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WEED TWISTER
Weed Control In Your Hands!

Reduce your use of costly and dangerous herbicides like Roundup and other glyphosate products with this smart and safe weed control helper and alternative in selective garden and lawn areas.  Avoid chemical overkill with safe organic weed removal tool!  The new Drill-Powered Turbo Weed Twister now makes all chemicals obsolete!

Weed Twister - Now Stronger, Longer!

WEED TWISTER Strong and Deft Weed Deterrence - Muscles Optional - Chemicals Obsolete  Pricing - Discounts

Ergonica WEED TWISTER vs. Roundup and other Postemergent Herbicides   See Videos

The WEED TWISTER actually removes weeds, Roundup doesn't:
Use it as a Safe Roundup Helper - or a Roundup Alternative!

Save Time and Effort with the Turbo Weed Twister!

Which Weed Twister Model is Best for You?

Does Table Salt work better than Roundup?

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1/2 Gallon Round-Up R.T.U.

NEW formula starts working fast, you see results fast. Ideal for use in and around your driveways, patios, fences, trees, flowerbeds, mulched areas and vegetable gardens. Pre-mixed and pre-measured, so you're always ready to spray. Available in 24oz., Gallon and 1 Gallon bottles. Read the label.

More Weed Control Tools & Organic Products...

The often unspoken fact about Roundup and other postemergent herbicides is that they don't really "round up" weeds after they kill them.  They leave the dirty job of removing unsightly weeds up to you!  The poisoned weeds may be dead or half-dead, but they're still in the same place they were before the glyphosate chemical was applied.   If you mow them or trim them too soon, you may prematurely remove the poisoned leaves before the chemical has killed the roots.  All you have done in this case is hide a problem that will come back to haunt you.  Use your WEED TWISTER as a Roundup Helper to safely remove toxic leaves, stems and roots treated with Roundup, or as a One-Stop Alternative to kill and remove your troublesome weeds safely and quickly - No costly herbicides needed!  

Weeds like crabgrass, for example, can more effectively be controlled by combining the use of a postemergent herbicide with a tool designed to efficiently twist out runaway weedy grasses.  Instead of killing perhaps 50% of your grassy weeds with Roundup, you can kill and remove 90% in one operation by combining the two techniques.  This will reduce your costs for future herbicide treatments, if done consistently.  By removing dead weeds, you will make room for desired grasses and allow for reseeding or overseeding.  Using Roundup on glyphosate resistant weeds such as mallow, marestail and hairy fleabane is a waste of time and money.  Your handy Roundup Helper can come to the rescue for controlling these weeds and others that are difficult to manage with herbicides alone.   How much does Roundup cost you each year?  $100?  $200?  More?  Clean up your weeds and cut your Roundup budget in half by using this powerful combination of herbicides and a smart hand tool as a Roundup Helper.

Are you a Wilting Weed Watcher?

Another little secret about these chemicals is that the plants die slowly, taking several days or weeks to wilt and die, depending on various conditions.  This is because the agents must ultimately saturate and destroy the root system to be effective.  Join the Wilting Weed Watcher Club: Spray and Wait for Days!  And then you still have to pull out the poor, ugly plants to clean up your garden! 

Don't Use Your Fingers!

More secrets:  Touching the poisoned leaves with your bare hands is a toxic chemical hazard!  It may not kill you, but it can irritate your skin and other more sensitive parts of your body if contact is made. So now you have to use gloves or a tool, like the Ergonica WEED TWISTER, to extract them safely from your lawn or flower bed.  Or you can cut  or trim them but only after you're sure they're really dead (Wilting Weed Watcher).   To protect neighboring plants from overspray when applying Roundup, use a shield like the IsoWeeder.  Of course, you could have saved time and money and pulled out the weeds by their roots in the first place with the smart Ergonica WEED TWISTER:  A one-stop, immediate gratification solution to permanent weed removal.

See more Weeding Tools Videos!

 

Roundup and other Cosmetic Pesticides Banned in Ontario, Canada!

 

 

Protect against overspray with the IsoWeeder!

 

Glyphosate does not kill seeds!

 

Read the Roundup Label

 

 

12 - Step Herbicide Detoxification Program 

 

 

The Ergonica WEED TWISTER + Roundup =
BAD NEWS for Invasive Weeds!

