Invasive Plants have gotten loose in your garden

I have always referred to my mountains of pots as my "pot stash". If someone doesn't know me real well it sure raises an eyebrow or two...LOL

Years ago I had a large area of ajuga planted and for some reason..the bumblers would snuggle in there after dark. When I would mow past it early in the morning (to try and beat the heat)...the bumblers would come tumbling out none tooooo happy with me. This went on for a couple years, and finally... I tore it all out, and any little straggler plants popping up got a baptism by Round-Up. I had had it with that stuff....

Hi Katye, Pixie and all,

Been so busy in the garden making more space for the results of my many plant lust trips this year...sigh. Never really liked grass anyway!

I know that concrete will work as a barrier but the lovely bamboo has grown under paths, zipped through a couple of beds, and periodically encroaches on my neighbor's beautiful (and perfect - Sunset Magazine) brick patio & back yard. Fortunately, I have the best neighbors in the world & since they have their own bamboo on the other side of their yard, they're pretty understanding. In any case, trying to pour continuous concrete would require a major excavation of my garden...Perhaps cinderblock filled with concrete would be easier or at least faster but still would require pulling up some paths covered in colored glass and hacking away and pulling out those delightfully tough rhizomes. Yikes! Maybe next summer...

Kathy, and everyone who has responded so well to her comment... A bit late, but I am giggling my head off and people at work want to know what's so funny....how do you explain that to a non-gardener?

Don't forget about the Pot contest for roundup! Maybe we can expand the contest to include a prize for the picture of the best "Pot Stash"?!

Good to meet you Herpst!

Herpst - I was teasing you! However - concrete does stop the traveling.

My neighbour planted several types of bamboo about 10 years ago - the running type is at the fenceline - yes - my fenceline. In all these years it has not expanded its horizons onto my property. He installed some sort of bamboo barrier that was 30" high by sinking it into the ground.
I used to live in Hawaii, so I remember well how bamboo invites itself everywhere. Not a polite plant.
I was surprised my neighbour's bamboo did not jump the sides of this barrier. He is vigilant about cutting runners that have a need to travel, which is what you'll need to do. At this point, I would sever any root that you don't want, as each root will form its own bamboo village.
Hope that helps, but what you really need Herpst, is a bamboo root-whacking work party at your place.

Hi Herpst----I Feel your pain. I have a 17 year old bamboo forest including about a dozen different species. So far it hasn't invaded the neighbors property but it only has 5 feet to go. I have only 2 Phyllostachys vivax that really don't seem as vigorous as some of the other varieties, and is one that I would plant again, and thanks to your experience I will not forget the barrier! I had heard from a gardening show about a "rhizome cutter" a few years ago and have not been able to locate it. I guess a backhoe maybe the only solution. LOL (kinda)

Does anyone grow Arundo donax? http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.big-grass.com/images/Arundo%2520donax%2520Macrophylla.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.big-grass.com/Arundo%2520donax%2520%27Macrophylla%27.html&usg=__aV1rPdfdI4uf9Se_6BYxtFhU2r4=&h=800&w=600&sz=214&hl=en&start=18&sig2=0nen8jYcpoMQEjWRyKg86g&um=1&tbnid=JICUMNl0mtPyFM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darundo%2Bdonax%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dcom.google:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=KqJuSub3O462M_6R-bwE
I've been considering that rather than bamboo but I've not seen it growing 'in the flesh', so to speak. Anyone have experience with that one? I found some at a local nursery but resisted the temptation.

Question of the day: Herpst, how do you ever keep those colored glass paths looking tidy and clean??? I would like to see a photo of your place.

It's on the Top 10 list of noxious invasive species in Oregon.

I have 3 giant wooden pots of running bamboo outside my dining room window. The pots are sitting on a bed of rock to prevent escape. It looks lovely, makes a nice light screen, and sways in the breeze. I love bamboo as long as it does not invade where it's not wanted!

Really?? Now I have to check here. I have a hard time believing it would be invasive in this part of Washington but who knows. Oregon has that Willamette valley where the growing conditions are really excellent for so many things. I guess that's why there are so many commercial growers there.
The only bamboo I grow at this point is black bamboo. It's not a clumper, but it grows slowly. This year I got my first new growth and it had been in the ground for 2 years. I have a cane that looks like it's about 15 feet tall! Woo hoo!

Keeping the glass paths clean under bamboo that sheds constantly requires daily leaf blowing. O.K. who are we kidding here. I blow the leaves off when I know someone will be coming over or when my small dogs get lost in it or when I can't stand it anymore (kinda like vacuuming or dusting inside the house:)

I do cut rhizomes & kick over culms that come up where they're not wanted. It's a fun passtime but wouldn't be necessary had a barrier been installed when the bamboo was planted. However, the growth of the bamboo outside of where I thought I wanted it has yeilded some very nice effects & so I'm happy with it.

Keep cool!

BTW, I've been working one day a week at Jungle Fever for the summer so that the owners can have a day off. What a blast!

Pixy,

Arundo donax is a wonderful plant! The green form grows (for me) much taller than the variegated one. They will grow in water but there is a beautiful & huge specimen by an apartment building near Wright Park that grows in average conditions and reaches the second floor windows. Give in to the temptation!

Pix I have arundo grass, it's been here about 10 years and stays fairly well inside it's circle. It is drier where it is, than what would be ideal but maybe that is what keeps it in control. I can dig off a division for you if you want.

