Plant Doctor Archive

Getting rid of pesky plants

Question MY Chinese toon is spreading like bamboo; I need to kill it. It’s too tall to spray the leaves; I thought of cutting the trunks a few feet from the ground, drilling deep holes down the centre of the trunk and keep filling it up with some sort of poison until it dies. Any ideas would be helpful.

Answer THE only things I tend to spray are my roses, so I asked Reg Lewthwaite (one of our Horticultural Science lecturers and also a GROWSAFE trainer) what he thought about your problem. Reg suggested that the best way was to cut off the trunks and immediately apply a herbicide to the cut area. If you have glyphosate at home use it by diluting it a little in water and brushing it onto the wound. There is a new product on the market in a special applicator that keeps the agrichemical from drifting onto other plants. It’s name is Vigilant and contains a chemical called picloran. Of course we recommend you use extreme care when using any type of spray — always read and follow the instructions.

Question I HAVE a number of agapanthus to get rid of. In the main I am digging them out, but there are some that are growing in cracks in mowing strips etc that I cannot get to the root base of. Is there a weed killer that works effectively on agapanthus?

Answer YET another question where I must seek help from Reg Lewthwaite (Lecturer in Horticultural Science and GROWSAFE trainer). Reg says: When it’s impossible to dig out roots of plants without damaging the footpath, or where you can’t get at them to dig them out, there is often no real alternative to a herbicide. The best herbicide for agapanthus is one containing triclopyr. There are two main products containing this chemical. They are Grazon and Tordon Brushkiller. You need to apply the agrichemical to the leaves and it may take some time to kill the plant. You could also try a new product called Vigilant — it is in a special applicator that keeps the agrichemical from drifting onto other plants. Good luck.