Cost for removing asian jasmine (Austin: design, nursery, annual)

[yam]

The stuff is ugly, but I could probably learn to live with that. The more immediate problem is that it's competing for resources with some beautiful old spanish oaks (and winning), and it's tearing up a nice stone wall around my planter.

I'm planning to build a stone border where it is removed so I'll have a durable edge to defend with the weed-whacker. The beds will either be planted with another groundcover or with weedcloth and mulch. I don't intend for it to return to this section of the yard.

[kiacook]

Could you post a picture? I want to make sure I don't have this in my yard.

[CptnRn]

Is this what you are talking about? I have it in numerous planting beds at my first house, which I still own. It is in beds with edging and had never been that much of a problem. It gets edged with a trimmer every time the lawn is mowed. It is a very attractive groundcover in my opinion.

http://www.foxhillnursery.net/ALLPRO...ic_Jasmine.jpg

It isn't really much of a climber in my experience. It has not climbed the shrubs or fence where it is planted. I put in some english ivy once in that same yard and it was an aggressive climber and very destructive of walls and fences near it. I removed it after a year or two.

Regarding the cost, I can see how labor intensive removing the plant could be, given that and the other work the price may not be unreasonable. If in doubt, get another proposal from someone else.

[love roses]

maybe look up the DIY site, or see if This Old House has recommendations. I remember an episode where someone had a problem similar to that but instead of killing the whole thing they had to leave some of it because removing it from the walls of the house would have torn up the masonry on the house.

[yam]

Yes CaptnRn, that looks like the same stuff. It climbs a bit but the main problems are that it is starving out my trees, and its roots and runners are tearing up my stone wall. I find it to be unattractive stuff but my perspective is certainly clouded by the problems it is causing.

Asian jasmine seems to be ok around trees most of the time, but mine are under extra stress. Their root area and canopy are limited since they are right next to the house. I had thought they were co-existing peacefully but two arborists both identified the ivy as a major source of stress for the trees. The trees have been in continuous decline for a few years now.

[atxcio]

Not to mention, that low ivy is a great hiding place for snakes. Be careful if you pull it up yourself.

[yam]

Thanks Atx. I found two big wolf spiders and several centipedes in there last time I poked around in it. Caveat gardener!

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

That looks like creeping myrtle to me.

[doctorjef]

It's what I call asian jasmine, clearly. However, just today I was at a Home Depot garden dept. here in Delaware and saw they had the same stuff labeled "creeping myrtle", so I reckon both names are used.

I feel I must defend asian jasmine. I thought it was great stuff in Austin -- excellent ground cover and we never had a problem with it hurting trees. It does require cutting back and oftentimes you can just use a weedwhacker type tool. Here in Delaware I recently came on a variegated cultivar that I'd never seen before -- leaves that have both the usual dark green, together with a very light, almost cream coloured green. I had to get some, of course!

[CptnRn]

Creeping Myrtle doesn't look like the same thing, perhaps young plants look similar.

https://www.finegardening.com/plantg...ng-myrtle.aspx