Fruits and Nuts: Fig vs. privet, 1 by DonnaDavis

DonnaDavis wrote:
I have "liberated" a very large fig tree on property inherited from my mother-in-law. When I began in spring 2002, it was literally covered in honeysuckle vine and surrounded by a grove of privet. After hacking my way through the privet and tearing out the honeysuckle. I discovered a huge fig, estimated by family members to be about 40 years old. It is beautiful and bears a ton of fruit, ripening in mid to late July.

The fight against the privet is a continuing struggle. I can keep it mowed down in the area surrounding the fig, but the area underneath it is a real problem. Due to years of neglect, many of the fig branches have drooped to the ground and rooted there. They dip, root, and arch back up. This makes it difficult to "get in there" and battle the privet, particularly during the summer.

I'd like to eradicate the privet, but am concerned about harming the fig. Thus, to this date, my only control method has been manual cutting. The very large privets (up to 8 inches) I've cut down with a chain saw, although they continue to shoot up suckers and new branches. The smaller ones I cut with a mower (where possible) and I crawl in and snip the unaccessible ones.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to kill the privet without damaging the fig tree?

Attached photo is of my dad harvesting figs a couple of years ago. Note the "wild" look and the huge size of the figs!