Hi,
I am getting spots in the garden where thorny bushes, a bit like blackberry bushes, are spreading. They are also hard and woody.
Another kind i am getting is a bush that has heart shaped flat leaves. It also has woody branches and is spreading fast.
I tried digging them up but am finding it impossible. Is there a safe way to get rid of these weeds? Would weed killer get rid of them?
Thank you for any help:o)
what are these weeds?
Spider, I think you'll need to post pics. At least for me; I'm not that good at guessing just based on description.
Hi,
I will take some pictures tomorrow during the day.:o)
There are several Solanaceae (nightshades) that resemble your first description. What comes to my mind is "horse nettle" http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/solca.htm which is a real pain. It resembles scrawny eggplant with purple to white flowers and yellow to orange berries. Is this looking like it?
Hi Maypop,
No, these look lovely.
I took some photos and will be posting them as soon as possible.
My neighbour grows these flowers by his mail box.:o) I had no idea they are weeds.
first weed
That first "weed" looks like Cercis, the Redbud tree.
Here's a link:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/119958/
this one is very woody and thorny and looks a bit like black berry plants.
The thorny one looks like wild raspberry to me.
this is more like a climber.
This computer is sooooo slow....:o(
Hi LariAnn,
thank you for your help.
Is with wild raspberry supposed to have berries? This one does not flower nor have fruits.
Hi again,
I checked the first link and you are right! I can't believe people buy it.
Grrrr... I can't get rid of them. They are everywhere!
Redbud trees do come up from seeds so the neighbors must have one that sets seeds. The wild raspberry should have flowers and little berries eventually, but as I remember it, they don't have very many berries.
That last picture looks like Campsis, the Trumpet Vine or Trumpet Creeper.
Here's a link:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/16685/
LariAnn,
do Redbud plants spread or the ones I have are just seedlings?
I have the Trumpet climber growing in the woods behind my house. Will have to dig the ones I have invading the borders and plant them with the others. They are too beautiful to throw away.
Thank you very much for your help.:o)
I do not recall the Redbud spreading, but if they do they would have to come up from adventitious buds on roots of a large one nearby. I'm pretty confident that yours probably came from seeds. Their first year they would have been quite small and not noticeable, but the second year they would look as yours do now.
thank you LariAnn.:o)
Spider, there is an invasive shrub/tree that is very similar to Eastern redbud. Yours appears to be that (though I don't know the name). I have problems with it in Atlanta too, especially in borders and beds. The biggest is having mistaken it for redbud. We have had to cut and spray it out. It is much faster growing than redbud and has a larger leaf. The other one that's driving me nuts is Paulownia. Many of these plants are recent introductions that have become invasive and controversial.
I don't know the second one, but the third is Campsis, as LariAnn said. I ordered it from Burpee years ago to grow out by the garden shed. It is highly invasive and will send underground runners deep and far from its source. It is not native to woodlands. Seeds easily as well. I'd spray it. I'm recommending you take drastic action because it's near impossible to get the roots out intact. We tilled some up in the garden and the broken roots are popping up with new vines everywhere. I've battled with it all summer. It's as bad as wisteria gone rampant and strangles trees the same way. Beautiful though if you have a spot where you can keep an eye on it.
Laurel
Thank you very much Laurel.
I jsut went out and compared leaves. The redbush leaf is very similar to the weed but it is smaller and it is more weavy.
They are nearly identical!
I will have to do something about them. The one with orange flowers has been breaking the border's wall.
I wish you lots of luck in getting rid of them.:o)
Spider, great that you are able to see the difference before the leaves go down. More time to get rid of it. We tried cutting it, but it just sends up many more shoots from the base the following year.
L
Laurel, do you use Roundup on it?
I've never used it in our food garden, but, yes, we use it for stubborn brush. We dig out what we can rather than resort to chemicals. Don't know what to do about the trumpet vine. It is in our food garden. I spent hours digging up roots a few days ago to prep a 4x6 ft bed for leeks...they are wayyy down there too. I guarantee there are more that will be popping up with the Spring leeks. I keep cutting the tops as soon as they pop up to try and weaken the plants, but it's not working.
BTW, could that second weed possibly be Southern dewberry? I forgot about that one. We used to have it volunteer at our house in Decatur. Dewberries are more sprawling than blackberries. Good berries but you would not want it in the flower bed..
Laurel
Laurel,
have you tried covering the ground with thick carpets and leaving them for months? I have heard that it can sometimes help with weeds. I haven't tried that because these weeds are growing on flower beds.
I have never seen the weed set berries, or flowers. It just sits there, very ugly and thorny for the whole year, until winter.
Spider, I've tried about everything. Started subscribing to organic gardening mags in the early seventies. The carpets end up weighing a ton and harboring slugs, snails and roaches. One must wonder what the benefit would be considering most carpet is a petroleum based product rotting in your garden and who knows what the glues and backing fibers are not to mention the cleaning chemicals used by previous owners? At least I know what's in Roundup. I've tried roll roofing, newspaper (good for small weeds and has soy based inks nowadays) and landscape cloth covered with pine bark. They all harbor problem insects.
L
you know Laurel, I have read a lot about placing carpets in the ground to cover weeds by organic gardeners. you are very right about the contents of those carpets and the pollution they would cause.
I wonder why people still mention them in organic practices. I think they haven't thought it through.
I hope you find a good way to get rid of them. Have you asked around the forum? I have seen an "invasive plants" forum here at DG. Have you asked there?
best of luck:o)
Spider & Laurel, I am very curious as to the ID of your heart-shaped leaf /weed that masquerades as a Redbud tree seedling. We have lots of redbuds along our road and therefore what I ASSUMED were tree seedlings.
If you have a chance, it'd be great if your county extension agent could ID it for you (uh, I mean us).
And good info about the carpet thing. What we don't need is more bug hiding places. (and voles; they loved the landscape fabric with mulch on it; like a covered tent).
Cedar, how do I do that?
Hi Spider. Sorry. I'm a Master Gardener, which is the volunteer arm of the Extension Service which is part of Univ. of Ga. (Actually it's a nationwide program offered in every state I think). So I guess I think everyone knows about the services available via the Ext. office. Here is a link to the Gwinnett Co. office info http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/county.cfm?CountyOfficeID=242
There is a lot of information available for gardeners from the Ext. office and since Gwinnett has a HUGE contingent of MGers, I would not be surprised if they have someone at the office all the time (just a guess). But if not, the Ext. Agent him or herself can help you ID plants, diseases, insects, etc. Your government at work for you. And for a fee, that is where you have your soil samples done (they mail them off for you, special bags). I urge you to familiarize yourself with all the sources available to help you. And you could always inquire about the Master Gardener program. I've been in it for 10 years.
Good luck!
Hi Cedar,
thank you very much for all the info. I am not from the US so i don't know a lot about what is available.
I would love to do a course so I will contact them about it and the weed.
best wishes
Anna