I get this question a lot . . . “Mike, how in the world do you get rid of Yucca?”
Yucca have roots that go really deep into the ground so when you dig them out it’s unlikely that you are going to get all of the roots and new plants will sprout up from the roots that you have severed.
In order to get a handle on this let’s review some basics facts that we know about plants.
- In order to survive plants need . . .
- Water. Not a lot of it, just enough in the soil to keep them hydrated.
- Nutrition. Not a lot of it, just enough in the soil to keep the plants happily fed.
- Sunlight. All living things need sunlight in order to survive. Without it we wither and die.
- Plants need to go through the process of photosynthesis.
Not much we can do about water in the soil. If it rains the soil is going to catch and retain plenty of moisture to keep things thriving.
Not much we can do about nutrition. All good soil contains nutrition and nature naturally replenishes the nutrition in the soil.
Sunlight. Can we control the amount of sunlight that plants, weeds and unwanted Yucca receive? Of course we can and that’s how you get rid of Yucca.
Photosynthesis. Can we control whether or not a plant goes through photosynthesis? Yes we can.
What we are about to discuss applies to both unwanted Yucca plants and weeds in general. Plants and or weeds cannot function and remain viable if they don’t receive both sunlight and are allowed to photosynthesize.
How do we stop them?
- 1. Do not allow them to thrive.
- 2. Be it weeds or unwanted Yucca and you have to be diligent and keep both weeds and unwanted Yucca plants pulled up. As soon as they appear pull them up like I am doing in the video.
- 3. Use biodegradable products like cardboard covered with mulch to block weeds and other unwanted plants from receiving sunlight.
First eradicate the garden of weeds and other unwanted plants. Then apply a layer of cardboard, then cover the cardboard with mulch. In the case of Yucca I’d probably apply a double layer of cardboard. Then a nice thick layer of mulch to make sure the cardboard is sealed tightly to the ground.
But we have to be realistic. Yucca roots start as deep as 12 to 24 inches in the soil and somehow magically push their way through the soil and sprout. So they are persistant.
The more persistent being wins!
Who is going to be more persistent, you or the Yucca?
Blocking the sunlight is only part of this equation. It works pretty well with weeds, but a plant like Yucca is pretty doggone persistent. So let’s now focus on stopping it from going through the process of photo synthesis.
How do we do that? Simple, as soon as a sprout appears yank it out like I’m doing in the video. If the sprout can’t open and photosynthesize it can’t possibly keep feeding those roots buried deep in the ground. Sooner or later you will win this battle.
That’s if you are the most persistent being!
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and by any and all means, stay inspired.
Killing off Yucca Elephantipes by ring barking (or girdling)
My Yucca Elephantipes are huge and they’re in a ground floor garden apartment here in central Sydney. Do you think ring barking would work? The problem is, if you try and cut it down from the top due to the trunks being full of water and therefore very heavy – they’ve already broken one of my large stepping stones in half after falling on it.
I’m imagining that ring barking starting from the top would cause the top to die off and therefore lose a lot of water/weight. Then I could cut it, and it would fall and not do any damage. What do you think?
David,
All I can say is give it a try. They sound really big!
Won’t the cardboard disintegrate just as readily as black plastic or weed guard?
We have several yucca that we were planning on cutting to the base and then placing cardboard (or whatever works), then following your guidelines, pull up any new sprouts, but my husband believes the cardboard will break apart/disintegrate just as easily over a short period of time.
Also
They are located below/beside trees so we can’t poison the roots
Gayle,
It will, that’s why you have to be diligent about getting rid of any sprouts as soon as they appear. Any kind of plastic is not a good idea ever.
Hi, I have just poisoned, cut down and ground out the stumps (down to about 30cm below ground level) of five huge yucca elephantipes. They were in the back yard of a house I bought, and while I liked them they were starting to push over the fences.
My question: digging out the entire rootball seems nigh on impossible. If I put soil over the top and plant another tree, will it grow?
Andrew,
The tree should grow fine, but you might still get some Yucca, be diligent and pull them as soon as they emerge.
