Glyphosate Shelf Life

[JRobyn]

Hi guys,

Does anyone know if glyphosate (Round-Up) has a shelf life or expiration? I have a 2 1/2gal jug that is about 3 or 4 years old. It has been keep tightly closed in a cool basement. Is it still usable?

Jay

 

[johnnyvol]

Probably not going to hurt to use it. I'm pretty sure I've used some that old or older. Aside from time what have you got to lose?

 

[smstonypoint]

I have heard numerous shelf lives bandied about -- anywhere from 2 to 8 years. I don't think the label says.

You should be good to go.

Steve

 

[RickB]

I used some this spring that was 3-4 years old and subjected to freezing temps or whatever else came along in our unheated garage. It worked very well in spite of my lousy storage habits.

 

[DrRod]

As a side question, what about if you mixed it with water. I buy concentrate and dillute it in the sprayer. I left some over winter [I know, its a bad practice] and wondered if it would still be good.

 

[smstonypoint]

As a side question, what about if you mixed it with water. I buy concentrate and dillute it in the sprayer. I left some over winter [I know, its a bad practice] and wondered if it would still be good.

It should still work. They sell premixed Roundup in gallon sprayers at Lowes, etc. I'm guessing that product doesn't have a particularly short shelf life.

I would just shake the sprayer to disperse the glyphosate and have at it.


Steve

 

[hosspuller]

About mixed Glyphosate ... I had some left-over from a weed-wiper that I stored in a jug over the winter. Seemed to form a scummy mass that clogged the sprayer strainer. I filtered it and used it without further issue. It killed the weeds I sprayed.

 

[smstonypoint]

About mixed Glyphosate ... I had some left-over from a weed-wiper that I stored in a jug over the winter. Seemed to form a scummy mass that clogged the sprayer strainer. I filtered it and used it without further issue. It killed the weeds I sprayed.

Did the glyphosate freeze while in storage?

Steve

 

[mmurphydds]

About mixed Glyphosate ... I had some left-over from a weed-wiper that I stored in a jug over the winter. Seemed to form a scummy mass that clogged the sprayer strainer. I filtered it and used it without further issue. It killed the weeds I sprayed.

I regret to say that I have mistreated Glyphosate over the years in a number of ways, and I have never been let down by it the following season(s). As to freezing...the 2 1/2 gal jugs are great for adding some water to the residual Glyphosate and then shaking the bejeezus out of it before adding it to the tank...no problems. The surfactant they sell to tank mix with it helps to keep it in solution (as well as stick to plants better). Agitation in the tank helps out a lot, too. Good luck, and don't fret too much.

 

[Dingeryote]

This spring while working through a skid of Simtrol(Dry) we bought in 06', I found 4 Cases of 41% Glyphosate in the mix I had forgot about.
Our Chem Barn is unheated, and uninsulated, so the stuff has been through at least 7 annual freeze cycles.

Did a couple quick compatability checks with it just to be sure, and mixed in with the AMS as normal. I'm chasing with a mid season spray to nail the sedge, and established perennials anyhow, so I figured why not run it.
Worked just fine, and whacked everything but the Dogbane,Sedge, milkweed, and bindweed....just like brand new.

One thing to look for with old Glyphos, is incompatability with 2-4-D. For some reason, and outta the blue, some older glyphos will just quit getting along, and gel up into a snotty mess when mixed. Have seen it a couple times when using older stuff and 2-4-D in backpack sprayers used for spot Kill on brambles and Sumac. Nothing sucks the fun out of an afternoon like de-mungifying 3 Back pack sprayers, while a crew waits.
I now check before even using the new stuff. Dosn't seem to be a problem with anything else though, and the stuff that reacts, still works on weeds straight up.

Best way to dispose of old herbicides, is to use them. If they work, all is good. If they don't, you were gonna get rid of the stuff any way.

Good luck with yours!

 

[flyerdan]

It's good to know that it keeps well, I bought a 2.5 gallon of the knockoff stuff that HD sells, as it's ridiculously cheap compared to the quarts of 41%. I keep it in the cardboard box it came in to protect against puncture damage and the shop never gets below freezing so I plan to be weed free for many years to come.

 

[JRobyn]

Thanks all! The poison ivy will NOT be happy! Good to know about the potential for mixing issues; I did plan to mix some 2-4D with it, so will do the first batch slow and careful and watch for any glop. I did make some mix in the past (diluted with water and then left in a small sprayer bottle) that eventually got gloppy.

 

[k0ua]

A few days ago I had a leak in a gallon jug (about 3 years old) of 41% and and over a quart leaked out on the floor.. what a mess. I have no idea why the jug gave up, I put it in another plastic container and set that in a plastic bucket. I wonder if the glyo-phosphate attacks plastic after a while? or just a defective container to begin with.

James K0UA

 

[Alan L.]

I wouldn't leave the glyphosate in the sprayer. Seems to make a slime that stops up the screen or the nozzles themselves. Of course nobody does this deliberately, but I'd clean it out before spraying.

 

[EastTexFrank]

As a side question, what about if you mixed it with water. I buy concentrate and dillute it in the sprayer. I left some over winter [I know, its a bad practice] and wondered if it would still be good.

Yea, it'll still be good but I don't think that I'd use the sprayer for anything else but glyphosphate from now on. It's good practice to have a specific Round Up sprayer anyway.

 

[clemsonfor]

It will be fine.

 

[clemsonfor]

Another thing when working with herbicides. READ THE LABEL. You dont have to read it all there is sections specific to what your doing, the real herbicides with full label like on the gallon or larger concentrate jugs are best. It will explain amout of water that you can dilute it with amount per acre to put out as well as what level you need to mix to kill certail things. THE LABEL IS THE LAW. Remember that. If it says 2.5oz per gallon for X species that is what you need dont mix 5 cause your wasting your money, they study that stuff. There going to ttell you the best rate to use to kill things, if they think more is necessary they will tell you.

Those wanting to know i hold herbicide qualifications and a federal license.