 

Reduce Toxic Contamination and Pollution in your Garden with this Handy Herbicide Helper

 

 

 

 

Have you ever seen a Dead Mallow Weed?

 

Does Table Salt work better than Roundup?

 

With this Herbicide Helper you can Cut your Herbicide Budget in Half -
And Double Your Effective Weed Control!

 

Identify Noxious Weeds in your state or region with photos and features...

 

What types of weed removal tools do you need?

Round Up or Brown Down?

Perhaps a better name for any postemergent herbicide should be "brown down" not "round up."  None of these poisons actually rounds up anything.  Most people will agree that a living green weed actually looks nicer than a wilting yellow or brown weed! And yet we willingly force ourselves to watch wilting weeds in our lawns for days, because, quite frankly, most of us haven't figured out that it's actually cheaper, quicker and easier to pull out  living, unpoisoned weeds than to remove the carcasses of toxic dead weeds!  And, it's safer too, whether you use your bare hands or a smart tool like the WEED TWISTER.

Glyphosate Immunity?

Timing is everything!  Glyphosate sprays work best on plants that are still growing, not so well on mature plants.  Also, it makes little sense to spray the stuff on dandelions and other plants that have already blossomed, because the threatening seeds will be healthy and happy to have more time to spread around your lawn and garden.  Glyphosate does not kill seeds!

As powerful as this chemical is in killing plants, more and more glyphosate immunity and resistance is showing up either by natural selection or by deliberate genetic engineering.  In California, weed scientists have documented the failure of Roundup to control little mallow, for example, if treated after reaching a height of 4-6 inches.  Little mallow is an annual or biennial weed that is sometimes not effectively controlled with preemergent herbicides.  Mallow is an invasive weed in agricultural settings and home gardens, and becomes extremely difficult to remove once established with woody roots.  Fortunately, the WEED TWISTER can effectively twist out these gnarly roots even with mature plants, as shown below.  It may take a little effort, especially if the soil conditions are dry and compacted, but no other hand tool has been shown to work on this weed, other than a shovel. 

The first weed to become resistant to glyphosate was rigid ryegrass in Australia in 1996.  In 2000, horseweed (also called marestail) was the first glyphosate-resistant weed to appear in soybean fields the United States. Initially found in Delaware, there now nine states with glyphosate-resistant horseweed (Delaware 2000, Tennessee 2001, Indiana 2002, Maryland 2002, New Jersey 2002, Ohio 2002, Arkansas 2003, Mississippi 2003, and North Carolina 2003). Six weeds have developed resistance to glyphosate in the past 8 years. The more we use the very popular glyphosate, the more we will invite the invasion of weeds, like little mallow or hairy fleabane that are immune or resistant to this powerful chemical.   More information on herbicide resistant weeds can be reviewed at WeedScience.org.  The following Map of Glyphosate Resistant Weeds by WeedScience.org shows the growing worldwide spread of weeds that are resistant or immune to glyphosate.

Efficiency in Agriculture or at Home?

None of us likes to spend hours pulling out weeds, so the illusion of rounding up weeds by spraying a little poison here and there sounds like an inviting prospect.  We imagine that somehow these chemicals will magically make the weeds disappear?  But they don't disappear, unfortunately:  They just wilt, turn brown and eventually require your work to pull them out.  These chemicals don't save you any work or money and they don't save you any time! 

These herbicides make more sense on the farm than they do at home.  And, even on the farm, there's a growing movement to reduce or eliminate the use of harsh chemicals as much as possible.  The basic difference between agriculture and the home is that ornamental home gardening is an optional art that helps to beautify our living spaces, but is not based on efficiency, as is agriculture.  In agriculture, they kill weeds, cultivate them or pull them and leave them on the ground.  It doesn't look pretty, and it's not intended to have an ornamental appeal.  When mature plants need to be poisoned or flamed on the farm, there's no need to take the extra step of cutting or pulling out the dead or droopy plants after treatment.  If they're uprooted by hand or twisted out by the WEED TWISTER, they're usually left in the field right next to the spot where they grew.  Agriculture is all about productivity and efficiency and removing dead weeds from sight is not an efficient thing to do!

