To combat invasive plants and weeds, cut them to the ground and apply heavy mulching tactics. Alternative methods include straw, newspaper, leaves, cardboard, black weed tarp, or traditional mulch. Both white and apple cider vinegar are effective weed killers due to their acetic acid content. Sprinkle salt at the root of weeds to kill plant cells and prevent them from igniting.
Invasive plants are those introduced from other areas and need to cause harm to ecosystems or economies. Environmental factors such as light, temperature, water, humidity, and nutrition affect plant growth. It is essential to know which plants are aggressive in your area and the growing conditions that greatly affect plant growth.
To clear an overgrown garden, follow these steps: plan, clear any rubbish, clear your patio and path, mow the lawn, remove unwanted plants, and prune trees/plants. Growing conditions play a significant role in turning well-behaved ornamental plants into backyard thugs.
To kill and prevent plants from growing, buy several bags of rock salt and cover the ground with it. Water and repeat this process weekly until the soil is covered in a black tarp in the hot summer.
TVC Total Vegetation Control is a popular choice for bare-ground herbicides. Mow regularly to control the vigor and spread of creeping lawn weeds, such as clover and speedwell. The weed barrier fabric starves the soil of sunlight, stopping weeds from growing underneath it and keeping seeds from germinating in the soil. Minimize soil disturbance by digging only around the root area and either re-plant or add mulch. Cover exposed soil with mulch to help kill and prevent weeds.
Pre-emergence weed killers prevent sprouted weed seeds from growing but don’t kill established weeds. Post-emergence herbicides are effective in controlling emerging weeds by shading the soil between plants. To prevent weed-friendly gaps, design with mass planting and use a variety of weed-resistant materials.
📹 8 Ways to Kill Weeds Naturally
Are weeds choking your garden or invading your lawn? Pulling weeds one by one is usually the task gardeners hate most.
What factors can limit growth?
Limiting factors are factors that restrict a population’s growth and can be biotic or abiotic. Biotic factors include food, mates, and competition for resources, while abiotic factors include space, temperature, altitude, and sunlight. These factors are often expressed as a lack of a particular resource, such as food or space. They can affect both plant and animal species in a single habitat. Ultimately, limiting factors determine a habitat’s carrying capacity, which is the maximum size it can support. This curated collection of resources can help teach students about limiting factors in various subjects such as biology, ecology, earth science, climatology, and geography.
How can we reduce plant growth?
This article presents an overview of effective non-chemical methods for controlling unwanted plant growth. These include cultivar selection, irrigation restrictions, nitrogen and phosphorus reduction, air temperature modification, brushing, and the removal of unwanted plants.
What prevents plant growth?
Environmental stress can cause plant problems directly or indirectly, weakening plants and increasing susceptibility to disease or insect attacks. Factors affecting plant growth include light, temperature, water, humidity, and nutrition. Understanding these factors can help manipulate plants for increased leaf, flower, or fruit production and diagnose environmental stress-related problems. Light quantity, which refers to the intensity of sunlight, varies with seasons, with the maximum amount in summer and the minimum in winter.
The more sunlight a plant receives, the greater its capacity for photosynthesis, and understanding these factors can help manipulate plants to meet specific needs and diagnose environmental stress-related problems.
How to restrict plant growth?
Nutrition and plant growth regulation are essential for greenhouse plants to prevent stretch and maintain their size. Low fertility and mild water stress can be effective, but there are risks such as nutrient deficiency symptoms and plant damage due to water stress. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most affected nutrients, and limiting nutrition and water may not help overgrown plants. Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) are useful tools for slowing down plant growth, but should be used wisely on spring crops and not as substitutes for good cultural practices. PGRs are treated as pesticides and have re-entry intervals. Sumagic (uniconazole) is labeled for use as a foliar spray on several vegetable transplants grown in greenhouses.
When using PGRs in mixed containers, growers must handle different species with varying vigor and growth regulation objectives. For example, a dwarf angelonia may require no PGR control in the center of a container surrounded by a vigorous petunia cultivar, while another plant may need to increase branching on an ornamental millet plant while controlling the vigor of sweet potato vines planted along the margins.
