Glad that's a plant I never had much affinity for - our winters would kill them if I ever did.

The Siberian iris can be lifted after bloom and very easily put right back in. I've done that numerous times when the clumps needed to be divided or got grass or weeds in them. They're among the most forgiving plants I can name.

Callas, I don't know about.

The cannas just have to be dug, I think, getting as much of the rhizome as humanly possible. You could paint (not spray) the leaves and stems with Round Up. Can your other plants be taken up temporarily just to give you space to dig the cannas? I've seen cannas in action in other parts of the country - sometimes contained where they can't spread (large tub or barrel), sometimes in a bed off by themselves so they can't invade.

Thanks Duluth - I guess I'm grateful that I don't have to dig up the things I do want to keep to store them for winter! Even after such an awful winter, I had stuff come back that's supposed to be only marginally hardy in my zone. I do feel blessed for that.

But the cannas . . . I really don't want to dig up my iris. I divided it last year and I swear it's roots were made of pure steel! I needed to see the chiropractor after that, lol. And the callas have already come up, so I don't want to mess with them right now. There are many other plants as well. For some reason I didn't think roundup would kill them. I think I'll try it since you suggested it, pulling up as much as I can and painting anything I didn't get.

I hope I get rid of them all this year so I don't have to go through this again next year!

stop pulling them.. every piece you break off will resprout ... [thats probably how you managed to propagate them all over the yard ...]

get a very expensive applicator .. such as at the link .. this allows very precise application.. and little usage ... [as noted.. it is NOT a spray thing]

cut to one inch from the ground... apply FULL Strength RU ... on the cut...

return unused RU to the labeled container.. do not store near the hotdogs ...

repeat every month or so ... since you are killing a bulb/corm/rhizone??? ... [as compared to a root system] ... it might take repeated applications ...

yes.. you can do this.. right in the middle of another plant ... it will not sneak into the other plant.. in the dead of the night .. or thru the ground... i do it with tree seedlings in my hosta.. all the time ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Lol Ken. I always look forward to reading what you have to say.

A squeeze bottle like that is a fabulous idea! I like it way better than painting! Wonder if it needs to be Plochmans specifically. Haha. You actually had me believing that the "applicator" you referred to was going to be expensive. I was very curious about what might be in your link!

Sounds like a good game plan/project for a nice long weekend!

Ken, what the heck is RU? Never mind, just figured it out. totally against using Glysophate. I have a rose bush the cannas keep choking out.

Cannas leaves are glaucous (waxy) and sprays will be ineffective. You just have to consistently pull whatever you can't dig up. If you don't let them grow more than a leaf or two, they won't build up sugars and should be gone by the next year.