Saying Goodbye Is Tough

I received two questions today from gardeners wanting to get rid of plants that started as ornamentals. Ornamentals are plants that are grown for a specific display, usually for flowers but also for color or shape of stems or foliage. One question involved removing yucca, a sturdy plant often planted in desert and semi-arid gardens. The other concerned eliminating wildflowers after one became invasive, probably a plant like yarrow. 

We're often confronted with a plant that just doesn't fit where it grows. It might be something someone else planted years before or a plant we cultivated but of which we've grown weary. Regardless of its origin, a misplaced plant presents a dilemma. Is it worthwhile, but just in the wrong place? Is it so troublesome we just want to get rid of it? The two plants in question today fall into the latter scenario.

In the challenging Colorado environment, I usually try to find a place for a plant that is tenacious enough to survive. If it is prospering in a place I don't want it, I'll try to transplant it to an area I do. I've moved an apple tree with great success and a buddleia (butterfly bush) with little success. Penstemons, lilies, irises, daylilies, daisies, and vinca (periwinkle) are all plants that began in one section of my gardens yet found a permanent home in another location.

Then there are times we have plants that we don't want in their present location or any other. When we move into a new house, it's unlikely we will agree with all of the previous owner's landscape choices. Some people love yucca, others not so much. I don't have yucca in my garden and I can understand why someone would want it removed. I do have yarrow in my garden, but understand that's its invasive nature can be annoying.

Making the decision to get rid of a plant may be easy when compared with the work that is often necessary to eradicate it. Successful plants are designed to survive and spend their lives trying to populate their living space with as many offspring as possible. Just because a plant is removed, it doesn't mean the seeds or roots will magically disappear. The process of eliminating an invasive plant can take a long time.

You can remove plants using organic methods. That usually involves lots of labor as you dig up the main plant, then continually dig up new plants that sprout later from root remnants or seeds still in the soil. Many plants will die when dowsed in full strength vinegar. You can use goats to eat plants to the ground; this works in large pasture areas to eradicate plants that might be harmful to horses. You can use a blowtorch to burn young and old plants alike, but have to be very careful about starting a wildfire (I don't recommend this method). You can cover a smaller area with black plastic for months; lack of air, sun, and water will kill everything covered. Corn gluten meal can keep new weeds from sprouting.

You can also remove plants using chemical methods. The most common is using an herbicide that contains glyphosate (Roundup is the most prevalent). Glyphosate will kill almost anything, but many succulents or plants that have tough, waxy skin are resistant to it. The best method is to spray plants with glyphosate, give it a few days to be absorbed into the roots, then dig up the plant. As soon as new seedlings sprout, spray them with the herbicide. Eventually you will kill enough of the plant and its progeny that it's no longer a problem. NEVER, EVER use gasoline or oil to kill plants!

Always read the label for directions and warnings when using an herbicide. It will tell you what plants will be affected and which won't. It's also important to find out what time of year an herbicide is most effective. Some plants are easier to kill at certain times of the year; killing dandelions in your lawn is most effective using an herbicide like 2,4-D in late spring or early fall when plants are young.

 Deciding to get rid of plants is hard, but actually making it happen can be harder. The best time to act once you've made the decision is today. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Late summer and early fall can be a perfect time. Remove the main plant before it goes to seed and you eliminate potential problems in the future. If you weaken a plant, but don't kill it, the winter may be harsh enough to finish it off. Removing plants now makes it easy to see the seedlings that emerge in the spring.

There is no easy solution to most plant eradications. It takes time and effort. The bright side is in the final result when you plant something you want in the space you clear. Take advantage of the time spent eliminating these weeds to do a little research and select the perfect plant for that perfect location.

I received two questions today from gardeners wanting to get rid of plants that started as ornamentals. Ornamentals are plants that are grown for a specific display, usually for flowers but also for color or shape of stems or foliage. One question involved removing yucca, a sturdy plant often planted in desert and semi-arid gardens. The other concerned eliminating wildflowers after one became invasive, probably a plant like yarrow. 

We're often confronted with a plant that just doesn't fit where it grows. It might be something someone else planted years before or a plant we cultivated but of which we've grown weary. Regardless of its origin, a misplaced plant presents a dilemma. Is it worthwhile, but just in the wrong place? Is it so troublesome we just want to get rid of it? The two plants in question today fall into the latter scenario.

In the challenging Colorado environment, I usually try to find a place for a plant that is tenacious enough to survive. If it is prospering in a place I don't want it, I'll try to transplant it to an area I do. I've moved an apple tree with great success and a buddleia (butterfly bush) with little success. Penstemons, lilies, irises, daylilies, daisies, and vinca (periwinkle) are all plants that began in one section of my gardens yet found a permanent home in another location.

Then there are times we have plants that we don't want in their present location or any other. When we move into a new house, it's unlikely we will agree with all of the previous owner's landscape choices. Some people love yucca, others not so much. I don't have yucca in my garden and I can understand why someone would want it removed. I do have yarrow in my garden, but understand that's its invasive nature can be annoying.

Making the decision to get rid of a plant may be easy when compared with the work that is often necessary to eradicate it. Successful plants are designed to survive and spend their lives trying to populate their living space with as many offspring as possible. Just because a plant is removed, it doesn't mean the seeds or roots will magically disappear. The process of eliminating an invasive plant can take a long time.

You can remove plants using organic methods. That usually involves lots of labor as you dig up the main plant, then continually dig up new plants that sprout later from root remnants or seeds still in the soil. Many plants will die when dowsed in full strength vinegar. You can use goats to eat plants to the ground; this works in large pasture areas to eradicate plants that might be harmful to horses. You can use a blowtorch to burn young and old plants alike, but have to be very careful about starting a wildfire (I don't recommend this method). You can cover a smaller area with black plastic for months; lack of air, sun, and water will kill everything covered. Corn gluten meal can keep new weeds from sprouting.

You can also remove plants using chemical methods. The most common is using an herbicide that contains glyphosate (Roundup is the most prevalent). Glyphosate will kill almost anything, but many succulents or plants that have tough, waxy skin are resistant to it. The best method is to spray plants with glyphosate, give it a few days to be absorbed into the roots, then dig up the plant. As soon as new seedlings sprout, spray them with the herbicide. Eventually you will kill enough of the plant and its progeny that it's no longer a problem. NEVER, EVER use gasoline or oil to kill plants!

Always read the label for directions and warnings when using an herbicide. It will tell you what plants will be affected and which won't. It's also important to find out what time of year an herbicide is most effective. Some plants are easier to kill at certain times of the year; killing dandelions in your lawn is most effective using an herbicide like 2,4-D in late spring or early fall when plants are young.

 Deciding to get rid of plants is hard, but actually making it happen can be harder. The best time to act once you've made the decision is today. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Late summer and early fall can be a perfect time. Remove the main plant before it goes to seed and you eliminate potential problems in the future. If you weaken a plant, but don't kill it, the winter may be harsh enough to finish it off. Removing plants now makes it easy to see the seedlings that emerge in the spring.

There is no easy solution to most plant eradications. It takes time and effort. The bright side is in the final result when you plant something you want in the space you clear. Take advantage of the time spent eliminating these weeds to do a little research and select the perfect plant for that perfect location.