What suppresses plant growth?
Plant growth is inhibited by drought stress, which requires water for cell turgor, which drives cell expansion, and cold stress, which reduces growth due to lower enzyme and protein activities. Both stress conditions can affect plant health and growth, with the latter being more harmful due to the use of cookies. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B. V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights reserved, including text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
How to get plants to stop growing?
To keep your plant compact, you can prune it, move it into a lower light spot, divide it if it divides well, relocate it to a more suitable location, or send it to a new home. Plants growing tall and bushy are celebrated by plant parents, but they can also be too big for their space or threaten to turn your home into a jungle. To keep your plants small and neat, consider dividing them into smaller parts and sending them to a new home.
What chemical slows plant growth?
Chemical growth retardants are anti-gibberellic acid (GA) compounds that work against the production of GA in plants, causing stretch. Florel, an ethylene-generating compound, works differently in plants. Common growth retardants in the United States include B-Nine, Cycocel, A-Rest, Bonzi, and Sumagic. These compounds work on different parts of GA production and can be used in tank mixes for synergistic effects.
B-Nine is the most common and easiest to use growth retardant, working on a wide range of plants and being easy to spray. It works better in cooler weather, as plants tend to outgrow control in warmer weather. B-Nine takes a long time to get into the plant, and leaves should stay wet for 3-4 hours. It should not be applied seven days before or after spraying copper fungicides, as phytotoxicity problems may occur. Multiple applications of B-Nine at high rates may delay flowering and make the first flower smaller than desired.
Cycocel is most effective as a spray, getting in through stems and leaves. It has some activity in the media through the roots but is high and not cost-effective. It should be sprayed to glistening to prevent leaf yellowing, known as haloing. Plants grow out of this problem and cover up damaged leaves.
What limits plant growth?
The study explores the relationship between the relative limitation and resorption efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in woody plants. Plant growth in terrestrial ecosystems is often limited by the availability of nitrogen (N) or phosphorous (P). Liebig’s law of the minimum states that the nutrient in least supply relative to the plant’s requirement will limit its growth. An alternative to this is the multiple limitation hypothesis (MLH), which suggests plants adjust their growth patterns to be limited by several resources simultaneously.
The study uses a simple model of plant growth and nutrient uptake to explore the consequences of letting plants invest differentially in N and P uptake. The results show a smooth transition between limiting elements, suggesting that an increase in either nutrient will increase growth rate in N:P supply ratios where the two elements simultaneously limit growth.
How can we suppress plant growth?
The growth of plants is inhibited by a variety of chemical compounds, including both naturally occurring phenolics and synthetic chemicals. Phenolic inhibitors include benzoic acid, salicylic acid, coumarin, and chlorogenic acid, while synthetic inhibitors include malichydrazide and triiodo benzoic acid. Leaves of the Betula spp. contain inhibitors that prevent apical bud growth, including abscisic acid (ABA) and Dormin.
How to restrict tree growth?
To control tree growth in urban areas, use growth inhibitors like NAA chemical sprays to prevent root growth after cutting. Remove suckers, invasive tree roots that emerge on top of the soil, and prune regularly. Systematic herbicides can also be used to control tree height. However, controlling tree growth is not a one-time task and should be left to tree removal experts in Orlando. If your tree is nearing the roof or neighboring’s yard, contact a tree removal company to control its height. It is essential to note that tree removal is not a one-time task and requires ongoing maintenance.
How to stop everything from growing?
Mulching is a method to remove unwanted plants and weeds from garden beds. It involves cutting them to the ground and applying heavy mulching tactics to impede their growth. Alternative methods include straw, newspaper, leaves, cardboard, black weed tarp, or traditional mulch. It is crucial to block sunlight from reaching weeds. Planting flowers, crops, and ground cover plants on bare spots in garden beds helps compete with weeds for water, soil nutrients, and sunlight, while protecting the soil from stray weed seeds and invasive varieties. Covering bare spots helps maintain balanced moisture levels and combats erosion and nutrient depletion. Maintaining the garden is essential to prevent weeds from returning.
