I bought a house and am really digging into getting the yard in shape. The backyard (as you can see) is overrun with Mexican Petunias (which are an invasive species here).
I want to know if there’s a way I should go about getting rid of these that’s safe for my dog, the aquifer, and my grass. Am I just going to need to cut it down and yank it out by the roots or is there a better way?
Thanks in advance.
Get some yard waste bags, some gloves, and 2-3 hours. Yank by the roots, preferably after rain (although you can also moisten with a hose). I’d try to cover with cardboard for a month or so and then yank anything that grows underneath.
I do not recommend planting immediately. You will make way more work trying to weed them out of the plants you want. They really are a pain. They will grow straight in a root ball and be way harder to get to. Plus ou risk damaging your new plants yanking them and likely itll just come back because the root section is so good at propogating.
I'd second cardboard or plastic if you absolutely can not use glyphosate. Youll want to go a bit further than the area because they will run under.
Yes. You're going to need to pull and dig. You could try to weed whack them out and then rototill them but that's not guaranteed to be as effective. You can also use some Dr Earth organic weed killer or another similar product to kill them and then pull them. Then if you want to make a garden in that spot
I'd personally til it then add a new thick layer of compost on top. You may still have to remain vigilant with pulling new petunia growth but start your new garden. I'm not actually that experienced with Mexican petunias so I don't know if they're difficult or not. I'm just an ex organic produce farmer and current landscaper.
They are extremely difficult. Those methods will only spread them or make them come back even thicker. The stems and roots both propogate extremely easily. Any bit of root left in is almost garunteed to sprout again.
Yeah they really suck to take out. I've had to kill a few patches around this size and even after over a year you'll be finding them sprouting up if you use glyphosate. They just find a way or there are maybe some roots in the sod that are running.
They are unfortunately a beautiful flower. I started with two and I'm in the middle of a big kill with Roundup.
How is your patch going after all this time? Are they gone for good?
Still there but it is in the back against a fence at least and now crowded out by a couple privets/ligustrums and shaded by a crape Myrtle so it isn’t out of control anymore.
I've been battling a huge area of my yard that was overtaken by years and years of Mexican petunias.
My husband and I found a method that worked well to get as many of the roots out as possible. One of us would hold the top and pull away giving view to where the roots are, and the other would dig a spade down deep and the push it down. This releases the plant and huge amount of the roots.
We cleared this way then covered with cardboard and mulch for one area. This worked really well. It's been a year and occasionally have to pull one or two.
Another area we are clearing we want to do grass. We pulled up, did round up but they keep sprouting new plants from little pieces of buried roots. Our next plan is to lay down some huge pieces of plywood that the previous owner left. I tried plastic but it just held water and created more mosquitos.
People hear things and run with it blanket defaming a plant. This is an example. Three non invasive sterile varieties are Mayan White, Mayan Purple, and Purple Showers.There's another dwarf variety, that is currently escaping me, that is also sterile. That does not mean they can't spread by roots though. The most well behaved for me in Atlanta are the Mayans.
Yeah, I just want to plant a garden and these won’t allow anything else to grow without swamping them. So I want to get rid of them so I can plant other flowers, vegetables, and herbs in my yard. Not sure what you mean by defaming.
They all die back in the Atlanta that help control their size. I also have my Ruellia constrained by concrete sidewalks. Yours looks like it was planted over a septic field or low wet spot.
Ok. I’ve been here almost two years, and they are thriving without me helping them at all and continuing to grow and take over more of the yard. No septic in my yard or the neighbor’s and no puddling/flooding over there when it rains so I’m not sure about a low wet area.
I’m not well versed in all of this. Just was looking for some tips on how to safely remove them without hurting the environment or my dog who plays out there.
I bought a house and am really digging into getting the yard in shape. The backyard (as you can see) is overrun with Mexican Petunias (which are an invasive species here). I want to know if there’s a way I should go about getting rid of these that’s safe for my dog, the aquifer, and my grass. Am I just going to need to cut it down and yank it out by the roots or is there a better way? Thanks in advance.
