Alternatives to Roundup or Herbicides for Fence Row DeWeeding – Part 1

Long Mulch Mats of Recycled Tire Rubber vs Roundup to Maintain Fence Rows – Part 1

Here’s a rather concerning report by a small municipality on the dangers of using Roundup

Roundup® is touted as a safe, environmentally friendly and easy to use herbicide. It’s also denounced as a toxic, hazardous chemical. Which is right? Are there any alternatives to using Roundup?

Roundup® is a broad-spectrum herbicide, meaning that it has negative effects on nearly every plant with which it comes in contact. It is used for spot treatment of gardens, lawns, paved areas, and some agricultural crops. Although it is toxic, the active chemical, glyphosate, binds with soil. This means that glyphosate that comes in contact with the ground will not run off into water systems and becomes inactive. The substance also appears to be mostly nontoxic for mammals, including people, who eat food which was near plants treated with Roundup.

However, when glyphosate reaches rivers and streams, it is very toxic to aquatic life. Glyphoste can travel to waterways if it falls on asphalt or blows away on the wind. In addition, glyphosate is not the only chemical in Roundup®, simply the only one considered “active” by the EPA. The EPA only requires herbicide manufacturers to provide proof that the “active” ingredients are safe for the environment, not “inactive” or “other” ingredients. Herbicide manufacturers are not even required to list non-“active” ingredients on their packaging.

Polyethoxylated amine (also referred to as POEA or polyethoxylated tallowamine) is a surfactant, a chemical used to transport glyphosate from the leaves of a plant to the roots in Roundup®. POEA has been shown to be significantly more toxic to aquatic life—including algae, frogs, shrimp, and fish—than glyphosate. POEA is not trapped by soil like glyphosate and stays in the environment longer before degrading, creating an environmental hazard. In addition, recent studies indicate that the POEA in Roundup® may be toxic to human embryos.

courtesy of Green City Blue Lake
Is there a safe alternative to Roundup?

Submitted by Sarah Bixler  |  Last edited February 17, 2010 – 9:23am

Although initially more expensive we feel the use of Recycled Tire Rubber Rectangular Sized Mulch Mats in sizes such as 3ft x 20ft are a more suitable alternative for fence row de-weeding than Roundup and will save the property owner money over the long run

For the sake of a fair report on the 2 methods of weed control we will look at the negative affects of using pressed rubber mulch products. Few man made products do not have some risk to the environment.

These products are made of used tires that are macerated molded together and painted. The long lasting affect a dump of tires may have on the soil and groundwater could be attributed to these mats if taken in large amounts. In small amounts we feel the risk is minimal. The paint that the mats are painted with could leach as well over time.

Some have complained the mats are  not visually attractive but we see that as a negligible detriment 

Below is a video that shows how the long mulch mats can be used along fence rows:

Our commercial and large land owning residential customers that have purchased the long rubber mulch mats from us have enjoyed their durability and longevity and are not forced to go out up to 3 or 4 times a year to apply a herbicide that may harm the environment

All of the Conservastore Mulch  Products are found here