Monday Morning Blooms: Weeds & Zach Bush on Glyphosate (23May2022)

Posted on by Prior...


Happy Monday everyone.

Today’s post is all about WEEDS

 I know weeds have value, but some weeds will take over and ruin the garden or lawn. 

Recently – Judy@NewEnglandGarden and Thread shared how pervasive weeds can be:

“What have I learned these past couple of weeks that I can pass along? If you pay for the plant, it’s got a 50% chance of survival, while the multitude of weeds will prosper and multiply.”

Priorhouse Question: How can we remove weeds without using harsh chemicals?

Answer: So many common weeds can be gently removed by hand, by using hot water, vinegar, or even corn meal. The Spruce has five tips HERE –

PREVENTION also helps – like by using mulch, ground cover plants, etc

Before we spray harsh chemicals- maybe we need to know more about what we are using!

  • The scary thing today is the over use of glyphosate herbicide, which is found in Roundup.
  • The other scary thing is the ignorance or a blasé attitude regarding using toxic chemicals. I am not just talking about chemicals in weed killer – because there are chemicals in some foods, in health and beauty products, in carpets, in stupid plug-in air fresheners, etc. However, this post is about not using harsh chemicals on lawns or in the home garden – so let us get back to that. 
  • I know someone who used Roundup weedkiller aggressively on his lawn and he recently died of leukemia. I gave his widow information about a class action lawsuit because of the known connection between Roundup and leukemia – and she seemed to blow it off. That is fine, and hey – everyone needs space when coping with loss and when grieving and in shock – also, his cancer was likely related to a combination of factors – as most cancers are – but too often, people are oblivious to how VERY dangerous some chemicals can be – or they are blasé and stay ignorant.
  • I wish I had a conversation with my neighbor about eight years ago, when I first saw him using Roundup. He started using it more and more. I just didn’t feel it was my place to say anything (when normally I find it easy to just mention a tip – or “seed drop” an idea) – but for some reason, I didn’t feel led to speak to him about it.
  • I have decided that I will speak up more about the dangers of Roundup and other harsh chemicals. Part of my speaking up is what led to this post.  I also try to have a smooth delivery. For example, recently I saw someone with ROUNDUP in their shopping cart and I went over and quickly mentioned that they might want to research the dangers of the product they were buying. They said they would research it. I walked away and it took effort on my part to speak to them –  sigh – because I surely didn’t feel like saying anything – but I put my discomfort aside because I care. I also know the power of “seed dropping” an idea. 
  • Too often we humans assume if a product is allowed to be sold in a store, then it must be okay to use. Nope. Not so.  Roundup is sold in a white bottle and seems all innocent on the end of an aisle –

    –however – this “roundup” stuff is a poison- it is dangerous and has been associated with many problems for humans and the environment. We might not be able to get away from all chemicals – but the overall chemical burden CAN be lowered if we make a few smart choices.

  •  Also, even if you don’t care about “your” exposure – you could be putting others at risk because they will be exposed to your chemical use.So I encourage everyone to do a little research on products and at least stay open to learning about the dangers of FDA’s allowed chemicals that we are too quick to assume are safe!
  •  And especially let’s pause before we access, and then use, the easy-to-buy weed killers. Let’s think before we are so quick to spray! 

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Zach Bush

Dr Zach Bush (here) has a great article about glyphosate – and here are a few takeaways:

  • It is now estimated that we spray more than 4.5 billion pounds of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) into the soils, plants, and water systems of our planet. Not surprisingly, the diseases in our domesticated animals – from pets to livestock – have followed a similar trajectory.
  • Zach noted this: IT’S OUR EMPOWERED DUTY TO EDUCATE OURSELVES REGARDING OUR FOOD AND HEALTH, AND SHIFT OUR ROLE IN THE CONSUMPTION OF THIS PLANETS NATURAL RESOURCES.
  • Dr. Zach Bush Glyphosphate Post is here: or cut and paste this link: https://zachbushmd.com/gmo/glyphosate-toxins/

 

 

I get frustrated when I see “Roundup” (with dangerous glyphosate) for sale in stores – WITHOUT adequate warning to the customer about the SERIOUS danger it poses.  If you want to sign a petition to have glyphosate labeled as a poison – go here
Pulled this weed by hand. No harsh chemicals needed. 

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Closing Comics (with a chemical/science theme – ha) 

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36 thoughts on “Monday Morning Blooms: Weeds & Zach Bush on Glyphosate (23May2022)”

  1. Pingback: Monday Morning Blooms: Weeds & Zach Bush on Glyphosate (23May2022) | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  2. This is sobering stuff for a Monday, Yvette, or any other day come to that. We regularly use a spray to kill off tiny bugs on some of our flowering plants, and I have to admit that in my naievity I hadn’t thought that there might be harm to humans in them. I’ve never heard of Roundup but I’m sure that chemical sprays the world over will be equally suspect. It’s crazy what we’re doing to ourselves and our planet, isn’t it? And all swept under the carpet in the name of profit. The article you quoted was very interesting and I will try to be more watchful from now on. Many thanks for caring.