On the farm, it's easier to protect against accidental contact with toxic leaves.  At home, your pets and children may be at risk!  Herbicides and pesticides are dangerous chemicals created primarily for industrial applications on farms, where their use increases productivity with reduced costs, and the risks are carefully controlled.  If consumers take these toxic chemicals home, there's no productive benefit to offset the costs, and the risks are more difficult to control.

Preemergent or Postemergent Herbicides?

Preemergent herbicides are more practical at home than the postemergent type prior to the germination of new annual weeds.  Assuming they are effective, there's no leftover residue resulting from the use of preemergent herbicides, because the weeds never germinate. But when they're not effective, you're back on square one, and the evidence is growing anew in your lawn or flowerbeds.  Now your only choices are a postemergent herbicide with all the risks and costs involved, or a mechanical tool of some kind - or a smart combination of the two, as appropriate for different types of weeds and situations.

Even if you grow herbs and vegetables at home, there's hardly any appreciable efficiency in using harsh postemergent chemicals that require the cleanup of dead weeds afterwards.   If you have a large lawn, as many people do, keep in mind that you are making an investment in a completely ornamental, nonproductive, inefficient and costly liability.  The only product from lawns is grass clippings which cannot be marketed for any profit.  The cost of mowing and maintaining lawns is tremendous. Unfortunately, postemergent herbicides like Roundup won't eliminate the need to physically extract live or dead weeds from your lawn.  Have you ever seen a dandelion disappear when splashed with Roundup? 

If you can spend an hour a week mowing your lawn, can you spend half that time tugging out weeds?  You can start on one side of you lawn and take a half-hour a week to twist out weeds.  In a few weeks your lawn will be clear and the weeds will be under control, safely and efficiently!  This is weed control in your hands with a reasonable investment of  effort and time and the help of handy tools.

Some people are learning to find alternatives to costly lawns by growing native plants and organic gardens or vegetables and herbs in their place, even in front of their homes!  The water and nutrients you invest in these alternatives will help to improve the environment and possibly yield some healthy and good tasting food.  If you wish to be efficient and productive, this is the way to go, and it does not require Roundup or any preemergent or postemergent herbicide, saving you even more money.  If planned correctly, the amount of hand weeding with the help of a smart set of tools, will be minimal.   

Practical Applications for Roundup

If there is a safe place for Roundup and other postemergent herbicides, it's on the farm, not at home.  If the WEED TWISTER and other tools cannot match your garden weeds, however, you may need to resort to risky chemicals.  We recommend you take precautions to mark each plant with poisoned leaves with a red label or ribbon that may remind you and your workers, friends or children to keep their bare hands away from the toxic leaves.  The label should also have a date indicating when the chemical was applied.  When applying a label or ribbon to the treated plant, use rubber gloves to prevent direct contact with the contaminated leaves.  You should, of course, also use rubber gloves or other prophylactic shields whenever handling Roundup sprayers and equipment. 

When finally removing the poisoned plants, it's best to use a long-handled tool, such as the 48-inch WEED TWISTER to finish the job.  If the plant is too big for the WEED TWISTER, which is a rare occasion, keep your bare skin protected while using a shovel, pick, fork or other tool to finish the job. 

If you can't pull it, poison it!  As a general rule, postemergent herbicides make sense at home when the culprit is simply too large for available tools to yank out, or otherwise in places where tools cannot reach, as, for example, in narrow crevices or up against landscaping retainers or other hard objects.  Tree of Heaven weeds can be twisted out of the ground by the Ergonica WEED TWISTER up to a height of around five feet, for example.  If the diameter of the root is greater than two inches, you may need to use a weed wrench, shovel or  large fork.  A deep root, up to 12 inches or more, is no problem for the WEED TWISTER.

If applied before going to seed, postemergent herbicides can also help to control future generations. Once the plants are dead, you still have to remove them, or at least trim them, if they are visually offensive to you; but it's better to kill the roots first, especially for perennial weeds, to make sure that they don't revive themselves from their extended root networks. 

If you keep your hands (and your children's hands and other body parts) away from poisoned leaves, Roundup can safely be applied to troublesome weeds when no other means is available to kill or remove the green invaders.  At home, in contrast to the farm or other industrial settings, there are no supervisors or professionals to make sure that you create and maintain safe practices and procedures.  In some cases, even the so-called "professionals" may be too lax in protecting against toxicity from herbicides.  The ultimate enforcement of safety practices at home is YOUR responsibility!

