out, and much more manageable than before. So, it's not just you! don't give up, it will get easier I am sure, and you will see that your stones were a good investment and can look lovely.

 

Hedgehogs I can understand (and birds) - eating the poisoned slugs - but I don't see how a hedgehog can be impacted by weedkiller (any more than we, or any other organisms, are). There is lots of Rant out there, Monsanto bashing and the rest (and they might be right: the Tobacco industry suppressed negative science about smoking for decades ...) but I prefer to rely on proper peer reviewed science published in learned and respected journals.

Nematode solutions for Slugs for example. I think they are likely to wipe out all molluscs in the soil, not just the annoying ones.

Perhaps a topic for a new thread rather than this one

 

I'm certainly no expert on hedgehogs but as I understand it the hogs get it on their feet if they walk through a sprayed area and then ingest it when they lick their feet to clean them. Or they may choose to eat something that is either on or close to a weed that has been sprayed. I have not seen weedkiller or slug pellet poisoning myself in hogs but I have spoken with others who have, people like myself who take in hogs and those who run actual hog rescues. Certainly more research is needed to assertain the impact on wildlife.

As you say maybe a discussion for another thread.

 

Sounds very improbable to me. It just is not toxic enough, and they would have to walk on it when the spray was still wet. Maybe there is some specific chemical pathway in Hedgehogs, but I think it unlikely that there is anything that specific. As I said earlier I prefer to see it researched and published in a learned journal before attaching any creed to it ...

WRT membrane: I think it is important to use the Woven type, the brand leader is Mypex but other, usually cheaper, brands include Zebel and Yuzet. I would recommend choosing a heavy "weight" (thickness) as it will last longer. "Weight" is measures in gsm, bigger numbers are heavier/thicker, and I buy 100gsm.

Yuzet is not UV stablisied, so important that it is covered with bark / chippings etc. to keep the sun off.

I don't cover mine, under new hedges and so on, because I have found whatever I cover it with (bark etc.) weed seeds grow in that. They aren't "strong" and are easily removed, but with no covering I get less weeds to deal with. It looks unsightly though, so probably not a good idea for anything "on show"

Threads where this was discussed in more detail:

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/weed-suppressant-which-one.61598/#post-792545
and
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/mypex-vs-yuzet.54198/