[ted putnam]

I live in a rural area for the most part but also have a city of about 70K close by. Small farms and country estates dot the area as well as the city lots/lawns in the more urban areas. There are several Farmers co-ops and feed stores throughout the county. Access to farm type supplies is easy and many of the DIY 's do business at these stores vs. the big box stores.MSMA is readily available at many of these locations

In my travels over the last month taking care of my customers I have noticed that many of the DIY's have been spraying crabgrass with MSMA. I know this for a fact because I have talked to several. This is happening EVERYWHERE around here.

Meanwhile, I am pulling up to stops mixing up BS concoctions like Celsius/Revolver spraying Dallisgrass and other grassy weeds with no REAL control...only suppression.

I think this is a CROCK and typical of how our government works. It's BS that I, as a licensed applicator for the last 17 yrs, have my hands tied and am not allowed to use MSMA, risking huge fines while "Johnny Homeowner" has easy access and can do whatever he wants and nobody says "Boo" to him.

I figure this is about the way gun control would go as well if they could ever get it passed...

Take it away from those who are responsible, law abiding citizens while the outlaws still have access to everything they need to kill whatever/whenever they want...

 

[bmc1025]

I think about this very thing often. Every time I pull up to mow a customers yard and see Johnson grass, my blood boils knowing good and well that a spot spray of MSMA will keep this noxious weed at bay. I am seeing more and more Johnson grass as the years go by. I have also noticed tons of crabgrass on commercial sites due to the costs of post emergent control.

 

[greendoctor]

That would pizz me off too. Don't see that in my town. People who are not commercial are not welcome at the fertilizer vendors. Hawaii enforces the language on the label concerning sale, storage, and usage by commercial applicators. On MSMA, there are no sales allowed to anyone not a golf course. DOA audits starting at the vendor level down to the end user. A vendor is responsible for sale to labeled users only and the labeled user is responsible for everything else on the product label.

 

[greendoctor]

BTW, I still have serious issues with the "science" justifying the restrictions on MSMA. Cacodylic acid was removed from the market about the same time as the MSMA ban. This was a very good non systemic contact herbicide. I would rather handle cacodylic acid than diquat. Guess which one is more likely to kill you?

 

[sprayboy]

Totally agree,

Can walk into the local Rural King and buy anything you want, gly in 30 gallon barrels all the way to pond chems and even pramitol with no questions asked.

Maybe it will take some major homeowner screw-ups to change things.

 

[ToddH]

I saw some at a dealer the other day. Seems they are shipping again?
Still think it is limited to commercial properties and ag.

 

[Skipster]

Somehow, I don't think the dealer has much responsibility for end-user activity.

I walked into a big town (mostly urban, not much ag around) John Deere Landscapes shop a few weeks ago. As I'm waiting for them to retrieve the fertilizer bags I asked for, I saw the familiar jug and label for Target 6 Plus, an MSMA herbicide. It was clearly labeled for applications to Cotton, Golf Courses, Sod Farms, and Highway Rights of Way.

Since the product is not labeled RUP, anyone can buy it. You don't need to justify to the dealer how you're going to use it. This probably leads some LCOs to think that if it's on the shelf and the dealer sold it to me, it must be OK. Some LCOs may not understand that you can't apply it to home lawns, but you can apply it in ROW accounts.

I know that it's being used in residential and commercial lawns. While visiting one of my sons in AL, we saw some properties where the dallisgrass was obviously treated with MSMA -- it had the characteristic yellowing and other symptoms from that class of herbicides.

I think it all comes down to what kind of person are you and will you follow the rules even when others don't.

 

[Ric]

.


The Tree Hugger are ruining the L&O business. It seems like everyday we lose an other tool/chemical.

For that reason I have tried to move my business more toward the Structural Pest Control side. What I find is the biggest Tree Hugger will ask for Glow in the Dark Chemicals when it comes to their living space and Insects.


.

 

[woodlawnservice]

See it all the time here as well.... these r the same homeowners who "double" the label rate because more is better right....ugh I educate them the best I cN but I'm sure it goes in one ear and out the other... we see alot of bigger companies "spray and fert" using it on residential and commercial clients as well
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[phasthound]

I think this is a CROCK and typical of how our government works. It's BS that I, as a licensed applicator for the last 17 yrs, have my hands tied and am not allowed to use MSMA, risking huge fines while "Johnny Homeowner" has easy access and can do whatever he wants and nobody says "Boo" to him.
dizzy:

Government is influenced by highly paid lobbyists and campaign contributions along with public pressure. In this case I think homeowners are allowed to buy these products because manufacturers make much more profit off of retail sales than LCO's. I agree that this is the wrong approach.

 

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

My quackgrass infested lawns beg for MSMA......

 

[inzane]

Broomsedge has been a problem here. My frustration is that the big corporate spray companies "door knocker" sales guys are going door to door saying they have something to take care of the broomsedge.. so I pretty much can't keep those lawns with broomsedge for to long. All the ones i still do full maintenance on are on a handpulling program.. meaning when i'm mowing.. if i see broomsedge i pull it. thats the first thing i do at most properties these days. I can't find anything that will touch this stuff.

a long time customer told me that she was gonna go with a company who didn't use weak chems, because the broomsedge wasn't going away (it was beyond hand pulling) but hey.. keep cutting the grass every 2 weeks. I said, nope.. not gonna cut your grass.. oh.. that didn't go over so good with her. I'll lose a customer before i use MSMA, but it'd be nice if we could use it on residentials someday again.

 

[Ijustwantausername]

Amen to that. Dallasgrass is a pain here.

 

[ETM]

Broomsedge has been a problem here. My frustration is that the big corporate spray companies "door knocker" sales guys are going door to door saying they have something to take care of the broomsedge.. so I pretty much can't keep those lawns with broomsedge for to long. All the ones i still do full maintenance on are on a handpulling program.. meaning when i'm mowing.. if i see broomsedge i pull it. thats the first thing i do at most properties these days. I can't find anything that will touch this stuff.

a long time customer told me that she was gonna go with a company who didn't use weak chems, because the broomsedge wasn't going away (it was beyond hand pulling) but hey.. keep cutting the grass every 2 weeks. I said, nope.. not gonna cut your grass.. oh.. that didn't go over so good with her. I'll lose a customer before i use MSMA, but it'd be nice if we could use it on residentials someday again.

Glad you dumped it. I would of done the same.
Posted via Mobile Device