Hey everyone! I recently became a homeowner and found out that the previous owner had planted some invasive shrubs around the foundation. I've already cut them back to the ground, but the roots are still there and they just keep sprouting back up. I'm really looking to clear it all out so I can finally have a nice flower bed. I'm wondering if it's possible to rent a stump grinder to tackle the roots? Some of the shrubs had bases over 4 inches wide before I cut them. I've heard about using rock salt or gasoline by drilling into the stumps to kill the plants, but I'm worried that might mess up my chances of planting flowers later on. Plus, I still have to deal with the roots. Would a tiller be effective against the roots? Or is it better to just pull them out with a truck and winch? The shrubs are Chinese privet, yaupon, and crepe myrtle, and they were even growing on the brick! It's a good 40 feet around the house that I need to clear. Any advice would be super helpful! I even tried covering the area with cardboard to kill the plants underneath, but that didn't work at all!
2 Answers
I had a similar situation, and I found that just cutting the plants back didn’t work well enough. I tried putting cardboard down too, but it was only effective when I topped it with at least 6 inches of mulch. If you're going to go down the chemical route, I've had success using a mix of Roundup and water on cut stumps, but be careful not to apply it in the spring since the sap won’t bring it down to the roots.
I had the same thought about damaging nearby trees. It’s tricky when you have overgrowth like that. Thanks for the reassurance!
Tilling won’t really help with the stalks, and I recommend pulling out the root balls manually instead. The soil is likely softer now, which is the perfect time to dig them out. Make sure to keep an eye out for any new suckers that might pop up after you've removed the main roots; hitting them with herbicide will keep them in check. Planting flowers right on top of those roots can be a battle, so getting them completely out is a better option.
Thanks for the tips! Grinding the roots has crossed my mind, but I might end up going the planter route instead.
Sounds like a solid plan! Anything to keep those pesky roots from competing with your flowers.
Good to know about the timing! I worry about damaging other plants nearby, so it’s good to hear it's been effective for you.