Ecoplugs

[J Scott]

Hmm that's strange, technical assistant at my work applied to SEPA about its use for the specific site and they approved it

[openboater]

I thought Glyphosate was included on the red list so it was safe to use near water. Has this changed or am I hopelessly out of date?

The active ingredient of echo-plugs is Glyphosate isn't it?

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

 

Yes it may be safe, but the individual product must have approval for in or near water. Most types of Roundup are not approved for in or near water, but apparently the one that the Environment Agency specifies has exactly the same ingredients, just an extra field of approval. The key is ,as usual, in the small print.

[Rhob the Log]

They the gram-loaded Glyphosate rawlplug like things? Was on a pesticide course last week and the examiner told me that although they claim no leakage, the electric board, who're using them like nothing else felled a tree outside their office in Spring last year, loaded it up with these and hydrostatic pressure from the rising sap pushed them all out and the surrounding area is totalled. DO NOT USE IF SAP RISING!

[jonnygurkha]

Hi, I had a job last week dealing with some wind blowns and the client mentioned that the electricity board had taken down an ash and used ecoplugs to kill the stump. I was interested to see that a year on the stump is alive and kicking with stacks of epicormic growth.

[Knotty ash]

Andy,

 

We use them on the Network Rail infrastructure on a regualar day. We went for these as the contractors were not spraying the stumps when they felled the trees within the gievn time scales or not spraying the stumps at all.

We have also gone for blue Eco-Plugs as this shows up very well when undertaking a cab ride.

 

Although this is expensive labour wise its does do what it says and kills the stump well 95% of the time anyway but we wont be using them on cuttings as this would create a biggar problem.

[Dodge]

bit off thread but,

I only do a very few family/friends tree removals so not a large scale user but im about to start trying a method I have heard of

Drill a few (number to be determined) holes and fill with potassium nitrate which apparently kills the stump and aids decomposition.

 

Potassium nitrate is found in your sausages,bacon and other food items as well as a few more interesting substances. Anybody else tried this and if so any feedback ??

[openspaceman]

bit off thread but,

I only do a very few family/friends tree removals so not a large scale user but im about to start trying a method I have heard of

Drill a few (number to be determined) holes and fill with potassium nitrate which apparently kills the stump and aids decomposition.

 

Potassium nitrate is found in your sausages,bacon and other food items as well as a few more interesting substances. Anybody else tried this and if so any feedback ??

 

You'll have a struggle buying it in any quantity nowadays. It's the oxidant used in making gunpowder. It will add nutrient to the wood and decrease the carbon:nitrogen ratio, thus theoretically making it attractive to rotting microbes but the main reason for adding it was to cause the stump to burn.

[AcaciaRental]

The Ecoplugs are a great option for being environmentally friendly, especially for use around waterways. They are pretty easy to use with low chance of injury etc, and they will fit in small areas that a machine might not.

 

The downsides seem to be that they take 4-6 weeks to kill the stump (a touch longer than a stump grinder!) and they recommend the use of 7 plugs for an 11" stump diameter which could get expensive!

 

If you have any environmentally concerned customers, they would be ideal.

[MATTMOSS]

Must admit ive been a bit disappointed with these.

I think they are a great idea however you seem to have to use a lot to kill the stump and most cases they struggle.

[openspaceman]

The Ecoplugs are a great option for being environmentally friendly, especially for use around waterways. They are pretty easy to use with low chance of injury etc, and they will fit in small areas that a machine might not.

 

The downsides seem to be that they take 4-6 weeks to kill the stump (a touch longer than a stump grinder!) and they recommend the use of 7 plugs for an 11" stump diameter which could get expensive!

 

If you have any environmentally concerned customers, they would be ideal.

 

I don't subscribe to this view, I know clients specify them but this is often only to have proof of application. A competent herbicide application is far cheaper and just as effective, even using relatively benign chemicals like ammonium sulphamate when it was allowed. It could be done without needing extra tools and far less labour. They have taken off in the utility sector because of the lack of professionalism of we in the industry.

 

At 50p a shot these things are expensive for the amount of active ingredient they contain and what happens to the plastic when the stump rots?

 

They are a triumph of marketing over good sense.