I've got a serious Stars of Bethlehem situation in my backyard, and it's become quite the hassle. I'm planning to set up a raised garden bed this weekend and eventually want to keep some hens. I was wondering if scalping the lawn, basically cutting it down a few inches, would work to get rid of these plants? Also, I'm dealing with Tree of Heaven shoots coming from a neighbor's tree—could trying to remove the Stars of Bethlehem also help with that even if it's just a temporary fix since they're really invasive?
1 Answer
From my experience, scalping might not be effective against Tree of Heaven shoots. Those pesky things tend to resprout if you give them a chance. Right now is a good time to deal with them though, especially with herbicides. There's a good article on Penn State's site about managing them, but honestly, they can be a real pain! I feel your frustration—my neighbors have them, and they pop up everywhere!
I’ve noticed the same issue in my neighborhood! The tree responsible is technically on my neighbor's property, but I’m constantly pulling up those little shoots even when I try to keep my yard tidy.