A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Crabgrass and Weed Trees

Hello! I need some help! When we moved to our home, the house had been vacant for over a year. The yard had been really let go. There are weed trees everywhere that are growing where they don't belong. I keep trying to cut them down because they are too large to pull out anymore. When I cut them down, they just put out new foliage from the root and start growing all over again. I have tried spraying them with roundup on their leaves, they just seem to laugh at me and keep growing anyway! Last summer, I even tried drilling holes in the stumps and pouring undiluted round up in them to kill the trees at the root, no such luck. They are making me absolutely insane! Mulching doesn't seem to work, the shoots just poke up from under it eventually, and some of the trees were allowed to grow in between the chain link fence in the back so I can't get mulch that high anyway, it just doesn't stay there. Some of them are in the flowerbeds, making it harder to get rid of them. Do you all have any suggestions for this maddening problem?

Crabgrass was also allowed to grow in a bed of vinca that surrounds our old maple tree. I put a pre-emergent on when I was supposed to, but it is still growing under there. I can't seem to keep up with it by hand pulling it, it just breaks in my hand with most of the roots still intact. I have seen these sprays that are supposed to kill the grass but not the groundcover, has anyone had any luck with these things?

I am usually an organic gardener, but these two problems have made me a bit less chemical shy and I am willing to do just about anything to get these two issues out of my gardening life forever!!!!

Can anyone please, please help me?

Thank you in advance!

"tree weeds"

When I get a small tree, some ivy or another woody invader I spray. When they have an extablished root system and very few leaves you can't kill them off with a spray that is absorbed by leaves and carried to the roots. You can't inject enough poison to do the job.

You can dig out the roots, bury them with a raised garden or out live them.

You could use fire, maybe. Save up sticks and build a nice fire on top in the fall or spring.

Hi Slave ( ) Welcome to the forum!

I have the same problem with weed trees - we're in a similar situation, having just moved here after the house being unoccupied (and when occupied, severely neglected) for years now. I read a tip to solve the problem of weed tree stumps. I have yet to try it - overwhelmed with all the other stuff, as I'm sure you understand. Anyway, the tip was to cut the tree as close to the ground as possible, and then invert a tin can on top of the stump, holding it down with a brick or heavy rock. The tree will try to regrow, but get mangled in itself. I would imagine if left this way for a period of time, it would rot the tree faster than cutting, recutting, and re-re-re-cutting (I can totally relate).

Mary

That's an excellent idea. A coffee can and a big rock over the top of the stump.

Where did you read that tip?

I have no idea. Mind like a sieve - only little bits and pieces stick. Every once in a while, it's the important bits that stick! LOL!

I think I'm going to try that too.

Hello! I am an idiot (forgot my password I guess??) and cannot sign in with my username, but I am ME, (slave to plants and dachs) so I had to make up a new name in the meanwhile until an administrator can hopefully email me back with my password that I should not have forgotten!!! Until then, you shall now know me as my princess dachshund Olive's mother!

It is soooooooo good to hear from some other gardeners that are living with my plight.......I can't stand these trees anymore!!! I have thought of putting a bucket or something like that over the stump depriving the poor misguided soul of light. I am glad to know that this may actually work! My yard may look funny for a while with 82,000 cans and buckets along my fence line and in the yard, but I will do what it takes as spraying them has done them no harm what-so-ever! It's almost as if they laugh in my face and act as if it was only a slight case of sunburn!!!

The thought of cutting, re-cutting and cutting again makes me want to throw myself into traffic! I would like to enjoy my garden this season!!!

Thanks for the tips!!!!

Can anyone shed some light on the crabgrass cunundrum????

THE weed tree KILLER