2,4 d -- how long to wait till planting tomato plants

The wife loves to plan her garden, but isn't too much on execution. She normally gets around to spraying last years mess with Glyph about now. She then tosses in a bunch of plants from the nur$ery, ignores it till June, then tries to recover with more Glyph. The result after three years of this is a 60"x48" thistle patch in the middle of my pasture. This year she decided to not bother (yeah!), and I sprayed the whole mess (knee high thistles, stinging nettles, even a few cottonwood trees) with 2,4 d. The 2,4 d was older and I used 2 oz/gal in a hand sprayer (forget exact label, about 50% inert, 50% combo of the 2,4 d salts/acid). Thistles really looked sick the next day, so I may have overdone it (I'm used to wondering for a week or more if they look damaged, etc). Plan is to mow it regularly and maybe spot spray again in the fall, and put off any serious gardening until next year. I considered using the glyph this weekend, but didn't want it bare (-> thistles) all summer and didn't want to put in a large garden this year. I'll probably use some of that space for potatoes, tomatoes, sugar-snaps, and hot peppers in future years, but won't have time for much this year.

Given that I've already sprayed the 2,4 d:


If I want to use it as a vegetable garden next year, should I not spray 2,4 d in the fall?

If I wanted to stick a few tomato plants somewhere [i:654c4848f0] this [/i:654c4848f0] year, is that area off limits (both from killing the plants and poisoning my family)?

I'd rather not burn down yet more grass, but if I did go that way how long should I wait after spraying Glyph (in a different area)?

Thanks,

I don't think the 2,4D has that much residual to where it will hurt your garden after winter but best bet is to read label on it and go by that. I have often sprayed Roundup and 2,4D on our garden a few weeks before planting with no problem. 2,4D has what I can "instand gratification" with broadleaf weeds like Canada thistle. I have sprayed in the morning and they are wilted by that evening, seems to work quicker when temps are not too high. I changed to using Weedmaster, 2,4D and banvile, instead of straight 2,4D as it seems to kill Canada thistle better. Milestone works even better and though it is more expensive you use very little in a mix. Gly(roundup) often takes a week to show damage but will kill grass. I usually mix some 2,4d in the roundup as broadleafs will show the damage quicker. Use of a surfactant or sticker also increases efficiency. Not sure if I answered your questions but believe both of those weed killers list on the label when you can plant after use. If the label is missing check online with manufacturer. Most garden stores also have someone who can help out.

I did go through the labels, but they were referring to planting beans/oats/etc from seeds after spraying. Seemed to vary from 7-30 days of waiting before planting (depending on dosage). Internet search results ranged from "never tomatoes there, ever again", to "7 days or an inch of rain later everything will be fine" but worst case is no rain, then I plant, then it rains. I also know the extension guy here claims that 2,4d, Trimec, etc effect trees via root uptake much more than the label lets on.

I've been using different stuff in the pasture (Timec most recently). That's why this particular jug of 2,4d was so old.

Thanks!


Bob

it isn't going to make any difference next year if you spray 24d this fall. if you are going to plant tomatoes this year and spray later-- don't do it, tomatoes and 24D don't mix.

If you spray 24d on bare ground with small weeds you have to wait 7-10 days before planting a broadleaf plant such as beans, tomato or ptotatoes. I spray my lawn 2 times a year with 24D and my lawn sprayer has an aluminum tank. I used my sprayer in 2012 every evening to haul water to the garden that summer for quit a few weeks. I rinsed and washed the tank out real good I thought. My tomato plants looked wilted all summer and never did produce. I also watered a little oak tree all summer with water from the sprayer. The tree suffered that year and the following year. If you're in any doubt use a rope wick on the front of your tractor. Then you won't have to worry about any carry-over. Just my 2 cents from experience.

your 2,4-D, was it LV4 OR LV6 ??

Tomatoes are very sensitive to 2-4D. I sometimes joke that a tomato will wilt if you hold the 2-4D jug up in front of it. If you used Esther you might have the chance of the 2-4D fuming up and moving if the temperature gets high and the air pressure is low. By the looks of the forecast you won't have to worry about that.

I just got done spraying burn down/residual herbicide on the corn stalks I will be no tilling soybeans Into. One of the herbicides in the mix is 2-4D LV 6 at 16 oz/acre. I am not supposed to plant beans for 7-10 days though I have heard 5 days is OK. When I handled it I used rubber gloves and protective gear but I can still taste it on my tongue tonight.

I cannot understand why you would want to raise or eat vegetables contaminated with all of those toxic chemicals. 2.4 d...isn't that the stuff in agent orange??? And from what I have seen lately, Roundup has been determined to be a carcinogen. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I will take my chances and raise my tomatoes and other vegetables without poison.

2,4-D was half of Agnet orange. The other half (the bad stuff) was 2,4,5-T. Water is probably a carcinogen if you drink enough of it. Arsenic, asbestos, mercury, and lead are all "natural", but I sure wouldn't wan to ingest those.
AaronSEIA

At least I don't live in California -- everything causes cancer out there.

I'd rather not use the chemicals on my food. It's more a matter of reclaiming this area, which I fenced off for her, close to a water hydrant, good sunny location, etc [b:654c4848f0] and [/b:654c4848f0] wanting to have a few tomato plants this year without digging up [i:654c4848f0] another [/i:654c4848f0] area.

I'm not seeing either on the label. It's an older container (with a one page label instead of the multi-page data sheet that they tend to come with these days.) I recall seeing the 3.8 pound number on the label, which the internet associates with LV4? Re-reading the label, I found where it says to use 2 oz per gallon of water for spot spraying, so at least I go that part right.

It's just under 50% the 2,4d (salt + acid) and 50 something inert ingredients. I'm pretty sure it's an amine (not an ester).