📹 HOW TO KILL TREES / WEEDS FOR GOOD! – Greg The Gardener
We all have a plant, or a problem woody weed that you cut out, but it keeps growing back. Let me demonstrate how to kill that …
Here’s another tip: Score the top of the stump. Then take a small piece of paper towel soaked in the herbicide and wrap the top of the stump. Add plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band to keep it secured and from blowing around. The herbicide soaked paper towel will stay in contact with the stump and will remain wet for a few days. That combined with the greenhouse effect of the warmth of the day will help speed up the process. Leave it on for a week or two after.
Don’t listen to these people who say, “Don’t use herbicides.” I’m a volunteer who helps to maintain a public park in the States. When we began our work, the park was FULL of alien invasive species (thanks to the birds and their droppings). These weeds grow MUCH faster and reproduce MUCH more prolifically than native species. They spread by underground rhizomes, they sprout from cut stumps, they spread seeds, and so they’re very numerous. You need a treatment that kills the weed faster than it can reproduce, and you need to kill the weed completely so that it won’t start sprouting from rhizomes as soon as you cut it down. When dozens or hundreds of weed trees must be destroyed, volunteers can’t afford to spend an entire day killing just one plant. Herbicides like Roundup and triclopyr are the ONLY practical solution. Even our state and federal forestry services admit that. These herbicides do not persist in the environment, and they help restore the original ecosystem.
you can use this method and watch new shoots next year…cause round up on the leaves or green absorbs and photosynthesis happens to poison the plant not on the stem ! i have used stump killer aka potassium nitrate yes it could be a booster explosive properly mixed.. or drill holes and pour sodium nitrate (table salt) or epsom salt and diesel into the holes dead as a door nail !
Thanks Greg. I have this big weed tree growing next to my house, right outside the window. I tried to dig it out before it got really big and I just made it where the April/May rains we get in Georgia were able to reach the roots better. Thus making this tree grow taller and bigger this year. I dont like destroying trees but this one is gonna hurt my house. I will use this tip asap. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Greg, I’m here in Deep South Lousiana, USA in the swamp region and not only are we over run with the alligators and snakes and other wildlife lol but the thick bush that constantly tries to keep moving back on our land. We are actually in the wetland region and I have controlled the wildlife but my wife and I have fought over the round up!!!! I’m tired of being the one “stuck” fighting the loosening battle of the bush so I did what my brother in law said and got the round up and sprayed around all our big trees to kill the ivy vines that take over the tree tops and kill them and I sprayed our fence lines. We are only on 3 acres so not much to do. Guess what???? 😁 in the past several months nothing has ” popped up no brush and that means no bush hogging every week!!!!! Yay!!! Also no pulling Ivey off my beautiful Century oaks and various berry bushes and fruit trees!!
Seeing as I detest the use of Roundup/Glysophate or anything from Monsanto for that matter! I have used a syringe and brake fliud to great effect! try it, it actually works! My Dad did it years ago on a neighbours huge gum treee that they didnt want to remove and it was lifting the foundations of our house and cement slab, so stealthily under the cloak of darkness he drilled 3 or 4 small holes with a hand drill and stcuk it good, rubbed over the holes and the thing went toes up within a month! neighbour is still scratching his head! lol hate gum trees on urban blocks, thank goodness that trend died in the 70’s!
Hi, very informative article I have a problem I am a contractor and there is a brick wall that there is some branches growing out of and when I cut the branches out of the brick wall about 2 month later they’re like 6 ft tall…. will this work to kill the branches from ever growing back because we cannot do any mortar or brick work because the branches keep growing through that wall and where can I buy this chemical? can I buy this at a Home Depot or a Lowe’s store or can you please direct me where to buy it or is there a website? Thank you! Arthur
It is called Wipeout here in Edmonton. I use it when the weeds have become Round Up resistant. I don’t know if it is as safe on the soil. It has worked well. If the mares tail is that bad, use both and rotate them as they work differently. If you can start with Wipeout, which is quicker, then you stop the growth almost immediately. Then as soon as it reappears, hit it with Round Up. It may take a couple of years to get rid of it. Mares tail dies back in winter here and is not as much trouble.
what is your view point Greg on using Copper Spikes into a tree stump? Would that work or is that a myth? I started off investigating the use of copper sulfate in the garden because i am overrun with slugs here in the New England Area we live in a temperate forest environment. Then i cam across copper nails into stumps kill method?
