Might anyone know how to get rid of privet. I've tried Roundup to no avail and since there are so many, pulling up by hand is impossible. Lee
privet
I believe there's a Roundup made specifically for woody plants, that might be worth checking into. Large shrubs can be killed by chopping them down and covering the base with black plastic so that resprouts don't survive.
Will try that Jsorens as i've tried all I could think of. lee
Large plants can be killed if you cut them down and immediately "paint" the stumps with Tordon. Seedlings can be killed by applying a few drops of Tordon on the leaves. Tordon is a chemical you need to be careful with, though, as it is persistant in soil for several years. If you just go and spray an area with it, you won't be growing any broadleaf plants there for a while. It is also mobile in the soil column, so improper application carries the risk of groundwater contamination. A few drops per plant is more than enough.
KSBaptisia, thanks for the ominous warning but I'm ready to try anything. Lee
Tordon will work, just don't get carried away with it. A little bit goes a very long way.
Gotcha on a little goes a long way. Lee
Honcho kills it to.
I have a problem with Privet too. There is a very large privet overhanging my garden beds which drops millions of seeds into it all year round. Cutting it down is not an option because it belongs to my neighbor. Does anyone know if a pre-emergent like Corn Gluten Meal would work on the seeds?
wgnkiwi, Even though it belongs to your neighbor, it should still not hang over your beds and be a problem. Have you asked them to cut it back?
We have neighbors on two sides who do no trimming or weeding. Our township has a rule that allows you to cut back neighboring plants to 2' inside of their property lines. Seems like a trimming is is order, just as the buds appear. It won't totally solve the problem, but should greatly reduce it.
I agree, however we haven't take that route yet. The trees are very old and in pretty bad condition, and almost all the growth is on our side of the fence. If we trim them on our side there will be almost nothing left. Hmmm - maybe that would incent them to get rid of them....
It's a dilemma though - trim a neighbours tree back to the fence line and potentially destroy the natural form of the tree and maybe create an eyesore, or leave an invasive tree in place and have to put up with the mess of seeds germinating all over the garden, many of which become difficult to remove if they are missed early on. What do others do in this situation?
Most of the rules regarding plants that cross property lines are established in state law, unless private covenants establish otherwise. In NY, we can cut trees & shrubs back to the property line, wherever they originate. I would recommend sitting down with the neighbors & talking about removing the plant. If they're obstinate for some reason, then you could bring up your right to trim it all the way to the property line (assuming that's how CA works). If they're faced with having an eyesore left, they'd probably rather remove it altogether. If you wanted, you could offer to replace it with something better.