Thanks Mike, will do. I think I’ll hack as much out as possible before I plant, and maybe give it a couple of months to settle (with cardboard on top) too.
Cheers
Andrew
I used house bleach mixed with cooking oil, salt, Milton and water that kill the Yucca plant. Then I cut off the dead shoots until I was left with the stump. I then drilled four holes either side applied the root killer until the stump and roots were dead. Then I used an axe to cut all the deep roots and dug the dead roots and stump up !
Hi, Thank you for the good info! My yucca is, thankfully, in a contained cement bed. I’ve dug out pretty well, and now I am getting ready to put in new dirt and cover it all. I was going to use TWO layers of that black weedblock “paper” (landscape fabric, they call it) from the gardening dept. at Home Depot. But you are saying “cardboard.” Is one better than the other? And when you say “cardboard,” do you mean cardboard from torn up boxes? Thanks in advance!
Kathi,
Yes, cardboard from cardboard boxes. It must be biodegradeable and weed fabric is not. If you use weed fabric it will haunt you and the next owners forever!
Need help, Yucca bushes are overtaking my garden. Can I cover them with black plastic bags? Wood like to kill them.
Jeannie, probably.
Hi Mike,
How should I keep the yucca covered to get it to completely die?
Thanks!
Isabelle
I meant how long
Isabelle,
A long time. A year or longer.
We’ve just had a 18 foot yucca removed and it’s left a lot of mulch from the stump removal. Can we reuse the mulch? I’ve heard yucca stumps and roots can smell, will the mulch smell too?
Anthony,
Yucca roots can smell but if the mulch is turned and air out well before you use it it might be okay. I’d be more concerned that viable roots will start growing new plants everywhere.
How can I purchase some of the air propagation clamshells and the dehydrated growing medium that they use? (I am a home gardener and do not have a business.)
Lenee,
Just go to http://airpropagator.com
Have big problem with thistle in garden…..HELP
Martie,
Thistle is tough but you can beat it. Either spray repeatedly with a vinegar solution, a pesticide or cover with a layer or two of cardboard and then mulch. I think spraying and hoeing or cultivating would be the most effective. But you have to be persistent.
What would a vinegar solution consist of?
Martie,
I don’t have the recipe off the top of my head, I’ll get it posted to the site.
what constitutes a vinegar solution?
Living in Colorado, let me say, yucca is a native here and beautiful. It filled Garden of the Gods this year with beautiful blossoms that the bees and deer loved. Find a way to keep it and make it part of your landscape..
I agree! You’re being given a gift of a beautiful plant. If you’re not fond of yucca, be persistent as Mike says OR be creative and make the yucca a focal point of your garden.
I vote for the latter. Weeds have to go, poison ivy too, but if a bird drops a plant that seeds, I make it work, regardless of the plant.
A lady friend of mine will boil water, then pour on weeds. She says maybe 3 times a year, but it seems to work. I said What…… cause it looked like she used an herbicide like roundup, but nope she said boil hot water works great…..
This is how we got rid of the running bamboo that our neighbors had planted! We were super persistent and dug up all the rhizomes! They didn’t even want it anymore!!
What I do have all around my flower beds are Mint and I love how it smells and it helps lower the mosquitos from being all around my yard as my small grandchildren are always playing on the grass
Hi Mike, I so love your comments and great ideas I’m going home after work to try this on the posion Ive plant that I can’t seem to get rid of inbetween my flower bed, I’ve pulled it out by the root (or so I thought) several times but that sucker keeps coming back and with a vengence…hopefully the cardboard kill it once and forall, cause I think it just drinks the roundup and ges stronger,
Using Mike’s instructions, cut out a section near the ground and apply a brush killer to the stump. The refill bottle concentrate is recommended at full strength. Ivy Begone is one of these products. It is a different chemical. Roundup does not seem to be effective on Poison Ivy.
So funny what is cherished by one, and detested by another! Now I LOVE my yucca, tickled to death when it sends up new shoots…but on the other hand I have a MAJOR problem with a vining, invasive plant that I was told is called ‘False Bittersweet’. I have pulled, poisoned, dug and pulled somemore, but it is relentless…it was apparently planted intentionally by the previous homeowner some 20 yrs ago, and we have battled it ever since. I actually found an older vine that was at least 3inches in diameter! Birds do eat the berries. and spread the seeds…HELP PLEASE!
