Glyphosate approval

The problem is there are to many people who don't follow the instructions and dosage to mix. In the past I have got numerous professional herbicides to order, but now they just tend to buy them online from eBay. I do not display professional herbicides or fertilisers to the general public on site. There are gardeners who will read and follow the instructions to the letter, unfortunately, there is to many that don't.

 

Something something.......yes, obviously!
That is the only comment I will make, otherwise I can see this thread going over that line of things best not discussed on a gardening forum.

 

I'd say Stevie would make a better job of that @Fat Controller

I'm sure I read recently that residents were up in arms about the lack of maintenance on pavements - can't remember where it was. It had got so bad that paving etc was lifting and some parts were becoming hideous to try and get by - especially if you had a pram, or were a bit unsteady on your feet, or had poorer visibility. The photos were astonishing.
We had the opposite problem last year - a large verge near me that borders the road, and has a field on the other side, which causes no problem to residents or anyone else, was strimmed to within an inch of it's life - for absolutely no reason. The guy was there for hours too.
Have none of these places heard of a 'happy medium'?
Don't answer that....

 

He doesn't need to. It's already banned and unless Brussels imposes a blanket approval, which is unlikely, the only reason for the French gov to concede will be as a gesture to the farmers.

 

Our residential verges weren't cut until late August last year and that was the only time they were cut. The council has also taken to leaving all the cuttings, so they are strewn across the path, and there is a lot of them when the grass is a couple of feet high. We have a major problem because all the grass and wild oats go to seed and they get stuck in our dogs fur, sometimes digging into the skin and causing nasty infections (she is very very hairy), other dogs in the area have had to have the seeds removed from their ears and eyes which means it's profitable for the local vets.
I will also add that when the grass is whacked, they also strim around the trees in complete ignorance to the fact they need their bark. The trees they have killed are occassionally replaced with expensive new specimens which they ask the local residents to water because they get no attention after from them.

When they spray the gutters and fence lines, a suited and booted, chap comes along on a quad bike at a tremendous speed and makes no attempt to aim what he is spraying, trying to get gutter and fence line in one pass and swerving around cars. I would hate to know what percentage of weed killer actually makes it onto something green and the fact very few weeds seem to be killed after the chap has come makes its a pretty futile venture in the first place.

 

I probably should have said @Thevictorian , that the verge I was describing earlier has a wide footpath, so there's no problem for pedestrians. I was out that way earlier, coming back from my walk, and this thread came to mind.
It's exactly that thing you say about the approach by the powers that be. All it takes is a bit of thought, and maybe that very rare thing- 'common sense'....

I had to report a damaged, and quite dangerous Scots pine last year [?] to the council along that verge. I wonder if the strimming was to blame. Seems likely after you mentioning that.

 

I complained to my council about the contractors strimmering the bark off the base of young trees, and dying trees in the park.

I got a reply from some bod from the council basically saying any trees the contractors kill they have replace, so its not really a problem.
I think most people running councils are idiots and don't have a clue about their respective departments.
Much like central government, its not what you know, its who you know.

 

Totally agree with you @pete.
I also reported a hideous dump of a farm building which is further along the same road. The farmer is old and ill apparently, and the guy who now runs the farm, most of which is in a slightly different location [and also a dump] had been contacted many times about the ongoing mess, and the fly tipping that goes on there. The chap I 'spoke' with was really good, but his hands were tied re the building itself, and gave me a link to the people who would be in a position to do something. I'd taken several photos and included them. Long story short, I emailed them, laid it on thick about it being an eyesore which had been like that for decades, and the adjacent bus stop meant anything coming off the roof was a danger etc. Got a very curt, short reply. I'm sure you can imagine.
The problem is that the large houses along from it, don't see it. The people who have a delightful view of it are the folk in the gatehouse of the wee NT garden. They have an elevated site, and windows which look directly across to it. Poor souls.