A weed that won't die

[45_Colt]

I need the wholesale knowledge of the members of cast boolit. There is a weed/plant that I've been fighting for years. It laughs at round-up, but does succumb to a broad leaf weed killer.

But it comes back so rapidly there is no keeping up. Yesterday while doing the weed killer on it, I found shoots that are growing out of a fair size root. This stuff will send up 3 - 4" shoots overnight! Pictures follow.

What is it? And how do I get rid of it?

314706314707

In the pic with the blue square in the upper right. That areas was hit yesterday with the weed kill. Can see they didn't like that. But the area circled in red, they sprouted overnight.

The other pic has a red line along a root, where those sprouts were hit yesterday with the killer. But the size of the root, along with it sending up shoots so rapidly.

What is this stuff?

45_Colt

[BLAHUT]

Have you tried copper sulfate ? ? That seams to kill everything ?

[Minerat]

Take a sample to your local NRCS office. They can help identify the plant and design a control plan so you get rid of it. There are also apps for your phone that will let you identify the plant too.

[BABore]

Step on it and bruise it up some, then hit it heavy with round up or 2-4D with some diesel fuel mixed in.

[JimB..]

Kudzu

If you only have a little the best bet is to dig up the crowns, that is everywhere you see sprouts.

I have a mix of products that’ll kill it, or at least knock the heck out of it, I’ll edit this in a min, need to check the brand names in the garage. I’ve cleared it from about 5 acres, has taken about 7 years so far.

Mix each at 150% of recommended:
Bioadvanced Brushkiller Plus
Tordon RTU
(I sometimes add roundup mixed at 100% to the container to)

Spray every two to three weeks. Best to do this now as the plant grows a large tuber and will be storing carbs in the summer if you don’t get started.

[jonp]

You can eat kudzu but it's a bugger. There are products designed specifically for it. Agree on the rhizome. You need something that will kill that and if it gets enough energy will dorment then come back.

Spray it and keep an eye on the spot. Kill it before those leaves come out. May take 2yrs to eradicate it

[JimB..]

For a couple years I’d put flags out at every crown I found. Even if everything looked dead I’d give it a little squirt. There os no such thing as too much poision for this stuff.

The rhizome apparently makes good tofu of you’re into that, and yes it’s an invasive species from China. Related to the soybean.

[thegatman]

Hit it with ground clear. Nothing will come back.

[gwpercle]

As a last resort , cover the roots that are sending up shoots with Rock Salt .
Keep them coverd , weekly , with Rock Salt .

Low tech ... but salt isn't a deadly chemical and just might do the job ...
I've killed quite a few invasive plants around my yard with the good old Salt treatment ... After making a home churned ice cream you have a bucket of super strong salt water ... water a plant you want to get rid of with it and Voila ( Wah-La)
the plant will die ...usually !
Gary

[pworley1]

Once it gets established the main root can be several feet deep.

[rancher1913]

use milestone, its a long acting 24d type. grass will stil grow but no broadleafs for a year or better

[country gent]

On some broad leafs the wax/oil film that is on the leaves protect them from herbicides. Try adding a few drops of dish soap to your mix, this helps break down the coating getting the herbicide in where it needs when it needs. Also mix light and spray 2-4 days in a row this gets the spray deeper into the roots and more thoroughly before it kills. A strong mix can burn the bush off leaving the roots

[Thundarstick]

Get goats! Goats will wipe out a kudzu patch!

[45_Colt]

Kudzu, I ran into that when I was searching for what it was. But it was always shown as a vine that takes over everything. Where this weed isn't. But, there are different varieties of every plant. So looked further into kudzu, and sure enough it has many hallmarks that are identical to this weed from !~@#$%^&*().

Thank you all for the help, I have some good ideas on how to get rid of it now. I've been fighting it for too long as I didn't have any idea of what I was up against.

45_Colt

[farmerjim]

Tordon 101

[snowwolfe]

Spray with diesel fuel

[45_Colt]

So I went out this morning for another application of weed killer, and found more then I expected. Large knots that are at ground level putting out shoots. Yikes, no wonder I've been unable to get rid this stuff. And here I thought they were just tree roots poking up through the ground.

I looked at the week killer I've been using, main ingredient is 2,4d. Along with two others. This is granulated, so I spray water on the leaves and sprinkle it on. It is effective at killing the shoots/foliage, but not yet the roots.