What about saplings from a large oak tree (around 4 foot diameter/6 foot circumference)? Had to remove it, because it was a danger to my home. Tree company brought out another guy that did stump grinding, which I thought would remove stump. All he did was grind it to a foot or so below the surface. There is a large stump left underground and root system spreading out at least 15 feet in all directions. Hundreds of saplings pop up every couple of weeks from the underground stump/roots. I mow them, but of course they come right back. Already paid enough for tree removal and stump grinding. Do not want to pay for a backhoe or whatever to tear up the yard for a pricy removal of what is left underground.
I have done that over and over to these trees that the squirrels plant in my one flower bed and in this one flower bed they just won’t die! what else can I try? in my others the trees die and I can go back and dig up the little stumps no problem. but in this one they just won’t die!!! I have used Roundup on them all.
hey mate just wondering i have a property and it has very thick brush its likje a wall and would be really cool for some dirt bike trails there is lanatna small trees and heaps of vines and shrubbery just wondering what i would use to make dirt bike trails and if there is any tips or tools you would recomend cheers
By definition, a weed is any plant that is growing where you DO NOT want it. That goes for annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs… whatever. Plant enthusiasts will say that any plant that does not have a name is a weed, i.e. a volunteer that started from a seed of unknown origin would be considered a weed. Any plant that is growing on your own property can be cut without regard for any laws unless you live in an environmentally protected area. Non-native plants can and should be cut.
I hope you come back and read these comments- what do you think about killz all or bayer brush and weed killer. or can you do a article testing these brands on some patches of weeds and brush and show us the time lapse death of the plant from the time it’s applied to the time the plants are dying down/wilted/rotting. so I/we can get a idea of which is better overall.
Seems like 80% of the comments this page are anti on using glyphosate as Roundup. I use it a fair amount in my work as I don’t have time to dig out, but if I have a noxious tree/weed in my own garden I use a mattock not glyphosate. If you’re using the cut & paint method – you use a term called ‘the 30 second rule’ meaning you paint within 30 seconds – that term should have been more pronounced in this vid.
round up you get from the store is already watered down and they recommend you water it down further, if you know any farmers or anyone with a spraying license, try to get some agricultural grade round up, amenity round-up is the one we use, we have to be licensed to buy it here in UK, may be different there
will this also kill a ivy hedge? Im desperate…. Its a lot of work to take it down, and Im afraid it will just grow back…. I KNOW IT WILL GROW BACK… quickly even… It is on a chain link fence, and there is know way I could dig up the roots, even if I wanted to….HELP! also, I have conifers mixed in with the ivy, and I dont want to kill those…. Will it kill them if they are right next to the ivy that has this chemical on it?
Notice how loose that stump is, so easy just pull it out. I gave up using chemicals, don’t work for me – trees are tough. I’ve pull roots from 3′ diameter tree before and many smaller ones since stump grinders don’t remove all of it. Lots of work and time removing big roots by hand tools if you don’t have a backhoe.
Hi Greg, would this work for Ivy? Evil Ivy that keeps growing back everywhere, no matter how many times I pull it? The problem is that I do not want to damage the other flowering plants and bushes that is tends to wrap around. I have been leary about using any plant killers. I cannot believe how persistant this plant is. It grows thru fences and thru cracks on concrete walls. Any tip would be appreciated. thanks
Hey all! I can’t find the product he is using. Specifically, some form of Roundup *IN GEL*. Yes, they sell a gel dispenser that looks like a deodorant stick but that is clearly not the product he is using. So, whether brand name or generic, is their a source for this on Amazon or typical hardware stores in the USA? If yes, please specify the exact product name or even a link. TIA!
