Thanks Don,
I meant that I would hate to kill the trees (not grass). I appreciate the advice.

Yeah, watch out for that 2,4-D, I have a client with badly shriveled leaves on his pears from an application of that stuff that volatized. It was applied by a very expensive landscape management company (expensive should not to be confused with the word competent). Trees will live, but on a million dollar landscape they are an eyesore.

Hi KansasFruiter-
I recently posted a similar thread on this. See link below.
-Glenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Roundup around base of apple trees

In the Napa valley grape growing industry, roundup is a major component of the weed control strategy. Special sprayers are manufactured just for that purpose. Al

I'll be a bit cautious using Round-Up around young trees. I believe it may have been the cause or one of the causes that took out my 2 year old orchard last year. I got some interesting feedback on the same question at the link below. I have since replanted and things are going well so far. I guess my inexperienced opinion might be that it could be fine around more mature trees but I'm going to keep it away from my babies right now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Round-Up in the Orchard?

We've covered this issue here before. As I recall, young trees are more likely damaged by Roundup with summer applications when there's carbohydrate movement to the roots. Anything green can certainly deliver roundup to roots if the foods going that way. Young bark tends to be green (chloraphyl)

Stone fruit is particularly vulnerable.

I use it, but nowhere near my fruit trees.

Spray on a day that is absolutely dead calm so the wind can't transport droplets.

I would hold a barrier between the spray and the trees (sheet of cardboard, tarp...). You don't want to get so much as a drop on a leaf of a tree you want to keep.

I'd use a nice thick mulch up close to the trees to kill the weeds and keep the spray further back.

I killed a young apple tree with Roundup. It had been planted recently from bare root stock. Other than that there have been no issues. I figure just be damn careful around very young trees.