Dee,
The answer is pretty simple, you simply have to be resilient. Get rid of it and be out there every week to keep it at bay and eventually you’ll win. No doubt about it. But this isn’t something that you can do three times a year, you have to stay after it. Once an area is cleaned up down cardboard then mulch.
for years i tried to kill a wisteria vine.. the way i finally killed it was to mix up roundup in a bucket . i cut wisteria vine & then put cut ends in bucket. Wisteria Vine soaked up Roundup through the cut ends and it died. Hope this works for you.
I love my yucca, too! It has two shoots on it this year and I can’t wait til it blooms!
It appears that my seed bed is sprouting 100’s or 1000’s of Red Japanese Maples this spring – from a sowing I did a bit more than a year ago. (they are just now starting to show) Due to a very late freeze last spring, I did not get any seeds – I usually can harvest maybe 20,000 – 30,000 seeds from my 4 mature trees (gorgeous foliage) Geeze, I don’t know what to do with them all. I’ll put as many as I can into gallon pots – if anyone is interested – email me.
Charles,
Japanese maple seedlings are always in demand in the members area. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
I have a large yard with moss growing in some parts, but I like moss. The problem is that grass and weeds grow up through the moss. How do you kill the weeds and grass without killing the moss?
Nancy
Nancy,
Honestly, I have no idea.
I love your answer. Haha.
I hold down the moss with my index finger & middle finger, then pull out the grass/weeds with the other hand. If the moss lifts up a little I just push it down.
take a piece of cardboard & cut a hole in it and cut it in half through the hole. line the weed up in the hole & spray it with roundup. let dry a few minutes and do the next weed. Dousing the weed is unnecessary and will result in dead good plants.
I wish y’all would realize Roundup is not only poisonous to plants, it also harms children and animals. Attorneys are making a fortune on Class Action Lawsuits against Monsanto.
Nancy Bowersox, I had the same problem with grass growing in my myrtle ground cover. Weed wacking made it look more tidy but very time consuming. I mixed up some Round-up and put a little in a bucket. I created an applicator with a cotton head (a sock sewn onto a sturdy stick) that I could dip into the bucket and swipe the applicator back and forth on the taller grass leaves. It is not as effective as spraying so I had to repeat the process 2 or 3 times each year for about 4 years but haven’t had the problem now for 2 summers.
Practice with some weeds to find the right technique to wet the grass leaves without dripping. I believe I used only about half inch of Roundup in the bucket and a board at an angle in the bucket so I could press some of the excess liquid off.
A paint roller could be a great applicator especially if you have an old roller frame that no longer spins or you could glue it so it doesn’t spin. Or one of those disposable dusters or small feather duster securely attached to a pole/stick might work. When finished the applicator can be put in the sun to dry, out of reach from kids/pets and used again..
If you don’t like working with Roundup you could try non-diluted white vinegar with the same technique but you’ll need to repeat the process more. Vinegar seems to destroy the leaves but not the root so grows back more than with Roundup. For anyone not experienced with Roundup, read and follow the label. I have used it for years, safely and responsibly. Always wear shoes, socks, long pants, sleeves, glasses & gloves; Never touched the liquid, Don’t spray when windy, always stand up-wind of the spray (you never know when there’ll be a little breeze); cut tall weeds down to 7-8″ before spraying (the weed will die faster and also you will be spraying low to the ground and applying less product); never apply so much that it flows off the plant to other areas (the product on the ground does nothing – what is on the leaves kills the plant); never use around water or drains or use when rain is forecast.. Although I try natural methods first, in my opinion Roundup is is a necessity for certain tasks.
What would you do for Star of Bethlehem weeds? We thought we pulled them all up in the fall and now they have spread like crazy even on the other side of the house!
Emma,
See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/06/weed-control-facts/
Mike, I have an awful infestation of horsetail weeds. Trying to cover them all w/lumber tarps, but what else can you say about them please ?