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    1. thanks for your comment, Jo.
      In the 1990s, when our first home had all these rose shrubs (yuck- I never want to care for roses again) – well I was amazed at how aphids were easily removed at kept at bay by using “liquid soap in water” – so easy and mild.
      and you are right – it is crazy – and sad – what is being done to the planet and hopefully more and more initiatives will unfold to make little changes – and what we do as individuals can make small differences that maybe add up .

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  3. An enlightening post. We mostly use hard labour – certainly not Roundup. Good to include harsh chemicals in the broader sense, too

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    1. Hi Derrick – I love seeing some of the photos from garden workdays – the beauty of that hard labor indeed!
      and I know we cannot escape all chemicals but little things add up . The health coach “Mel” always says it is “the sum of many parts” – and recently I went to organic black tea because I discovered that some companies spray aluminum and other things on their tea crops – whew – I never would have thought black tea could be corrupted but it makes sense

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Carol – thanks for mentioning neem spray – I used to have a huge bottle of neem oil to add to a spray for insects – but did not realize it could also help with other things in the garden – and that makes sense – 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ve heard about Roundup causing cancer. It’s a shame for those whose lives are/were affected by using the product they thought was ok. At least you care to speak up. You have a good heart.
    I love the saying at the end! May all your weeds be wildflowers. I have the same quote up in the dining room at work! 💜

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    1. Hi Renee – that saying at the end was a little wooden sign (I almost bought it but have nowhere to put anything new and if anything I want more bare walls – hahah) and the other little wooden sign, said “Give yourself time to grow” and they were both a nice little pair. The sign you see at work sounds nice.
      And speaking up (about anything) can be tough – and there are times I just can’t – or do not feel led to – but I know I am a recipient of folks sharing – like that is how I learned about the dangers of lunch meat in the late 1980s – I am so grateful someone made the effort to tell me to stay away from that kind of meat – maybe once in a while will eat some – but try to avoid processed and treated meats.
      hope your week is off to a great start

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  6. It seems that besides use as a weed killer, most crops – wheat, canola, oats, legumes bio-fuel crops etc get a drenching with glyphosate to dessicate the plants prior to harvest. It’s part and parcel of mass food production which is more than a bit depressing. Thanks for raising this, Yvette. Here’s a 2019 academic paper that takes a look at exposure both in people using it and the general population:
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6322310/

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    1. Tish! thanks so very much for your comment and the link. I almost came your way to ask for your tips on weeding – but ran out of time last week (and could to even get my review post up about the Emily Dickinson movie “A Quiet Passion” – sigh) – and so I look forward to reading the article you linked.

      Also, it is so interesting how you noted “wheat, canola, oats, legumes” – which are foods that we do not think humans today should consume – and all the more we (meaning my hubs and I and those in our health circle) feel that anyone with health problems, that weird weight gain, and brain fog ALL THE MORE need to get away from wheat, canola, oats, legumes – and sugar! My husband calls it the unholy Trinity “1) industrial seed oils – like canola, soybean oil, sunflower, rape seed oil etc – 2) Sugar – especially High fructose corn syrup and then table sugar – like the raw brown – and the dose of sugar is dangerous as people don’t realize how much is hiding in everyday items and 3) GRAINS! should stay a way for a variety of reasons, like the glyphosate, plant toxins that are natural in them – like lectins and phytates – which are in them to ward off pests and can be hard on human guts – too much of that turns to glucose in bloodstream and grains are like sugar foods – and are a poor source of
      My hubs noted that this egrains are “yellows, browns, and whites, which are void of nutrients that fuel the human body and pretty disgusting to eat unless you add sugar and fats” –

      anyhow, that drenching is scary and reminds me that more folks can start little gardens to partly get away from the dangers of mass production – maybe not have an allotment like yours (smile) but start with containers
      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, yes and yes to growing in containers. Salad leaves and herbs, rocket, can all be grown in smallish containers, sown at fortnightly (or so) intervals to keep a regular supply. And then indoors one can sprout seeds. One of my favourites to do is fenugreek.

        As to weeding, digging up the heavy duty ones like dandelions (before the run to seed) and couch/witch grass, is really the only option. Less vicious weeds can simply be hoed and left to rot down on the soil surface. Mulching can work well if you a compost depth of several inches. Also if you’re starting a new veggie bed, you can simply cover the ground – weeds/grass and all with a good layer of cardboard, pile compost on top and then plant into that. Permeable membrane is another option – you can just plant through it. That said, it won’t stop a determined dandelion from pushing through.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Thank you for your time with that, Tish! I think I need to read it a few times for the many tips you gave us.
          Very grateful
          🌸🌺🌸🌺

          Liked by 1 person

        1. Banned or at least labeled with a warning

          And you are right about the exercise – and MSW blog recently told me about a book that is Al about gardening and the physical and psychological benefits! I am going to mention it in an upcoming flower post!

