www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I had some Resolva weed and patio weedkiller left over.I am nervous of weedkillers so decided to use it up by diluting it in water and using my watering can to pour it down the flags. This was a few days ago.It was quite a weak mixture. Today I filled my watering can ( totally forgetting that I'd had the diluted weedkiller in it ) and then watered my lettuce and potato plants. I am panicking now that I might get poisoned if I eat them.( they are nowhere near ready yet!) Can anybody reassure me that i don't have to throw them all away?Thanks.

Hello SheilaM

It isn't clear whether you used concentrate and added water or used made up weed killer and further diluted either way I wouldn't consume as glyphosate is taken down to the roots. You will see if it has affected the plants within about 7 to 10 days as the top growth will start to go brown. So chances are you may have finished them off meaning the potato tubers won't grow.

You could put some lettuce seed in seed trays and place them somewhere warm light and protected, they will have germinated in time ready to plant out in about a fortnight. Lidl have lettuce seeds cheap. There are still potato tubers around to buy eg wilko and they are usually discounted bang them in and see what you get

Although once glyphosate is supposed to be safe and isn't present in food that has been sprayed and isn't supposed to be carcinogenic I still wouldn't eat stuff I'd sprayed with it nor any other herbicide or pesticide. Quite a lot of commercial food will have very low doses of it eg wheat so I am sure it is basically safe just not ideal but as you don't know the dilution rate better to not risk it

https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/que ... glyphosate
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... drens-food

If your lettuce plants aren't harmed I should think you will be safe.

Thanks it was ready made up weedkiller in a spray that I diluted and put in my watering can. I had used it all and just left the can in the garden. I had again filled it with clean water before I watered my plants. If any traces of diluted resolve remained in the can it would have been well watered down.

Thanks Argyll ,some good tips there.

Put a wee bit of fairy liquid in with it. It helps stick to the weeds.

Resolva it what is known as a "systemic" weedkiller, it's absorbed through the leaves to the roots which is what destroys the weed.

From everything I have read above I would say that your lettuce will be fine to eat after washing if it hasn't shrivelled and died. (although I wouldn't eat it because I am a Troglodyte ... salad is for Rabbits)

EDIT I keep 2 watering cans, one for feeding and watering (green) one for anything else (Red) No confusion that way.

wine~o wrote:EDIT I keep 2 watering cans, one for feeding and watering (green) one for anything else (Red) No confusion that way.

We do that too. (But I have currently lost the red one)