Richard,
There is a spray on the market that will control horse tail. See this https://ag.purdue.edu/btny/weedscience/Documents/Horsetail03.pdf and this https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/publications/guidelines/alert/pubs/equisetum.pdf
I have had good luck with a lot of weeds by using white vinegar. I put it in a sprayer or spray bottle. 2 days later the weeds are either dead or dying. Some weeds take a second or third application but most small weeds just don’t like this added to their diet. The nice thing about vinegar is it is not toxic to people like most of the weed killers sold commercially and it is fairly cheap to use.
Anette . . . great tip. Thanks.
How can I get rid of poison ivy/oak/sumac? Thank you!
Rose
Rose,
Poison Ivy is like any other weed. But you don’t want to pull it. Therefore spray with a white vinegar or a non selective herbicide.
I use chlorine, it is the least invasive. I spray it and pour it around the roots. Yes, it kills microorganism in the ground put the rain washes away and the healthy microogranism come back.
Hi Mike
How does one get rid of ivy? I’ve had it removed once when it had crawled up 2 of our huge maple trees & was making its way into our neighbors yard. Cost us $1250. to get that done! BUT its BACK….HELP PLEASE?😥
Linna,
It’s back because you weren’t diligent enough. As soon as you see it, just spray it. It’s actually very easy to control if you are dilgent. My nursery was covered in poison ivy now there is none. See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/10/how-to-get-rid-of-poison-ivy/
Pour boiling water on the roots. Or hungry goats. Goats love it and even pull up the roots. People with goats love to loan them out, and some folks rent them for this purpose. But when nothing else works on the very last of the ivy and you are too allergic to pull the roots, boiling water works.
How do I get rid of running bamboo? Roots are so strong they even push thru driveway. I have cut short and put roundup down the stalk only to get a very exotic densely leafed bamboo that looks like it came out of a Dr Seuss book.
Deborah,
Pull the shoots and keep after it. Lay down several layers of cardboard and mulch heavily over that. You have to be diligent.
I too have that lousy ground bamboo. We have dug it out and it still comes back with a vengeance. I have dogs and in fact I am treating my basset hound because he likes to eat it and he got so bad with this stuff that he was throwing up and bloody bowel movements, My vet said that Panda’s eat it not dogs. IT has a very ruff leaf. I have a pond near where it is growing so I will not use anything toxic to fish or my dogs. I may try the vinegar. I have fenced in the garden that has the most in it. I hope the vinegar can kill this torroist.
Renee,
Til, wait 2 weeks, til again, wait two weeks, til again, wait and just repeat the process until it’s gone. It can’t survive if it can’t photosynthesize.
A tiny half inch rhizome will regenerate the plant. You have to starve every centimeter of rhizome so they die. Dig up all you can find, then walk the area 3x a day. The second you see a shoot, weed whack it. No food to the root for 4 weeks and it goes away for a while. Can take 2 or 3 years before you can be sure it won’t pop up somewhere. Walk the area up to 20 feet out in a circle. Pops up places you wouldn’t imagine.
I’m not big on weed whacking the new shoots, that just clips them at the surface. I grab the shoots at the base and often come up with about 8″ of root. That deters them for much longer.
White vinegar in a sprayer. Don’t hit anything you want to live and wash your sprayer very well so the acid doesn’t eat the parts.
I have a problem with trumpet plants. They grow under the ground spread and I cant kill them. I don’t know how to kill them in my flower bed of irises, tulips, piney They are just ruining my flower bed.
.,
Diligence, diligence, dilgence. You can not allow them to grow. Pull them, spray with white vinegar, spray as soon as you see them, not weeks later.
Any advice on getting rid bindweed?
Carolyn,
Read the other comments on this page because the advice is the same no matter what pest week or plant you are trying to get rid of.
ha! That’s “almost” funny. (sarcasm). Bindweed roots go down 20 or more FEET – even in cold climates. It’s a lifelong project. I have it too, in WA state where it often goes down to zero or below in the winter, and birds carry the seeds as well. Also had to do battle with it in Wyoming, which is the USA’s version of Siberia. Good luck.
