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| Years ago my mother planted a Yucca on each side of the bush in front of our house. Needless to say, since then they've multiplied, a lot. There have to be a dozen, if not more, growing in a huge clump.
She wanted to divide them and tried a few years ago, but couldn't get a shovel through. I'm thinking we may have to dig the entire mass out in order to start dividing the plants. I'm not sure how easy at this point even digging them out would be. Any suggestions? She doesn't want to eliminate them, just get them back under control. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Oct 12, 11 at 11:07
| you might want to review the link.. before you start spreading it around the garden ... i mean really.. its already out of control.. as you say ... ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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| I think at this point she's not planning on keeping the thinnings. Just trying to get the current planting under control. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Oct 12, 11 at 11:56
| She doesn't want to eliminate them, just get them back under control. ===>>> the point of the link.. was that they are an UN-controllable plant ... there just has to be something better ... even if she digs the whole horseradish-like root out.. they will come back with a vengeance even if she puts killer on them.. and covers them with plastic or cardboard.. they will come back ... i care not what her goal is... and i wish her all the luck in the world.. but i think her goal is unattainable ... to some extent .. and if she is going to all the trouble of digging it out.. may as well find something more controllable ... i guess i am just trying to make her think outside the box she is already in ... whatever you decide to do is just peachy with me.. good luck ken ps: if she wishes to remain in the box.. the link indicates that no matter what you do with it.. you are never going to kill it.. so just hack the heck out of it.. dont worry about it.. and in a few years.. she will be out there again.. beating it back with a stick ...
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| If you have a grinder or file, you can get your shovel razor sharp before you dig. I often sharpen my shovel before dividing hard-to-cut perennials. I love yucca. We have a hard time getting it established here in the inland Northwest. |
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- Posted by hostaholic2 zone 4 MN (My Page) on Wed, Oct 12, 11 at 20:46
| Personally, I'd just hire a backhoe. |
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- Posted by echinaceamaniac 7 (My Page) on Wed, Oct 12, 11 at 21:11
| I love my Yucca 'Color Guard.' It's one of the best plants for constant color. If this plant is out of control, remove it and plant 'Color Guard' which is awesome and doesn't get out of control. |
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| As ken said, no matter what you do, it will be back. That main root and all its ropey side roots will survive in spite of what you do. I've been working on a modest-sized plant at this new-to-us house. Don't know how long it was in the ground until we moved in. It's still popping up off-shoots a foot or more away in spite of digging a 15-inch deep hole in hopes of removing it, then cutting the top off the main root and immediately painting the cut surface with Roundup. Then using more Roundup for the new off-shoots which sprouted again, and again, and ... Yes, I think hacking it as needed will limit the extent but won't kill it. Yes, I think a backhoe might work to get rid of it. |
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| When I have a plant that I want to divide and its hard to get the shovel through it, I use an axe to chop thru the roots. |
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- Posted by triple_creek z5 (My Page) on Thu, Oct 13, 11 at 7:19
| echinacemaniac , you stated Color Gaurd doesn't get out of control. Is there information stateing this? I planted mine in a half barrel because I didn't want it to spread. I would like some in the ground if I knew it wouldn't get out of control. |
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- Posted by echinaceamaniac 7 (My Page) on Thu, Oct 13, 11 at 10:29
| I've had my Color Guard for several years. It has never gotten out of control. It is a great plant. It hasn't spread here. I wish it would. I want more and they are expensive. I think it should be Perennial of the Year! |
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| I think Yucca is very easy to drown in winter. I planted 2 variegated varietes, and they both died. |
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- Posted by hostaholic2 zone 4 MN (My Page) on Sun, Oct 16, 11 at 22:42
| Fire, water, and Round-up..none have managed to kill my yucca and I've been trying for 15 years, though I must say there were fewer sprouts this year. I plan to thoroughly soak the blasted thing this year before the ground freezes in hopes it will finally die. |
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| You can always call in a drone strike. Actually, digging out all the plant and its roots, not planting anything in the area for awhile and continually re-inspecting and re-digging the area will eradicate the plant. It's been at least 5 years in my formerly infested spot and nothing has reappeared, so I think I'm safe now. For controlling an existing (and spreading) patch, I'd just trim back top growth as needed and leave the roots alone. Disturb them and it's likely you'll be encouraging lateral spread. This refers to common Yucca glauca. I still have one patch the previous homeowner planted which I leave strictly alone. The towering flower spikes are nice in late spring. |
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| I'm 5'1" and around 118 lbs. I managed to dig out 2 well established yuccas myself, but I have to admit we have sandy soil. I made sure to get all the root system. That was quite a few years ago and it hasn't grown back. Now if I can manage to dig out that gigantic sylphium out back.....OMG. |
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| Well, yesterday I took a pruning shear, a good flat bladed spade, and a rake and managed to thin them down to about two plants. I'm sure there's still roots left for some of them, but if we keep up every spring with hacking out any new growth, I think it might be controllable, as long as we stay vigilant. There had two be a dozen dead plants buried under the live ones. I think within a two foot area there were a dozen or so live plants. Yikes. And those roots are something else. I weigh 280 pounds and was jumping full force on the shovel trying to break through to sever a young yucca off the mother plant. I practically bounced off. And my mom actually came out, looked at the thinned out plants, and wondered if she had someplace she could plant them. My incredulous "Do you have someplace else you want them to grow out of control??" did make her change her mind on that, thankfully. |
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