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  8. The use of chemicals is so scary!! Sweden has pretty strict laws on what you are allowed to use, but any chemical is still scary.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Maria – it is sad that these chemicals are sold in nice looking bottles with cheer yellow caps and yellow spray nozzles – and then unknowingly spray dangerous endocrine disrupters
      😩

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  9. Glyphosate is a scary chemical indeed and I remember your story of your neighbor and wanting to help. If I used it, it was for sidewalk crack weeds and that was likely 20+ years ago. A list of foods that contained it was widely distributed on social media a few years ago. I just checked the list again and I eat Triscuits every day and Quaker Oats (whole) every day. I have Whole-Grain Goldfish as a treat occasionally – guess I won’t be doing that anymore. I think I saw the list a few years ago, but because I have eaten a bowl of oatmeal every morning for decades, I dismissed it.

    But, what I will tell you is this. I bought some regular Cheerios last time I went shopping. I’ve had Cheerios before, not as a breakfast cereal, but to mix with yogurt for a little texture, with no issues ever. I had Cheerios twice last week with yogurt and the next morning awoke to horrible stomach pains. I have a stomach of iron – nothing bothers me and I knew I did not eat expired food. And I get a newsletter about food contamination and have for years and it was not the Jiff. I eat Jif peanut butter (natural kind) and the one with salmonella was not distributed in Michigan). Anyway, the pain continued for the better part of a day and I had bloating … the first time it happened, I thought”what in the world did I do/eat?” I thought maybe it was bad water, i.e. there was a water main break and I drank bad water. But, when it happened again a few days later, when I had the same Cheerios with yogurt combo, I Googled around. There were others complaining of the same exact problem, doubled over in pain from racking pains in the stomach. So I filed a synopsis of my problems on that same site (I Was Poisoned) (I won’t put a link here, but in another comment.) Some blamed it on switching to Cheerios after the Lucky Charms poisoning dilemma so first-time Cheerios users. Others pointed out that both Lucky Charms and Cheerios are made by General Mills. I don’t think others mentioned glyphosate, but they said the Cheerios were not the same since making them gluten free. I don’t look for gluten free products. I shut up the box, put them away. And I had a similar incident last year with Folgers coffee – same horrible pains and others were complaining about a new way of making the Folgers crystals. It’s scary to me, but scarier about the Quaker Oats oatmeal and Triscuits which I enjoy daily.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Linda – thanks for sharing your story and ugh! I wonder what happened to the cereal to cause so much distress
      And glad you did not have the Jif that was recalled
      Are you feeling better now or still recovering from the Cheetos ??

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I have a stomach of iron, but this Cheerios incident really bothered my stomach and it still feels a little wobbly to be honest, but I had that similar issue with the Folger’s coffee and it took awhile too. I’m sorry I bought it – that is for sure.

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    1. Oh my goodness Linda
      That was scary to see
      — we don’t eat cereal anymore –
      But we used to – and I feel
      So bad for anyone who got sick from
      It

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      1. Yes it is scary Yvette and being a fan of oatmeal for breakfast for years, I researched and I guess I will find a comparable organic oatmeal to enjoy.

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  11. Well, this comment will go to SPAM as well as I’m attaching a link. Kind of horrified to read more about glyphosate in my morning oatmeal (Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats) and I add raisins, Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed (good for keeping your BP low), pecans, almonds and some powdered milk. Now I read almonds have glyphosate too. So you get organic oatmeal I guess – I’ve never bought organic food, though I bought organic greens for my bird as I worried about listeria and salmonella from Dole lettuce. I appreciate your info Yvette – it made me get off my butt and investigate some things, though I didn’t get as far in Reader as I had hoped as I got sidetracked. 🙂
    https://sproutingfam.com/glyphosate-free-oatmeal-brands-list/

