Last updated on February 13th, 2012
ARE YOU WAGING WAR WITH AN INVASIVE PLANT, TOO? My nemesis du jour is wild sumac (Rhus glabra). Just last week, I removed a grove of this vengeful bully from an area near my Kitchen Garden. It retaliated — and how! — by sending scores of tenacious tentacles under a fence and into my veggie plot. These sprouted a multitude of new weeds. Pictured up top are just some of the sprouted roots I pulled from one of my raised veggie beds.
If you type “eradicate sumac” into Google’s search box, you’ll turn up numerous recommendations for Roundup. This herbicide I will not use. First, glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup — doesn’t biodegrade. Why would I want it near my source of food? Furthermore, I refuse to hand over money to its evil manufacturer. Instead, I’ll opt for vigilance, and promptly remove any and all sprouts that appear. Deprived of foliage for photosynthesis, the roots will eventually starve to death. This method works — albeit slowly — for all kinds of invasive plants.
So which garden-bully are you battling with? Is it sumac, or something else, like Garlic mustard?
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Anonymous says
Crabgrass…. hate the stuff!
love your blog btw, read it religiously!
Annie
Brenda Johnson says
I have 3 types of “evil weeds”- and don't know what any of them are! (you may have to make a house call to identify them!) 1 looks similar to burdock- yet isn't (shiny dark green and red leaves) 2 is light green and quite tall with white flowers at the top- tends to grow from a central “crown” that at least is easily pulled out. Last but certainly not least-3- a light green plague that grows to about 3 feet high if allowed- has small leaves from ground to top of plant and if it's broken off – emits a milky liquid that is SO sticky! Nearly impossible to wash off! This one gets yellowish flowers at the top- and is my MOST hated of all weeds- it spreads like crazy!!!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Annie – welcome. I'm with you on crabgrass.
Brenda – The second weed you mentioned is definitely garlic mustard. This plant gives off a chemical which keeps desireable (or at least native) plants from growing near it. The weed is taking over entire forests in the Northeast. Pull, pull, pull!
Weed #3 sounds like milkweed. When wounded, it oozes a liquid which is bitter, sticky, and white. No clue as to #1.
Katreader says
I have, what I think, is a type of bamboo planted by the previous residents. The roots go on for miles-so I can never get the whole plant up!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Katreader – The same appeared here. It's Japanese Knotweed, or false bamboo. Looks lovely when it emerges, and can be pretty in summer. But is it ever invasive!
Anonymous says
I battle Bittersweet and believe it or not I am trying to remove or MOVE lily of the valley.
Eric says
Definitely garlic mustard. I've got it everywhere!
Becky says
Multiflora roses – I have a wooded lot, and this stuff really likes to take over.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Anonymous – Lily of the Valley can be a beautiful (and fragrant) groundcover…until it starts to take over!
Eric – Garlic mustard is such a nuisance. I pulled about 50 plants from my woodland edge this morning. This hardly made a dent.
Becky – Would you believe the planting of multiflora roses was encouraged by the US Dept. of Conservation in the 1930s? It was good for stopping soil erosion, and farmers used it as a living fence to contain livestock. Once it naturalized, however, it became an absolute horror in the landscape. Its curved thorns are intended to thwart predators…like us.
Yolanda says
I have wild roses in my wooded area, and I hate them. They have really long, thorny canes that catch on jeans, socks, you name it. The flowers are insignificant, but at least they make rosehips for birds to enjoy.
Bonnie says
Horsetail and red root! I truly believe these pests came in mulch I purchased at a local nursery. There is no way on earth to get rid of it all. The red root even takes over the lawn.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Yolanda – Yes, at least they make rosehips for birds. The hips are also nice to attach to Xmas wreaths.
Bonnie – Horsetail and red root are true horrors! Like sumac, horsetail sends out long, snaking roots which are difficult to kill. Apparently even herbicides can't harm this plant.
Carol says
I have this stuff that looks like rhubarb (except it isn't!) growing in my rose bed. Any idea what it is?
Broken Barn Industries says
Garlic mustard and what I think is curly dock- horribly long taproot. It's trying to kill my variegated hostas. I asked about it at my nursery and they said it often comes from manure, which I don't use, BUT this property was a dairy farm years and years ago. Paul (owner of Helderledge Farm- beautiful place!) said that when I disturbed the lawn to dig flower beds I probably got the seed going. That doesn't really make sense to me either because I find it in undisturbed lawn more than in my flower beds.
despina says
How about those goose necks that just choke everything else. I got rid of them in one bed now they have invaded another. UGH
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Carol – Your rhubarb-looking weed, I think, is burdock.