Can someone tell me how to handle this🤔 my neighbors backyard in behind mine. She has a plum tree at the end of her property”which is ok” but the roots has spread over on my side, n its bringing up my patio floor that my gazebo sits on n is lifting up my floor. Can I use the Epsom salt to the roots on my side, n should i use the same way? HELP😱🤪🤯
If you say Roundup works on stumps, OK. Recently, I used an entire 24 ounce bottle of Roundup on the ordinary weeds growing next to my house. Nothing happened. The leaves did not turn brown. The weeds did not die. Nothing. (I live in the southern United States.) I plan to contact Monsanto and complain, but of course, it won’t do any good.
Hi Tsfmoa, in reply to your claim that Glyphosate not working on freshly cut tree stems. Glyphosate not only works on green leaves but also any living & GROWING parts of a plant. Glyphosate is a plant hormone interceptor. It interfers with one of the metabolic cycle of a living plant’s life. So, any growing part of a plant ( including a freshly cut stem) is susceptible to Roundup glyphosate. Hope this explains it. Ciao. from NZ 10/1/13
Handy, keeps the poison neatly localized to the plant you want to kill, and uses the plant’s own circulatory system against it. I need to go grab some for a few pesky plants outside. You wouldn’t happen to have any suggestions on erosion control in temperate climates would you? (there’s a hill with a LOT of ivy growing on it which makes it very hard to keep track of what’s going on at the soil level)
on bigger stumps, concentrate on getting it round the cambium layer, where the bark and “wood is, rest of the centre of the stump should be done too, but around the cambium layer is much more effective, he is right, should be done as soon as possible once cut. round-up is inert as soon as used so is harmless, is only salt based anyway, active ingredient is “glysophate”
thanks. I just like to see the proof from a unbiased user of these products. the time lapse part came from another you tube user,who showed her weight loss by doing time lapse photos of herself as she lost the weight. of the reason I asked about the products and testing them is I just started clearing the back fence line of my property and I had poison ivy vine the diameter of a 1″ garden hose climbing all the trees back in there. so I cut them, pulled them down and sprayed with glyphosate.
Hi Allen, thnx for the tip, however someone recomended KURTAIL liquid,have you ever used it, or do you know of anyone who has!, where the mares tail is, its not anywhere near my plants, its so fierce! its cracked the floor as its coming up!, i am going to my garden centre today, so will get some roundup.
I have some hippies who live in the yard behind my house and they grow tomatoes IN my fence line. I would rather my dog NOT get to them and eat them because they’re poisonous. I had my dog tethered for that reason and those assholes called and filed a complaint with animal control because of it. Any (legal) ideas?
In the past I have used your technique on bamboo, sweet gum, hackberry, crepe myrtle, American holly, cherry laurel, and euonymus (sp?) several times a year for several years, with ZERO success. The bamboo was finally eradicated after spraying the rhizomes that eventually rose above the surface of the ground with Gordon’s 875 after four years of Roundup that did nothing and 3 ½ years of Gordon’s. Your technique did work on the Siberian honeysuckle, elaegnus, oak, hackberry, privet, and youpon holly. There are other products FAR less expensive and with much more glysophate than Roundup.
I am an advocate of the the boiling water on ants which is totally chemical free. I have a smaller property and having dogs around was a HUGE concern of mine with pesticides. Having them stepping in or sniffing pesticides would eventually have them ill. So I boil a tub of water on the stove BUT to prevent from having to precariously carry it outside, I pour it into a large pail with a handle. Easier to transport. In the hot Texas summer, leave the hose out after having watered something. At the end of the day, stick that hose into a hill and turn on the water to have the ‘hot’ water get into the deeper crevices of a mount. All those that oppose messing with Mother Nature…have the dog kick some dirt on your ankles because you’re wearing flip flops or some other stupid flimsy footwear in red ant country…
Cut anything growing anywhere near any of your underground pipes. Save yourself a huge repair bill later. Especially sewer pipes. Tree roots seek water. They will grow right through your pipes. You flush, pipes back up. You fix. You flush, pipes back up. You fix. Kill tree, electric bill goes up but pipes flow.
