Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a number of deep-rooted invasive plants I'm trying to kill, including Japanese Knotweed and Buckthorn. I know the prescription for these is chopping and then either breaking your back to get the roots out and praying no remnants are left behind to resprout, or painting or injecting the stump with Round-up or generic glyphosate.
For a number of reasons I'd like to use something besides Round-Up*. Since the use would be fairly controlled (painting a freshly severed stump instead of spraying) are there any home-grown alternatives people have used with any success?
Thanks!
*I don't want to get into a pro vs. con Round-Up debate, I just don't want to use it for my own reasons, please no arguments.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,103,317 times
Reputation: 57750
If you spray the leaves on a hot day with white vinegar, it will kill them but on large trunked weeds it can take several applications to finish the job. It will also kill anything else it gets onto. The advantage to Roundup and similar is that it's systemic, and goes back down to the roots to kill. You could also try Brush B Gone (Triclopyr) as an alternative to glyphosate.
If time is on your side, you could cut them down then cover the area with tarps. It will take a while, but as long as you keep absolutely all light out they'll die.
Tribechamey,
In the old days, they would burn the weed. Literally.
They still do that down here, but you have to know what
you are doing.
That is how farmers cleared land, and still do.
I have found vinegar good for weeds that don't have really
deep roots. I have never used it on anything other than small
crabgrass or sidewalk weeds.
Try what was already suggested, and cut it down and cover it to
block the sun.
Unfortunately, the most innocuous systemic herbicide is RoundUp.
More harmless products, such as pickling vinegar, are not systemic. They have to be applied repeatedly to starve and kill the roots. This can take longer than you'd imagine. If you absolutely want to avoid RoundUp, the tarp method is your best bet (and lots of patience). Or, lay down several sheets of cardboard interlaced with one another, then add wood chips, then add all kinds of organic matter you can find. Water it well and keep adding organic matter. Plant next year.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
