Greenhouse, Nursery, and Landscape - Glyphosate Can Have Root Activity Under Certain Conditions

There have recently been some problems with potential glyphosate (Roundup, many others) herbicide contaminating some planting containers. We normally think of glyphosate as a herbicide with no root activity because it is inactivated in soils. However, this is not always the case. Glyphosate has some potential to be taken up by plant roots in very sandy soils, container media (soilless mixes), and organic soils. Caution must be taken in these conditions.

Gordon Johnson, Extension Agriculture Agent, UD, Kent County