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How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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Posted by parrothead_fa z10 FL (My Page) on Thu, Dec 14, 06 at 9:20
| Maybe this forum is the place to find out about this. I planted about 5 or 6 tubers of the lobster claw red/orange flowered tall ginger that someone gave me a few years ago. Man, she did not tell me how invasive this stuff is! From those few plants, with plenty of sunlight and water, i now have an entire patch of these that are nearly 7 ft tall and nearly impenetrable. As someone with e very bad back, the obvious solution, just dig them up... is probably my absolute last resort. I have tried to thin or remove them by cutting off at the ground and spraying the emerging new growth with roundup, triple strike tough brush killer, and image, none of which seem to have any effect other than a slight yellowing of the leaves. Even tried spraying the sprouts with a film of highly flammable oil and burning them off in a flash fire, alas, it kills the part above ground, but in just a couple weeks, here they come again from the roots! Does anything kill this stuff without having to actually dig them all out!!? Appreciate any advice, Dave |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| Not to get too technical, but I'd guess by roots, your're actually talking about them regrowing from the rhizomes, and in general I doubt just the "real" roots which come out of those below ground rhizomes, can regrow them, if the rhizomes are removed. Being that those rhizomes should be relatively large and easy to spot and remove by hand you cuold perhaps get 100 percent of them removed, though the much smaller roots could easily break off and might regenerate, though I doubt it. Short of soaking the area constantly in some Roundup or other very strong weedkiller to constantly kill any regrowth til the roots and rhizomes can no longer fight back, they could be just dug up and removed, though obviously it could take considerable elbow greese to do the task. Using weed killer constantly of course could lead to a situation, where nothing else would grow in that area for a long long time and I doubt you want that!! |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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Digging the rhizome up is the best way to get rid of this plant.
I bet if you put a "free if you dig them out" post on this forum, (or the tropical trade forum) or a sign on you front gate, people would love to dig these out for you (or contact your local garden club). There is a huge demand for this baby, I am sure someone will take you up on your offer!
-Gwenn |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| I'm a little confused by the "title" though since I'm not a ginger expert, and only know the name "lobster" claw relating to a differet group of plants , that may be related to gingers, and haven'heard of a ginger by that name?? Heliconias or the plants most often called "lobster claws" are related more closely to birds of paradise , bananas, and other plants, moreso than gingers I think? Since the growth habits of both groups of plants are similar as are the leaves in some cases and the flowers to some degree, I could understand the name! |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| Hey Parrothead, if you're on the East Coast, I would love to trade you for something or come dig some up! The only other thing I can suggest is what they do when people want to get rid of bamboo. Cut it down as much as you can, then keep mowing over it everything something shoots up. Eventually (probably 6 months or longer!) the plant will die off from lack of photosynthesis. Good luck! And let me know if you need helping digging :) |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| Why not get some black landscape fabric, cover the ginger with it, and let the sun bake the rhizomes? Make sure to cover the ends with rocks so it doesn't get blown away. Wow, I wish I could grow stuff like that, the deer are so bad here that you are lucky if you can get weeds to grow! Plus any good dirt and the racoons dig it up, looking for grubs. If I lived in Florida, I'd be growing SO many plants, like lychee, jackfruit, soursops, mangosteens, etc etc. My yard would probably look like the amazon jungles! |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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I don't think black landscape fabric will do it. These are some tough guys! They easily break through the black plastic pots as they grow.
It all depends on how much room you have to grow this stuff- I too grow everything- I am constantly clearing areas to grow this stuff! But some of it does get a little out of hand.
-Gwenn |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| The best way to get rid of rhyzomes is to pull them out. Now if you want to try something desperate, use weed killer. This last choice will damage your soil for awhile. By the way, can you send me some of those rhyzomes. I live in Los Angeles and I have been trying to get some of these rhyzome and plants, but they are hard to get in this area. Send me some asap, I will pay you back for postage. |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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| If you want to share I would glady take some. : ) Tropicalfreak |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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- Posted by chena z7 Texas (My Page) on
Sun, Jan 7, 07 at 16:38
Hey!!!!!
I can only laugh.... Not at you!!! BUT.. I am a z7 and would die to have such a problem...LOL... I will gladly pay postage to help get you get rid of that plant!!!
Blessings!!!
Chena |
RE: How to get rid of lobster claw ginger once it's growing.
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I too would gladly pay postage for some of your lobster claws as I have not been able to find any and want to make a privacy fence with them.Let me know.
Chris |
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