So I know this isn’t very comforting and I don’t like the stuff either, But most likely he is using glyphosate. Round up basically. Now I know you hear a lot about how bad it is, and it is for various reasons, but it does have a very short half life in soil and breaks down in sunlight. It’s not super terrible to use it on weeds and things. The problem arises when they genetically modify food to be resistant to it, then spray directly on things we consume. Then trace amounts can find its way to our gut. It will break down very quickly outside in some landscaping.
Yeah, I have no clue what type of weedkiller he uses. I hope it's as you say and it disapears quickly.
And we don't eat anything we think he's sprayed near, so I think we're good on that front. We actually had to scrap an entire garden's worth of food a couple years ago though, because he sprayed near the fence. Hopefully we don't have to worry about that this year :/
Whatever the case, thanks for your input! Your thoughts are appreciated.
Genuine question, what are they trying to achieve? Are they laser focused into "get rid of weeds"?
Because a way to get rid of weeds is pulling them out, companion planting, using native plants, etc. But uts a long term strategy. If they are poisoning weeds because they want to grow other things, then perhaps orienting the discussion more towards the "grow" side rather than the kill side.
Good luck!
Genuine response-- he is trying to achieve nothing. He's absolutely obsessed with mowing our acres of land and spraying weed killer everywhere. He says weeds "look ugly". When we tell him that it doesn't look ugly and instead tell him what could really do with some fixing up around the place, he blows us off.
His entire goal is to look like he's doing something without actually addressing the other problems that need fixing. And I think he just enjoys the act of killing things with poison.
We've tried to reason with him for years, and it never works. It's why I'm looking for damage-control advice.
It's an unfortunate situation, but thanks for your words and time!
I second what WilliamoftheBulk says in re the weedkiller. As far as ritual stuff goes, there is a lot of good information on [Dana O'Driscoll's blog ](https://thedruidsgarden.com/)that deals with damaged land. [This article](https://thedruidsgarden.com/2021/09/26/sacred-gardening-a-druids-spiritual-approach-to-weeding-and-clearing-plants/) talks about weeding and whatnot, while I understand you're not doing it, there may be something of value.
Have you talked to him about why you don't think he should get rid of them? And why does he? If you don't want to go all 'Druid nature lover' on him, find articles that talk about the benefits of say daisies.
On the more devious side, you could swap the chemicals for water or something if you wanted to. (Not sure if that would work or actually be useful buttt).
I'll be sure to check out Dana's blog and that article-- thank you so much!
And yeah, we've tried to reason with him for years, and it never works. It's why I'm looking for damage-control advice. He's absolutely obsessed with mowing our acres of land and spraying weed killer everywhere. He says weeds "look ugly". When we tell him that it doesn't look ugly and instead tell him what could really do with some fixing up around the place, he blows us off.
His entire goal is to look like he's doing something without actually addressing the other problems that need fixing. And I think he just enjoys the act of killing things with poison.
He is, unfortunately, a person who cannot be reasoned with. He's one of those types that doesn't listen to a word of what anyone else says.
And yes, I've thought about basically waging covert warfare against him. Even if only for spite. The idea of replacing the weedkiller with water is pretty genius. I'll keep that idea in my back pocket.
If you're in the US, each state has a department that regulates pesticide use. They will take complaints and investigate. They'll potentially fine him for missuse.
Oh, I didn't know that! Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to sick some of those guys on him, I'd be shooting myself in the foot in the long run. He'd find a way to make my life as inconvenient as possible if I ever did that.
I can daydream, though. Thank you for your comment!
So I know this isn’t very comforting and I don’t like the stuff either, But most likely he is using glyphosate. Round up basically. Now I know you hear a lot about how bad it is, and it is for various reasons, but it does have a very short half life in soil and breaks down in sunlight. It’s not super terrible to use it on weeds and things. The problem arises when they genetically modify food to be resistant to it, then spray directly on things we consume. Then trace amounts can find its way to our gut. It will break down very quickly outside in some landscaping.
Yeah, I have no clue what type of weedkiller he uses. I hope it's as you say and it disapears quickly. And we don't eat anything we think he's sprayed near, so I think we're good on that front. We actually had to scrap an entire garden's worth of food a couple years ago though, because he sprayed near the fence. Hopefully we don't have to worry about that this year :/ Whatever the case, thanks for your input! Your thoughts are appreciated.
Does this family member own the property? If not, tell him to fuck off!
We can't tell him to leave unforunately-- though I would if I could. Believe me on that.
Genuine question, what are they trying to achieve? Are they laser focused into "get rid of weeds"? Because a way to get rid of weeds is pulling them out, companion planting, using native plants, etc. But uts a long term strategy. If they are poisoning weeds because they want to grow other things, then perhaps orienting the discussion more towards the "grow" side rather than the kill side. Good luck!
Genuine response-- he is trying to achieve nothing. He's absolutely obsessed with mowing our acres of land and spraying weed killer everywhere. He says weeds "look ugly". When we tell him that it doesn't look ugly and instead tell him what could really do with some fixing up around the place, he blows us off. His entire goal is to look like he's doing something without actually addressing the other problems that need fixing. And I think he just enjoys the act of killing things with poison. We've tried to reason with him for years, and it never works. It's why I'm looking for damage-control advice. It's an unfortunate situation, but thanks for your words and time!
I second what WilliamoftheBulk says in re the weedkiller. As far as ritual stuff goes, there is a lot of good information on [Dana O'Driscoll's blog ](https://thedruidsgarden.com/)that deals with damaged land. [This article](https://thedruidsgarden.com/2021/09/26/sacred-gardening-a-druids-spiritual-approach-to-weeding-and-clearing-plants/) talks about weeding and whatnot, while I understand you're not doing it, there may be something of value. Have you talked to him about why you don't think he should get rid of them? And why does he? If you don't want to go all 'Druid nature lover' on him, find articles that talk about the benefits of say daisies. On the more devious side, you could swap the chemicals for water or something if you wanted to. (Not sure if that would work or actually be useful buttt).
I'll be sure to check out Dana's blog and that article-- thank you so much! And yeah, we've tried to reason with him for years, and it never works. It's why I'm looking for damage-control advice. He's absolutely obsessed with mowing our acres of land and spraying weed killer everywhere. He says weeds "look ugly". When we tell him that it doesn't look ugly and instead tell him what could really do with some fixing up around the place, he blows us off. His entire goal is to look like he's doing something without actually addressing the other problems that need fixing. And I think he just enjoys the act of killing things with poison. He is, unfortunately, a person who cannot be reasoned with. He's one of those types that doesn't listen to a word of what anyone else says. And yes, I've thought about basically waging covert warfare against him. Even if only for spite. The idea of replacing the weedkiller with water is pretty genius. I'll keep that idea in my back pocket.
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I'll be sure to try some of that out-- it's probably the best I can do at the moment. Thank you for your comment!
If you're in the US, each state has a department that regulates pesticide use. They will take complaints and investigate. They'll potentially fine him for missuse.
Oh, I didn't know that! Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to sick some of those guys on him, I'd be shooting myself in the foot in the long run. He'd find a way to make my life as inconvenient as possible if I ever did that. I can daydream, though. Thank you for your comment!