How can I get rid of this thing???

10 years ago

Since we moved in to this (rental) house 3 years ago, I've been trying to deal with this weed/tree. We moved in the winter so the first season was all watch and see, what plants come up/what the gardens look like. I spent the summer trying to determine if this tree/shrub was an intended part of the garden or not... I decided it was not and have since been trying unsuccessfully to get rid of it.

I tried to dig it up and pull it out when it was small, but the roots were too deep/strong. It grows SO fast! We tried cutting it down when it was bigger - it didn't die, just re-grew from the stump and re-sprouted from all along the roots! At that point, I tried pulling off the off shoots, I could pull off the small ones but once they got big enough they were just too strong and it grew too fast to keep up with.

I decided that NOW is the time to deal with this thing once and for all! But I don't know what to do with it. I don't want to use chemicals because it is adjacent to my vegetable garden and also surrounds/goes under a really nice cluster of hostas. I was also concerned about just digging the whole thing out, both because of destroying the hostas and also not knowing how far deep and how far reaching these unkillable roots stretch - the last thing I want is these weed trees sprouting up in the yard from leftover/cut-off root remnants.

The main trunk/stump is in the left of the photo, new shoots from the roots are towards the right and off image (some of the shoots are laying down bc the hubs was playing with his new weed-hacker). Hostas are just starting to come up in the foreground - if I do try to dig this whole thing out, I should be able to dig the hostas out carefully and then replace them, right? The main trunk is probably 6" in diameter as it goes into the ground. I might be able to find a picture of it with foliage from last year if that would be helpful... I have no idea what it is, I just want it gone and can't figure out how to kill it!

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Comments (5)

gardenper
9 years ago
Cut off all you can with pruners or loppers. Take an axe or saw to the main trunk. Use the axe or some other tool to bash up the main trunk in the ground. Keep on top of the suckers for this plant. If you do nothing else, it might die.

However, you can also use the same methods that some people use for larger trunks. Drill holes into it and keep it moist (easy since you will be watering in this general area also), and let water and heat help it to decay. You can also buy stump remover liquids that are organic or safe for your veggie garden.

In the winter, several months from now, it might be weak enough to where you can pull it from the ground. Otherwise, work at it a little more with the axe.

You might also resituate a few hostas during this time so they don't get mangled while you are pulling up the trunk and roots.
User
9 years ago
I could tell better if I could see it's leaves or the bark on very young growth about the diameter of a thumb or finger, but I just have a hunch that it's a mulberry. I don't know a non chemical fast way to kill it that won't harm other plants or your house. Sometimes they die if you cut them close to the ground, but probably only in tough conditions, like very hot dry weather. If you keep it cut low enough for him to reach, a goat will eat every leaf and beg for more. That should kill it over time, but when the mulberry leaves are gone, he'd probably eat the hostas.
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cakbu
9 years ago
I killed two large bushes by cutting everything down to a stump. Then I drilled about 6 holes around near the edge of the stump. Then I filled a syringe with undiluted Roundup and injected it into the holes. That way there is no danger of getting Roundup on the surrounding plants you want to keep. I have not yet been able to get the stumps out but I have dug deep around the roots and cut what I can reach with a reciprocating saw. I may end up just planting something close by that will crawl over the stump and hide it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
cut flush to the ground.. and apply RUp to the cambian layer.. which is the green line just inside the bark ...

heartwood of a tree is basically dead... so drilling into it to add killer is not very effective ...

the cambian is the circulatory system of the plant.. and it will draw the killer down into the roots...

but it might take a few applications ...

use the very expensive applicator at the link.. to apply MINIMAL product ... from what i see in the pic... you need no more than a teaspoon ...

all that said.. if you just moved it.. dig it out.. and get rid of it ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
mocountryboys
9 years ago
I know this post is old, but this is a technique I haven't seen anyone else talk about.

It is amazing how quickly things die with no light.

I would trim it down & cover with something that will exclude ALL light....make it something heavy or that you can weigh down (maybe w/ a container plant for camouflage). It will eventually die back with no further effort.