Pretty much what I figured! Glad I’m not alone in my opinion.
I have an infestation of oxalis. (Sourgrass) Just pulling it does not work. It sprouts from shiny reddish-brown bulblets. I have to dig down 8 to 10 inches to get them out . While I am doing that in the back yard, they are cheerfully spreading in the front! It dies back in the Summer, but by then it has smothered my tulips and freesias. If I cover it with cardboard and mulch it grows long white stalks parallel to the ground until it finds a way to the sun.
I have transplanted clumps of iris, and some of the little bulbils came along unknown to me. Next Spring when the rain comes, here’s cute bunches of yellow flowers. Discouraging.
Oh my The Yucca root is sooo good for you. Eat it do not think of it as a weed. It cost 4.00 a pound in the store! Fry it up according to online instructions.
Mike Im wondering why in the world you would want to get rid of the yucca? it has loads of health benefits and I dont know about elsewhere but in montreal people pay good money for 3 ft tall plants, so id say if you want tog ewt rid of them, swap them, sell them or gift them or use indoors as a decorative plant,,,, like one lady said previously the roots are delicious, im told theyre good for many many tyhings and drought tolerant so that would be good in dryer arid areas,,,,,, Very often a weed is just a plant whos virtues have yet to be discovered. Often they are simply in the wrong spot. hope this helps,,, farmers market is a good place to sell
Angel,
I get what you are saying but in my world things move quickly. I was re-landscaping this house, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2018/05/simple-landscape-design-ideas/, and the Yucca were in the wrong place, didn’t fit with the design and have never been great sellers for me. I have tens of thousands of plants in my life, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2011/07/mikes-new-nursery-from-the-beginning/, and time didn’t allow for trying to salvage them.
How can you get rid of nutsedge in blackberries and flower beds? If you keep pulling it up will you eventually kill it? Is there a spray that kills nutsedge and not kill your plants?
Cricket,
I’m sure if you keep pulling it before it has a chance to multiply you can win the battle.
Use grandchildren. My grandfather used to pay me to pull it for a $ per container. Find a rate that they will work for or use a trip to a store they like. failing that I have found that the brush killer I use on Poison Ivy also kills Wandering Jew, Silver Maple stumps that resprout, and Yellow Nut Sedge. It seems selective as most of my broad leaf weeds ignore it.
thanks for this very useful lovely bit of garden info!
One man’s poison….I have been trying to get yucca to grow for a couple of years now. I’m on the most easterly tip of North America – Newfoundland…..read wind, wind and more wind. My yucca comes back every year but is downright pitiful. I keep thinking it just needs to really get established. Ha! Fool that I am.
Any ideas on what to plant where a drain tile is? It is from ground water where a fre high drain ends. I would like to grow trees or large bushes neat there but not much grows because it f the water issue. We have water at 18″ so wet feet will happen. Thanks for any suggestionschris
Chris,
A willow or something similar might work there but is that really what you want in that spot. Willows grow fast, get big and drop a lot of twigs. It might be an area better left unplanted unless you can make a raised perennial bed in that area.
Is is good on large areas to cover the ground with black plastic ?..
No, never. Never ever use plastic it will haunt you until you die and weeds will grow on top of it and through it. It will ruin your yard.
Use cardboard, NEVER black plastic and NEVER weed guard. Cardboard is free and will last a year, or more. It’s a bit of work to do it every year but we all need to be smarter about how we treat our little bit of earth.
I have several yucca plants in my garden & it seems that no matter what I do or how many times I dig them up I still have them. I recently bought me one of the propane weed torches & I think and hope that if I scorch them every week or anytime I see them starting to grow maybe I can kill them out.
Marshall,
That’s the key, you cannot allow them to grow above ground for very long at all.
We have a problem with yellow star thistle. . The Park Rangers use those flame throwers to toast the tiny Spring seedlings.
Such a useful article and guideline about get rid of yucca. Currently, I am facing lots of dirt and weed problem in my garden. Can you give me any suggestion how can I stop this?
Use a hoe and scrape them off the soil. Best done after a rain when the soil starts to dry out.