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| At least a very old, established one.... Well, I did it. I took mine out today and now I understand all the stories about how hard these are to get out of the ground. Keep in mind, my plant was very old, so maybe a younger one would be easier to transplant. After removing all the stems and foliage I attacked the base and root system. I didn't encounter a tap root, but it seems like all the roots went either very deep or they spread out a long distance from the base of the plant. I started to pull on one severed root and it extended over 2 feet from the base of the plant. Now I understand why this area of my garden was continually bone dry. The really tough part was all this woody material right below the surface of the soil.
The only way I could get it out was to chop it into small sections with a hatchet and then attempt to dig it out with a shovel and the assistance of the hatchet for the really tough roots. It's all out of the ground now after a couple of hours of work, but I think I need to go back and see if some more of those deep roots can be removed. Hopefully, most of them will rot in the ground, but for sure it's going to take some time. I would like to replant this area next spring, so they have to be gone by then. Kevin |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by GreatPlains1 7OK (My Page) on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 18:03
| Maybe a new thread should be started....."Whats the very worst thing you ever had to dig up?" Mine was two large well established clumps of Yucca flaccida that came with the house. Those holes were 6ft wide by 4ft deep by the time they were finally out there and it was like digging out concrete blocks. We had to hack them down first and that was no fun either with all those sharp dead leaves. |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 20:19
| Thanks for sharing your experiences with digging Baptisia out bc I may try to do this fall. I'd like to hear an update too, if you go back and try to get more of the root system out. Who'd have thought that pretty baptisia would give you so much trouble! |
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- Posted by ians_gardener (My Page) on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 21:15
| "Maybe a new thread should be started....."Whats the very worst thing you ever had to dig up?" Mine was a very mature Ninebark shrub....Oh the pain! |
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- Posted by carolinaflowerlover 7b (My Page) on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 21:35
| That looks painful! My worst thing was a yucca/century plant. I tried 2-3 times to get it all (including concentrated roundup). A guy did it another time and got the rest out. A close second was a shrub...boxwood? |
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- Posted by GreatPlains1 7OK (My Page) on Tue, Jul 23, 13 at 23:17
| Oh no!! I just planted a Ninebark 'coppertina'. Am I going to be sorry? I'm sure having a heck of a time getting it to establish, it seems to want a drink every other day or else it pouts. I've never planted a Baptista, I always thought that one looked like it wouldn't cut it in the summer heat here but with a root like that one in the picture, I have revised my opinion. Its a big boy for sure. |
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| Now those are some impressive roots. I am a) glad I like my baptisia and b) even gladder that I like the location I put it in! |
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