Anyone else regret planting St. John's Wart?? I fight it every year, and I've finally accepted that I'll never get rid of it. :-(

We have one Staghorn Sumac tree in our yard that has sends out a gazillion shoots. We don't have many trees though, so some of them have gotten to stay, and they grow so fast! I can't even imagine how long the roots must be on the original tree.

I planted a Brazillian Verbena (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141/) last year, and have discovered it all over this time around. It's in front of the fence now, but I actually like it, so it gets to stay. You can see it here in the picture, along with a couple of the Sumacs. I can't imagine what the verbena will do next year.

I thought of one more...blue fescue grass. I took out the original plants, but it's coming up everywhere, even in the gravel in the driveway.

Pretty garden!

Thanks Willow! It was an experiment that turned out pretty good I think. Here's a full shot...I just basically got rid of the grass in our front yard. The plants aren't so happy right now though, after two days of 100+ degrees!

Very pretty. Much nicer than grass.

colliwobbles- beautiful yard---I'm taking notes!

Jana - both Verbena B. & Fescue adore gravel, so you gave it the perfect environment.
Blue Fescue is a sought-after plant; great one to pot up for a plant swap. it looks fabulous planted en-masse, too. And this heat doesn't faze it.

Yes, on the st. john's wort. The plain yellow flowered kind is really, really hard to get rid of. I finally did get rid of a patch of it that was here when I moved in, but it took several years of dedication to plucking new growth out of the ground. Some of the cultivars are better behaved.

Herpts and Thistle, you have me convinced. It can be part of my 'tropical' border! Thistle, if you can dig a division, that would be cool. If it turns out to be a back breaker, though, I can get some at the nursery. I would really like to grow this in the pond but I wonder about the ph requirements. I have found that my pond is too alkaline for many of the reedy types of plants. I just put in a beautiful variegated cat tail and I'm afraid I may have to take it out and repot it using peat. Horsetail dies really fast in my pond. There's no way to really stabilize the ph at a lower range without messing around with the delicate balance, so I just have to grow what works.

I love blue fescue grass. I am looking for a grass that looks similar to it, but is actually taller and has a really tall inflorescence. It's a blue grass, a clumper, but just bigger. Anyone have an idea what it is?

There are several, Pix.

Helichtotrichon sempervirenst (to 30")

Panicum 'Heavy Metal' (to 5')

Schizachchyrium scoparium (2 - 3')

Fescues - must have Full sun & excellent drainage. ( range from 8" to 2')

Melinis - this one is an annual grass

I'm fairly certain it's a fescue grass. Definitely not a Panicum or Schizachchryium. I'll have to take a photo. I know where there are some growing in a landscape. Probably I could get some seeds.

Blue Oat GrassS?

This obedient plant behind the lilies has popped up everwhere. The bumble bee's love it and it is a nice backdrop for other plants, but I think I will be pulling as much as possble before it goes to seed

I will dig you a chunk of arundo and bring it along to the round up.

Bea, Obedient plant is a gorgeous agressive creature! I pulled tons of it this year...just love it when it blooms, but it eats everything else in the garden!

I've had Obedient Plant for several years & it has not seeded itself around...yet.
Maybe the seedlings look like weeds & I pulled them all each year, LOL.

Some prolific-sowers I like: Nicotianas, Verbascums, Nigella & Cleome.

Katye, Julie and I awaited her cleome to show this year, but no luck. We love it too and couldn't find local seed by the time we realized it wasn't going to show, and no pony packs either. Just too frugal (cheap) to buy a single plant for 1.99.
If you have seeds this fall we would love to get some (Roundup? Might be too early?)

I have seed & will bring it with me unless you want me to send it to you? Let me know.

Woah. I hadn't been to this thread, loads of useful info here!

The only invasive plant I'm really having issues with is stupid dandilions. I can't use weed killer because of my frogs, so I'm at a loss how to get them under control. (seriously, there are hundreds of them in the back yard) I have some creeping buttercup in one of my beds in the front, but it's not being too aggressive, I've just been ripping it up when it creeps too far. Can't get it all out because its roots are so tangled with the azalea's roots.

Lynn, I'm positively drooling over all those big pots... I would love to have some.

Summer, did you say you have tulip poplar? I'd really like one if possible. I've always admired those.

Speaking of invasive trees, if anyone actually wants mountain ash, I have a few babies I haven't yanked yet. ;)

Katye, Cleome seeds would be great, and roundup would be the perfect time! I was totally bummed that my "cleome" field that we always use to transplant ours from didn't come at all this year. First time they haven't reseeded there.... most likely because that garden flooded this winter...figure the folks down the hill must have a lovely patch of them!

okie doke!

I think it's this one:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/52375/, Siskiyou Blue.

Pony,, pour boiling water on the crowns of your dandilions . Just put a tea kettle on, then when the water boils, pour a little straight from the kettle onto the crown of the plant, soaking it a bit. That generally kills them.

Really? I'll try it! (I'm gonna need a tanker truck of boiling water...) Thanks! :)

OK GUYS! THE FINAL FORMAL ROUNDUP THREAD IS HERE!

OK, I have pretty much been MIA in the forums lately and am not going to even think about trying to catch up right now....BUT

I am butting in everywhere right now to post the link to our final roundup plans so that there isn't a chance of anyone that wants to join us missing it!

Hope to see as many people as possible there! Should be a great time!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1024024/

Sure hope I get to attend next year! PLEASE post photos!!