A chemical farm may be productive and efficient, not so for a chemical home garden or herb garden.  Buying organic vegetables and fruits at the store and putting harmful herbicides and pesticides in the same shopping cart doesn't make much sense.  Chemical risks for productivity is one thing, chemical risks for more leisure time, is another.  Ironically, many of us use our leisure time to work out in the gym or take walks, play tennis, golf or basketball because our lives are otherwise too sedentary.   If we practice polyculture techniques, as promoted by permaculture advocates, we can double or triple the productivity in our herb gardens or on the farm with no harsh chemicals.  For a useful guide to kick the habit of chemical dependence on herbicides visit the 12 - Step Herbicide Detoxification Program .

After killing the Tree of Heaven plant, Roundup kept us waiting for someone to "round up" the dead Ailanthus weed.  Meanwhile, a new sapling popped up to the left of the dead one because all root fragments were not completely eliminated by Roundup.

Roundup vs Tree of Heaven Ailanthus Altissima  Roundup vs Tree of Heaven Ailanthus Altissima  Roundup vs Tree of Heaven Ailanthus Altissima

Once centered over the main tap root, 2-3 rotations of the WEED TWISTER sapling puller will extract the major portion of the primary Ailanthus root system.  If portions of the roots remain in the soil, they will most likely germinate by the next season.

Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven   Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven   Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven

No harsh chemicals are needed to control the spread of the invasive Tree of Heaven weed if you keep your Weed Twister handy.  It only takes a minute or two to remove each tree, roots intact.  The 48-inch WEED TWISTER model is ideally suited for this threat.

Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven  Weed Twister vs. Tree of Heaven

Here the WEED TWISTER was challenged to remove a mature cluster of smooth crabgrass in a large lawn located in a public park in northeast Los Angeles.  Many such clusters of crabgrass are found in this park.

Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass   Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass   Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass

Two or three rotations of the Weed Twister grass puller will extract the plant along with roots, stems and rhizomes.  Bouncing the coils on the grass surface quickly expels a plug of dirt.  Once the plug is dropped, the roots and debris easily eject themselves from the coils by gravity.

Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass   Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass   Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass

A little 'fishing' may be required to find the central root network of each grass cluster.  The WEED TWISTER is the ideal tool to "search and destroy" runaway grassy intruders.  No harsh chemicals are needed to control the spread of problem grasses.

Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass Weed Twister vs. Crabgrass

The WEED TWISTER was recently challenged to remove mature mallow weeds from harvested fields at UC Davis.  Although the soil was dry and compacted, several small and large mallow plants were successfully uprooted, leaving Dr. Tom Lanini, far right,  with a bright smile!

Weed Twister vs Mallow UC Davis  Weed Twister vs Mallow UC Davis  Weed Twister vs Mallow UC Davis - Dr. Tom Lanini

The Ergonica WEED TWISTER is the Farmer's Best Friend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the Roundup Label

How to Control Roundup-Resistant Weeds?

University of California IPM Online Pest Management Program - Little Mallow - Cheeseweed

Little Mallow - Cheeseweed: : Little mallow is an annual or biennial weed that is sometimes not effectively controlled with preemergent herbicides. High rates of oxyfluorfen (Goal) or thiazopyr (Visor) can provide acceptable control. Once established, little mallow becomes woody and forms a thick crown and root, making it difficult to control mechanically or with postemergent herbicides. Plants that are less than 4 to 6 inches tall are easiest to control with a tank-mix application of oxyfluorfen plus glyphosate (Roundup) or sulfosate (Touchdown). Repeated mowing is not an effective means of control.

University of California IPM Online Pest Management Program - Hairy Fleabane

Hairy Fleabane:  Hairy fleabane is a summer annual that reproduces from seed, although under certain environmental conditions it can grow like a biennial. It germinates from fall through spring and matures and produces seed from July through September. Hairy fleabane is a member of the sunflower family; its seed is readily disseminated by the wind. Of the preemergent herbicides registered, only isoxaben (Gallery) effectively controls it during the nonbearing period. Hairy fleabane can be difficult to control with a postemergent herbicide because its stems are multi-branched and often woody and it has a lack of significant leaf area. Hairy fleabane plants are most susceptible to control with postemergent herbicides or mechanical control when they are in the seedling stage.