Later today I'll break out the drill, some kerosene, and the weed killer. I think some direct feeding into the root system may just help a little.

Then work on getting diesel along with brush killer. And go from there.

45_Colt

[JimB..]

If you’re willing to do the work, cut off and collect the crowns a couple inches below ground. The rhizome won’t produce new growth without a crown. The too, for this looks like an adze or pickaxe.

24d won’t affect anything but the foliage.

[buckwheatpaul]

I need the wholesale knowledge of the members of cast boolit. There is a weed/plant that I've been fighting for years. It laughs at round-up, but does succumb to a broad leaf weed killer.

But it comes back so rapidly there is no keeping up. Yesterday while doing the weed killer on it, I found shoots that are growing out of a fair size root. This stuff will send up 3 - 4" shoots overnight! Pictures follow.

What is it? And how do I get rid of it?

314706314707

In the pic with the blue square in the upper right. That areas was hit yesterday with the weed kill. Can see they didn't like that. But the area circled in red, they sprouted overnight.

The other pic has a red line along a root, where those sprouts were hit yesterday with the killer. But the size of the root, along with it sending up shoots so rapidly.

What is this stuff?

45_Colt

If ya wanna kill everything mix up Remedy 4 parts with one part diesel in a spray bottle (If you use a pump up sprayer make sure it will not be damaged by the diesel)....nothing will grow! You can also get RM 43 Total Vegetation Killer and it kills all as well but takes a little longer to get all the way through the roots....

[higgins]

I killed a good sized kudzu patch in a fence row many years ago. It took about two growing seasons. It was well established so the first thing I did was go in winter and cut every single vine going into a tree so as to get everything on the ground where it could be sprayed. At the time I used name-brand Roundup, now I would use generic glyphosate because of the price difference. About a week after the first application spray where you missed or didn't get enough coverage. Coverage is key - not soaking leaves until they drip. Follow up early the next season so it doesn't get a foothold.

I treated another well-established patch along a creek bank. Did the above described method until a few large vines were left that kept sprouting. I cut them off a few inches above ground level and painted straight 41% glyphosafe on the stump. Go back a few days later and give them a second dose by cutting off closer to the ground so you get a fresh stump and paint it again. Follow up as necessary. Stgraight 41% glyphosate painted on the stump of woody plants has killed everything I've tried it on. Sure beats pulling up or repeated cutting.

[Oaks&Pines]

I would try drilling holes in the roots just under and along the bark and filling with your herbicide, treating the leaves is only going to produce local results...need to go after the roots.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Make sure you used a soap (spreader). If you see water drops on the leaves then add more soap. If you just see a wet leaves then that's good.

It's a broad leave so Admine 2 4D should work. Spray on the leaves and let dry.

I would just keep treading as it grows.

[Shawlerbrook]

With some weeds you want to hit them near the end of the growing season as they are storing nutrients to overwinter. Rock salt will kill, but it will kill everything. Remember enemies salting the fields of their enemies in the old days.

[Brokenbear]

If you go "hot" on your mix ..meaning over application rate per label rate per type of applicator type what happens is you kill off the visible portion of the plant before it can transfer to the root system the killing aspect of the Round-Up "interruption package"

So slow and methodical is your only weapon ..your mix of choice should be with in this researched recommendation

https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/invasive-plants/kudzu-control

You can put the above link information in the bank as the very best solution ..it will require some help from a farmer friend or your local Coop (to apply) as the best results will require a herbicide that can only be acquired by a licensed and safety trained operator such as a farmer (I am licensed as a farmer as an example) or a licensed commercial applicator such as your local Coop (or possibly a commercial landscaping service)

Sorry to say 2-4-D is not labeled for Kudzu and though it may knock it back some I don't think it will be a root killer ..also the Round-Up just will not get enough "killer action" down into large and deep roots

You will find after reading thoroughly the the points in the above link that it requires a double action (leaf contact as well as soil penetration of the active KILLING agents to the roots by the chemical permeating through the soil (via rain or irrigation) to physically surround the roots ..it is also at least a 3 year process using the very best chemicals and process

Good luck
Bear

[JoeJames]

Back in the 50's and early 60's an older brother of my dad was the County Extension Agent for Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. He touted Kudzu so much; his daughter told me his nickname down there was "Kudzu James". Miracle plant that would stop erosion dead in its tracks. He gave my dad some to plant along the highway cut at the edge of our place in the Ozarks. Since then it has plumb overwhelmed about 4 or 5 acres of our ground along the highway. It will eventually even kill trees. Good luck on killing the dern stuff.