Broken Barn Industries – I battle “curly dock” too. It is one of those weeds that can thrive in moisture, dryness, full sun and even dense shade. Delightful, yes?
despina – gooseneck might look lovely in flower arrangements, but it is probably the most invasive of all “ornamental” perennials. I had some here, and it took three years of constant vigilance to get rid of it.
Daniel says
Not in my garden, but the phragmites around the pond is impossible to eradicate. I painted the stalks with double strength Round-Up. I'll see if that works.
Michelle says
Rosehips are good for humans, too. They make a lovely herbal tea, either alone, or mixed with dried fruits and flowers.
I'm trying to buy a house, so I can *finally* have a garden, and I intend to plant roses, and harvest the rosehips for tea.
I also want to plant dandelions for salads. My friends think I'm nuts to plant a weed, but there are at least 3 species cultivated in France, just for salads. I figure, why battle the weeds? USE them.
Stinging nettle, harvested young, is sweet and nutritious, and old, it can be used as a lovely green dye. Sunchokes, a local weed, can be harvested and the tubers used as potatoes. Queen Anne's Lace can be used like carrots. Certain wildflowers add nitrogen to the soil, so the next year, it's really fertile.
Do you have any beneficial weeds that you cultivate, or do you take advantage of “volunteer” weeds?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Daniel — so sorry it has come to chemical warfare between you and the phragmites. Monsanto will be delighted! But I know that conservationists have recommended the use of herbicides on this non-native grass in order to restore pond health.
Michelle – I hope you are able to buy a house, in order to realize your dream of using wild plants and flowers for food and health.
While I don't cultivate weeds, Icertainly don't remove all of them. Visitors are always surprised to find my Woodland Garden — a shady retreat with a pond and meandering paths — behind a tall “privacy screen” of scruffy, shrubby natives. And I refuse to eliminate wild phlox. This one is both colorful and fragrant.
I'm with you on dandelions — their food value is overlooked by homeowners who want “perfect” lawns. Both leaves and flowers are edible.
Diane W. says
I live on the site of a cow pasture which was planted with Bermuda grass. This stuff invades every flower bed I make. Also, my soil is clay so it holds the roots like cement. What gets me is the speed with Brmuda grass travels. Any suggestions?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Diane W. – Bermuda grass is a pain in the ___. Best plan is to call your cooperative extension — they will know how to deal with it in your area. Hopefully they won’t suggest Round-up.
Robin Chapman Tucker says
The house next door is a rental…in the trees is an untamed wisteria that has gone HOGWILD and invades my yard **sigh**. I have vines that come up EVERYWHERE, in my back yard, in my front yard. It is mortal HELL. I do have a well behaved little wisteria TREE which I keep miniature, trimmed and well behaved and is beautiful..and NOT related to the monster!!) There are also various and sundry weeds and such, the worst to deal with is the Bermuda grass that creeps over the edge of my rock edging into my perennial beds, OVERNIGHT and spreads like wildfire! And this year, it has tragically gotten into my “Bath” Pinks and it is so difficult to tell what is what..I may just have to try and pull it up and sort and replant…I used to use a lawn service to come out and chemically treat my weeds and fertilize my lawn. They assured me that after 45 minutes my dogs would be safe. My very beloved long haired doxie died of lymphoma (and yes, she was 13–but doxies can live to be older) and after some research, I found that some of the chemicals I had been using..LIKE ROUND UP and other things in the yard, can cause lymphoma in animals and humans..so now, I use vinegar, and other natural products, hoping my doxies are safer, along with the birds and wild life that I welcome here. (well, except the squirrels..I wish they would go over to Wisteria guy’s house)
Robin Chapman Tucker says
I might add that I recently read an article on ants..which we have TONS of here down south, and how sprinkling highly scented talcum powder around their ant hills totally confuses them and causes them to get lost–you need to do this often, and also some Borax, as this helps to dehydrate and kill them. I put some talc and borax around my roses along with a chalk line around the trunk of my roses to help keep the aphids off..(ants will not go through a chalk line..use children’s pavement chalk so you get a good heavy chalk line, and yes, you will have to redo after it washes off..OR make powder of it and simply sprinkle around your roses. I HATE and despise aphids, and if you can get rid of ants, you get rid of aphids.
Selena says
I have Virginia Creeper EVERYWHERE! While it’s. Nice cover and looks beautiful in the fall with its vibrant reds its also great at choking out anything it’s near and the roots go on forever and ever