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    1. Hi Linda!
      Well I am
      So happy to read your comment and I have not eaten oatmeal for years! And when I did I was really eating brown sugar!
      I laugh now at how they advertise “steel cut” as something more robust!
      -🥺
      I know i mentioned the unholy trinity before – but these three groups are a good idea to get away from – 1) the industrial seed oils (canola, safflower, corn oil, vegetable oil) use avocado oil, olive, coconut, etc
      – and the show “how it’s made will show you that industrial seed oils are processed and bad for humans and can cause health problems
      2) get off sugar which sounds obvious but it is in most things and we are starting to have more be more stevia items on the shelves – and most functional health coaches will suggest avoiding boxed foods and anything that can stay alive on a shelf for a long time
      And third
      3) grains / which means the seat oatmeal people defend like their momma ! Grains are not what they are touted to be!
      -/
      I don’t talk too much about health on my blog (only so much time in the day – sigh) but my husband is a part time primal health coach (with mark’s daily apple program) and it is absolutely amazing to see many of his clien’s change their lives by getting off the unholy trinity items!
      It really does change the eating and lifestyle
      Las week, I ran into a past client of his, Steve, who just reported that he is up to 39 pounds off – across two and a half years ….
      And he looks amazing as his beer gut is flat!
      😊Then we briefly talked about how we don’t feel deprived at all! Instead – we celebrate what we can have and then we joked about how much a rotisserie chicken can do in a pinch!
      🍗
      I commend you for researching on your own and I will
      Never judge or shame anyone for what they eat! Even tho it makes me sad when cancer patients are never told about the dangers of sugar and other foods that hurt their health or feed cancer cells and suppress immune function!
      So just research and let truth resonate – truth has a way of prevailing – ((another reason why the disinformation police need to be very very careful when they ax people — because they “could be wrong” and won’t see it until later-))
      / like the first time I heard bread was bad for gut health, I thought it was ludicrous !
      What? manna came down from heaven and bread is ancient; however, most of today’s bread is glue and Chemical
      Laden – and pulls from health and for those with auto immune or gut issues – it is esp harmful for immune function and spikes glucose etc –

      Some people with Healthy guts can handle a good sourdough or rye – but I know many folks who get off all breads and crackers and have huge success with health changes
      ☀️
      I know you follow Shelley at quaint revival – but not sure if you read any of her posts about going keto!
      Check it out because she wrote some good posts – they were not preachy 💛- she was just sharing about breakthroughs she had!
      And maybe check out marks daily apple — and Dave from bulletproof blog! They both have amazing insights

      Going to
      Check to link now
      🌸🌺🌸

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      1. Hi Yvette – I do follow Shelley and I have seen the success she and her husband have had with the Keto diet (I think they have been doing it two years or thereabout). I have searched for that big list that I thought I saved and can’t find it, but after I read your post, I did stray to do more research. The thing is, here I am trying to eat healthy – what about all the touting about whole-grain products? They regulate your blood sugar, keep your BP down and are heart healthy. I take no pills, just a multi-vitamin and cod liver oil pills. And, every day I have Triscuits in an effort to avoid bread. So, I looked around last night and found organic oats – I could do that and organic crackers – I could do that, but you’re suggesting to eliminate all together?

        In reading Shelley’s posts about Keto, I worried about cholesterol … worried too much protein was bad. I’ve not eaten red meat for about three years – I wanted to eat healthy, so just chicken, tuna and fish. It makes me not only worried, but sad, that here I was eating what I thought was healthy and now may have made myself sick. I should have paid more attention to the list before, but again … I thought “I cannot get healthier than oatmeal and whole-grain crackers.” Last night I read that even lentils and chickpeas are bad. I have to go grocery shopping – I’ve put it off as we’ve had so many stormy days and I didn’t/don’t want a fridge of food to spoil from a power outage, but I’m going to have to revise my eating regimen. I do eat Greek yogurt which I understand is better than other types of yogurt and I eat hard-boiled eggs, not scrambled or fried. I love cheese and I can’t see eating more than I do as I don’t want to clog my arteries with all the fat (though I only eat Swiss because it has the least salt). Heart disease runs in my family, so I truly thought I was pretty mature with my food regimen. I feel sick reading what I’ve done. Thank goodness the whole-grain Goldfish were a very occasional treat and I rarely, if ever, eat sweets, as in baked good.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Hi Linda
          I have a few books to suggest you skin layer – but the fat clogging artistries is a lie and there has been a lot of propaganda (still Going on) to make us think vegetarian is healthier than eating meat (when most vegetarian diets are huge sugar items or just very poor sources of nutrients and brain food) 🥗

          Multigrains have been (falsely) advertised as healthy but they are a poor fuel
          Source for humans
          (Packaged food also is a topic to explore at another time)
          I learned that
          it takes a while to really see what helps the human body thrive compared to what we are “told” or brainwashed to think what is good for us!

          Cheers to you for doing research and remember it takes time to “see” because our beliefs and what we have been taught can run deep.

          Liked by 1 person

        2. I’ve tried to follow a healthy diet with no or little salt, no red meat, no white anything, very few cookies as a special treat, no alcohol (nothing against alcohol at all, but my parents didn’t drink and we only had whiskey in the house to make hot toddies for a cold or red or white wine to make potroast so I just don’t have it here just for me), no fried food, no fast food, no salty snacks. I didn’t consider Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Goldfish bad (baked/whole grain). So I’ll retool my diet.

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