[mexicanjoe]

IF you want to eradicate this plant here is my formula: Place a small ( 8" diameter ) piece of PVC pipe , about 4 inches tall, around the offending plant and fill it up with boiling hot water. It will kill that plant and wont come back for one year. If I can kill tumbleweeds this way , it is a highly effective method.

[beemer]

Once it gets established the main root can be several feet deep.

When Dad moved us here in 1963 there was several acres of the stuff, a well established patch. We dug the septic tank by hand and the roots were over six feet deep. The deeper they were the bigger and juicier they were.

My brother has a small farm here and the live stock love the stuff and keep it down but it still spreads. The road scraper drags small pieces up and down the road and it takes hold. I've tried to kill some patches but it is too well established. I really don't think a large patch can really be controlled.

[JoeJames]

When Dad moved us here in 1963 there was several acres of the stuff, a well established patch. We dug the septic tank by hand and the roots were over six feet deep. The deeper they were the bigger and juicier they were.

My brother has a small farm here and the live stock love the stuff and keep it down but it still spreads. The road scraper drags small pieces up and down the road and it takes hold. I've tried to kill some patches but it is too well established. I really don't think a large patch can really be controlled.

Livestock will just about push a fence over to get to it. I am not sure, but I think the root system is kind of like bamboo - it spreads underground and comes up everywhere, and then the dern stuff goes up into the trees.

[gwpercle]

Get goats! Goats will wipe out a kudzu patch!

:goodpost:
LIKE !

Gary

[45_Colt]

Gary

:goodpost:
LIKE !

Gary

I too chuckled when I read his post. As I am finding out more about the patch of kudzu here, the more I like that answer.

45_Colt

[jsizemore]

I cut the kudzu vine growing up the trees. It sprouted new growth to start new vines near ground level and the goats ate it and pawed the roots out of the ground. Pretty high protein in kudzu compared to other plants.

[fiberoptik]

Supposed to be edible but I have no idea how to prepare it for people.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jonp]

Supposed to be edible but I have no idea how to prepare it for people.


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https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/curious-about-cooking-with-kudzu-try-these-recipes/b3EQUiFcZ1c4uCwXHDdXQO/

Try to get the young ones much like fiddleheads. The roots can also be eaten and I've read to prepare them like cat tail or yucca roots but have not tried them.

[Hogtamer]

Deer like it too.

[Rapier]

Crossbow will probably kill it without killing the grass. But it will kill hardwood trees, so be careful.

[JimB..]

Crossbow will probably kill it without killing the grass. But it will kill hardwood trees, so be careful.

I’ve tried crossbow without success.
I think that a lot depends upon the specific infestation. If it’s decades old it’ll be tough to eradicate even with an excavator.
Goats for the win…except that the yotes like them.

[ulav8r]

I’ve tried crossbow without success.
I think that a lot depends upon the specific infestation. If it’s decades old it’ll be tough to eradicate even with an excavator.
Goats for the win…except that the yotes like them.

Put a donkey or two in with the goats to keep the coyotes away(not based on personal experience but on hearsay).

[Milky Duck]

hot boiling water gives most plants a hiding...... climbing ivy has reputation of being very hard to kill..I stripped a piece of vine and poked it into bottle of poison..left it there so could keep sucking it up..killed it well.

[gwpercle]

With some weeds you want to hit them near the end of the growing season as they are storing nutrients to overwinter. Rock salt will kill, but it will kill everything. Remember enemies salting the fields of their enemies in the old days.

Exactly Right ... Rock Salt will kill it deader than a Door-Nail ... but that's the point !
Drastic Weeds require Drastic measures .
In a couple years the salt is washed away by rain and things will grow there .
Use Ice Cream Salt , Safe Step (deicer for steps) , Clean & Protect ...
Safe Step , at Tractor Supply , is $8.99 for fifty ( 50 ) pounds ... fifty pounds of rock salt can kill a lot of weeds , de-ice steps and sidewalks and make ice-cream to boot ...can you get anything cheaper than $8.99 ?

Shawlerbrook ... Thanks for acknowledging the fact that salt will kill plants .
It does not kill everything forever...but for a couple years not much grows on that spot . You have to use it selectively , on spots where the "evil" weeds are taking a foothold ... it isn't for spraying ...just spot treatment , but it works like gangbusters !
Gary