This plant Ochna serrulata, when it gets to this size, has the longest and toughest tap root of any other plant I have dealt with a professional gardener. Greg’s method is the only practical approach to ridding a garden or bushland of this pest. Maybe better using a smaller paint brush and using less chemical by only painting it around the outer few millimetres of the vascular tissue of the cut stump. Yep, and wear gloves. When used judiciously Glyphosate is a very useful chemical in combating invasive plant species using this method.The problem is though, it is being massively overused worldwide, probably resulting in environmental damage. A bit like alcohol, we know its a poison that damages our bodies but we continue to use it.
This is a good method for killing those big trees. But in a garden like a flower garden I wish there was an easy way to stop those little weeds from groing back without contaminating the rest of the soil and killing your flowers 🙁 It’s even worse for a vegetable garden. And speaking of vegetable gardens whats a good way to keep out parasites and bugs without using pestacides?
A new study from the Ithika Journal of Ecology has found significant concentrations (5 to 20 times the limit for drinking water) of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, in the urine of city dwellers. Glyphosate is linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, cancerand abnormal sperm. Studies have also discovered traces of it in our blood and found that it even crosses the placental barrier to enter unborn fetuses.
@blinkyreadsbooks You could gather them all up and make soup with them. It’s so healthy and so good for the whole system. Fills the body full of essential nutrients and kills bugs and parasites. Just throw a few spuds and carrots in with it and boild it all up in the same water with a pinch of herbs.
I did this to kill and thin a couple of my small gum trees close to the house,every second tree I cut and painted roundup on.Guess what it killed all seven trees and now I have a barren wasteland so remember if the tree roots entwine underneath,chances are it will kill anything around it. Did I mention I loved my trees 🙁 🙁
So much bad information regarding the use of Roundup (Glyphosate) in this peanut gallery. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the company that developed and produced this product (Monsanto), the chemical remains the most widely used and researched herbicide on this planet. This product was engineered with the environment taken in to consideration. Once applied, it begins to be broken down by soil microbes very rapidly. It only effects actively growing plant tissues and is NOT persistent in the soil profile as much of the uninformed public would have you believe. This product was designed so that you may reseed/plant immediately . One other thing, Glyphosate has been “off patent” for many years and can be manufactured/ sold (.which it is) by any company with the resources to produce it. Not just Monsanto.
Thanks Greg, Let’s everyone just kill the teacher. I think I will use this method on just trees and bushes that grow near the lakes and streams, but I will try and help the environment by not buying a paint brush and liberally just pour some on the plant and surrounding ground. Then I will camp there with my grandchildren for the next 10 years and have a water garden to munch on when camping.
Are we dealing with nature, or your back yard. In some sense it doesn’t matter. There is a lot more going on between those plants, and between the plants and soil than you think. Plants will poison the soil to other plants. They will allow only certain species to grow. Big trees, have created a nursery for their own offspring. I know these things because they were lesson in my youth, and from reading current nature journals. Pesticide or not that’s up to you. But if you take the time to study up on this you will find you don’t have to lay out money for it. Nature provides.
Some Gardener…You really are a Knowledgeable Killer; especially to the Environment. You seemed Sickly Proud to cut down & paint on Round Up beating out that poor tree’s resiliency. Well what about Humans including Children, Pets, Wildlife, Bees, Fish, Soil & The Unborn. Are WE resilient to Round Up? Oh Please, Come Up with a Bright Idea!
Ape you should watch your cursing tongue by not taking The Name of Jesus in vain! Our only way from going to Hell! Remember He Loves you unconditionally and died for your sin and rose again on the 3rd day to give you eternal life. Tell Jesus that for you sins and ask Him to Come into your heart and repent of all sin! He is mans only hope!
What’s the point of making a article when you can just say “go to home depot, give monsanto your money, give your kids cancer; reapply when weeds grow back.” No special gardening technique there. There are no such thing as “weeds” – they can be any plant that you don’t want growing around. They serve a purpose and heal the soil where they grow. The best way to stop them is to use a tool like a hoe etc or uproot them, and then either mulch over where they were growing, or plant something there you actually want. Nature won’t tolerate a vacuum for long.