By now, pesticide applicators should have discontinued the use of the broadleaf herbicide, Imprelis. It an herbicide that kills dandelions and other broadleaf plants in lawns and golf courses. This Dupont product went on the market in October of 2010 and by June of this year, reports were coming in that it was damaging white pine, Norway spruce, and other ornamental trees and shrubs in Michigan and some other states.
It’s possible that the unusually wet spring drove the chemical down into the ground, where it was absorbed by the roots of trees and shrubs. If this product has already been applied to your lawn or turf, be sure not to use the grass clippings as mulch or compost.
It appears it is the product itself that is the culprit, and not the applicator. Dupont is involved with discussions with the EPA as to how to deal with the problem. The best way to register a complaint is via Dupont and the applicator, according to a recent article in The Michigan Landscape magazine (September /October, 2011).
If you’re about to have your lawn sprayed with an herbicide, it wouldn’t hurt to double check with the applicator to be sure they’re not using Imprelis.
North Country Gardening 