100777.com:  Weed with Roundup immunity galloping across state

Marestail populations that are immune to glyphosate were first identified in 2002 in the southeast Indiana counties of Jackson, Bartholomew, Clark, Jefferson and Jennings.  Farmers are relying too much on glyphosate-based herbicides, according to Johnson. If farmers begin noticing glyphosate-resistant marestail in their fields, one option is to utilize 2,4-D in their burndown applications next year.

University of California IPM Online Pest Management Program - Crabgrass

Crabgrass is easily managed using a variety of cultural and chemical controls.  Because crabgrass spreads and reproduces primarily by seed, any cultural operation that reduces seed production will decrease crabgrass. There are also a number of cultural operations that increase the vigor of turfgrass, thus decreasing the potential for a crabgrass invasion. These include using the proper mowing height for turf, applying fertilizer at the correct time of year, selecting the best turf species for your area, overseeding to keep the turfgrass thick, and properly irrigating turf.  In the landscape, crabgrass can easily be controlled with mulching, hoeing, hand-pulling when the plants are young and before they seed, or with solarization.  Use postemergent herbicides when the crabgrass is small (i.e., in the 1- to 3-leaf stage). If the crabgrass is larger, it takes more herbicide to control it and there is a greater chance of injury to the turfgrass. The postemergent herbicide (MSMA) is effective on young crabgrass. When in the 1- to 3-leaf stage, crabgrass can be controlled with one application. If it is larger, more than one application will be required.

University of Massachusetts Extension: Managing Crabgrass Without Herbicides

Managing crabgrass without the use of herbicides can be relatively easy at sites where populations are low. Where existing populations are moderate to very high, this can be very difficult if not impossible. As previously mentioned, the failure of new seeding and non-herbicidal control programs is often due to large existing crabgrass populations at the site. One option would be to use a preemergence control program for few years in order to decrease populations. Use untreated locations (different each year) at the site to monitor population decreases. Once populations have been reduced, a non-herbicidal control program can be initiated. Another
option that may solve this problem would be the use of BasamidTM, a soil fumigant containing the active ingredient dazomet, before turf establishment. BasamidTM will greatly reduce existing crabgrass populations and increase both the rate of success of turf establishment and subsequent non-herbicidal management programs implemented at the site. Follow label directions to maximize results. (BasamidTM applications will needed to be done by a licenced pesticide applicator).

FarmSelect Weblog: Herbicide resistance growing like weeds, specialist says

Scores of crop-damaging weeds are developing immunity to even the strongest herbicides in farmers' arsenals, said Bill Johnson, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service weed specialist.  What's more, fewer chemical methods for controlling the undesired vegetation are being introduced to replace them.  "We are developing glyphosate-resistant weeds at a rate of about one new species per year over the last four years," he said.  "There are about 250 species of herbicide-resistant weeds in the world. The highest number is in areas where production row-crop agriculture is most intense and relies almost exclusively on herbicides for weed control. That would be North America, Australia and Europe."  "In Indiana we have glyphosate-resistant marestail; jimsonweed resistant to atrazine; giant and common ragweed resistant to First Rate, pigweed resistant to Scepter, Classic and Pursuit; and lambsquarter resistant to atrazine."

When you're ready to buy your next weed pulling tool ask yourself:

  1. Can it pull out weeds with roots as deep as 6 to 12 inches or greater?
  2. Can it twist out networked grasses, vines and prostrate stems?
  3. Can it also work like a precise hoe against new seedlings and grasses?
  4. Is it a good match against all my most troublesome weeds?
  5. Can it help to reduce my dependence on herbicides?
  6. Is it strong but light weight and easy to carry around?
  7. Does it have a long handle, as long as 36-60 inches?
  8. Can I use my drill to replace manual twisting on some models?
  9. Can my drill-powered tool also be used manually?

If the answer to ALL these questions is YES, Buy It!
See a Big Collection of Unique Garden Tools for Weeds by Ergonica!

Are you a Weeding Tool Expert?

The patented WEED TWISTER will save your day!

Pricing, Models and Discount Offers!

The dandelion's worst enemy!

To see the solution click here...

Musings of Dr. Yucca: Let your garden thrive! A safe and sane delight.

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Revised: April 5, 2015 .