Weed killer rules

I am surrounded by a particularly nasty neighbour with whom I have had lots of problems in the past. He shot and blinded my cat in one eye, resulting in a 250 euro vet bill. Our bicycle shop man said "someone" must have sawed the handlebars of my friends bike because they started bending as he was racing down a steep hill and he almost lost control of the bike. We have tried to ignore his odious activity because we knew it would just get worse if I reacted. For the last few years he has sprayed weedkiller around my vegetable garden and because he has "droit de passage", his tractor spreads the stuff over my ground too leaving large swaths of bright yellow grass. Does anyone know laws about limiting use of weedkiller abutting neighbours please? I don't have proof against his other misdeeds, but I have seen him spray.

Perhaps, fingers, legs, tentacles, hair and anything else we can think of all crossed, you might just be winning. I hope so anyway.

Oh I do hope so! How has he been behaving for the past few weeks? Have you noticed any other changes? It would be wonderful if he's finally calling a truce and starting to behave like a proper neighbour instead of an ass.

Lo and behold! I mowed the lawn yesterday and this morning I was woken by the noise of a weed whacker. It was my rotten neighbour, who usually goes out and sprays his weedkiller after I mow. Could this be a truce?

Hoho, I small cop out. Chambre d'Agriculture simply do not want the bother of checking whether or not article L. 253-1 is being adhered to.

So they confirm that it is the law I mentioned - if I remember rightly that law goes on to state wind conditions etc when spraying can go ahead. Anything more than a light breeze and it's a no no.

I think you are probably best getting an allotment, save yourself a life of vitriol - or take up Carol's earlier suggestion ;-)

In case anyone is still interested, I received a response from the Chambre d'Agriculture this morning to my query as to whether there is a legal distance to maintain between a vegetable garden and weed killing products. Here it is:

Madame,

je fais suite à votre message envoyé concernant le problème de l'utilisation de désherbant à proximité de votre potager.
il n'existe pas de distance entre un potager et les zones traitées mais seulement entre les zones traitées et les points d'eau.
Cependant selon l'arrêté du 12 septembre 2006 relatif à la mise sur le marché et à l'utilisation des produits visés à l'article L. 253-1 du code rural et de la pêche maritime, en vertu de l'article 2 on considère que des moyens appropriés doivent être mis en œuvre pour éviter l'entraînement de ces produits hors de la parcelle ou de la zone traitée.

je vous conseille de vous tourner vers ce voisin et d'effectuer une tentative de conciliation afin d'éviter ce genre de désagréments.

Cdt

It seems that the answer is no, even though contamination is to be avoided, and the only thing I can do is sort things out with my neighbour. Luckily for me the village has put aside land for eight allotments so I will just abandon my current garden and start cultivating a village allotment, where all chemicals are strictly prohibited.

Ohoh, I have fogotten and lost written one of that 'secret number' you need to look into a UK account, you've just reminded me to call them (again, because I already did a bloomin' month ago)

I didn't feel like it last night. I was so tired by the time I got to the shops, I couldn't remember my pin number :(

And thanks Lucy! x

Dear Wonderwoman could you please change your name back to Catharine? Apart from that and seriously, agree entirely and what a rude one at that: Direction Régionale de l’Alimentation, de l’Agriculture et de la Forêt would pooh-pooh the whole business and the chambre has more localised duties. Doug, or whoever he is, obviously worked in one that was rubbish which seems to have shaped his character. So well said Carol, good points Mark which are far more helpful than rants and raves.

Pretty sure that you ARE Wonderwoman Catharine. You do a great job here, keeping us all in line, sometimes in very challenging circumstances!! Keep up the good work! :-))

Drives me nuts when people do that. I guess they are used to anonymous forums where no one notices they have changed their user name.

I was at work this morning and so couldn't suspend him until I got back although I did post in the thread to warn him earlier today and James is shoveling concrete!

If any of you notice members changing names or removing surnames and it seems that James or I haven't noticed, please do let us know. I like to think I am Wonderwoman but even I know I can't be everywhere!

Well said Carol N - and even more well said Catharine H!! Hope that your letter to the Ch d'Ag WILL have some effect - even if it is only to tell you who to talk to next!! Keep :-)ing!

Bye Doug. You had fair warning some hours ago.

Interesting comment, Doug, although I'm always wary of people who don't have the balls to give their real name!

I spent ten years living in a village next to a building in which my neighbour kept cows in winter. Twice a day a conveyer belt dumped cow poo against my garden wall, 4 metres from my bedroom window. Being new & foriegn I kept my tongue, even after I found out that it is illegal to store manure within 50 metres of a dwelling. My neighbour builds swimming pools & farming is a sideline. His house is the chateau & my house has been there longer than the barn. I only got as far as drafting a letter to him but managed to sell my house. I have given the draft to the new owner.
I have been a country boy all my life & know that farms are vital, but like all industry they MUST respect the law.

wow....no wonder you are not using a surname Doug.....since when did a farmers job include shooting a neighbours animal...spraying their neighbours veggie garden and sawing through bike handlebars???? and why such an aggressive response? calm down dear.....

i worked in a chambre for 10 years. That is NOT the job of a chambre!!! it is the duty of a department of the DRAAF
but if you can’t live near a farmer who is doing his job for a living! move to the city!! you belong to these neoruraux who can’ stand the real farming life!!

Good, but now you have done that, adopt the French habit and call them in a few days and refer to your e-mail. You might, on the other hand, be one of those lucky people who gets a prompt answer, which I hope is good.

OK, I have just sent the following email to my Chambre d'Agriculture in Cahors:

Bonjour,

Mon voisin pulvérise le désherbant directement autour de mon potager, même sur mon terrain.

Pourriez-vouz m'envoyer des règlements, comme la distance appropriée entre un potager et les produits toxiques, s'il vous plaît?

Qu'est-ce que je devrai faire pour éviter ce problème?

Merci,
Catherine Stock

And may I add - the Chambre d'agriculture (there is a clue in the name) are the people the agriculteurs are used to dealing with and who they listen to because they not only advise them on what they can and can't do, but also advise the farmers from where they can get the hireys (the nicer things in life). The gendarmes may raise hackles and a digging in of the heels, whereas those nice people at the Chambre may obtain a more reasoned response. Just an idea though.