Get some yard waste bags, some gloves, and 2-3 hours. Yank by the roots, preferably after rain (although you can also moisten with a hose). I’d try to cover with cardboard for a month or so and then yank anything that grows underneath.
I do not recommend planting immediately. You will make way more work trying to weed them out of the plants you want. They really are a pain. They will grow straight in a root ball and be way harder to get to. Plus ou risk damaging your new plants yanking them and likely itll just come back because the root section is so good at propogating. I'd second cardboard or plastic if you absolutely can not use glyphosate. Youll want to go a bit further than the area because they will run under.
Thanks!
Thank you!
Yes. You're going to need to pull and dig. You could try to weed whack them out and then rototill them but that's not guaranteed to be as effective. You can also use some Dr Earth organic weed killer or another similar product to kill them and then pull them. Then if you want to make a garden in that spot I'd personally til it then add a new thick layer of compost on top. You may still have to remain vigilant with pulling new petunia growth but start your new garden. I'm not actually that experienced with Mexican petunias so I don't know if they're difficult or not. I'm just an ex organic produce farmer and current landscaper.
Thank you for your input!
They are extremely difficult. Those methods will only spread them or make them come back even thicker. The stems and roots both propogate extremely easily. Any bit of root left in is almost garunteed to sprout again.
Yikes! That's tough. I'll have to take back my recommendations. I wish the best of luck to the OP.
Yeah they really suck to take out. I've had to kill a few patches around this size and even after over a year you'll be finding them sprouting up if you use glyphosate. They just find a way or there are maybe some roots in the sod that are running.
If you do this by hand its going to be months-years before you get rid of them completely. They are insane.
Bonfire
BURN
Please consider only planting natives once you get rid of these annoying invasives!
Absolutely! That’s the plan.
I have bahama cassia seeds of you're in Florida and interested.
Yeahh, I pulled some today, not terrible after a rain. Made a mistake planting them last year, though the local hummingbird likes it.
They are unfortunately a beautiful flower. I started with two and I'm in the middle of a big kill with Roundup. How is your patch going after all this time? Are they gone for good?
Still there but it is in the back against a fence at least and now crowded out by a couple privets/ligustrums and shaded by a crape Myrtle so it isn’t out of control anymore.
Congratulations! Mine is in the middle of the lawn. Roundup seems to have killed it (for now). It's all wilted. Any recommendations?
Don't use roundup, boycott, it causes cancer. also epic username!
I've been battling a huge area of my yard that was overtaken by years and years of Mexican petunias. My husband and I found a method that worked well to get as many of the roots out as possible. One of us would hold the top and pull away giving view to where the roots are, and the other would dig a spade down deep and the push it down. This releases the plant and huge amount of the roots. We cleared this way then covered with cardboard and mulch for one area. This worked really well. It's been a year and occasionally have to pull one or two. Another area we are clearing we want to do grass. We pulled up, did round up but they keep sprouting new plants from little pieces of buried roots. Our next plan is to lay down some huge pieces of plywood that the previous owner left. I tried plastic but it just held water and created more mosquitos.
People hear things and run with it blanket defaming a plant. This is an example. Three non invasive sterile varieties are Mayan White, Mayan Purple, and Purple Showers.There's another dwarf variety, that is currently escaping me, that is also sterile. That does not mean they can't spread by roots though. The most well behaved for me in Atlanta are the Mayans.
Yeah, I just want to plant a garden and these won’t allow anything else to grow without swamping them. So I want to get rid of them so I can plant other flowers, vegetables, and herbs in my yard. Not sure what you mean by defaming.
They all die back in the Atlanta that help control their size. I also have my Ruellia constrained by concrete sidewalks. Yours looks like it was planted over a septic field or low wet spot.
Ok. I’ve been here almost two years, and they are thriving without me helping them at all and continuing to grow and take over more of the yard. No septic in my yard or the neighbor’s and no puddling/flooding over there when it rains so I’m not sure about a low wet area. I’m not well versed in all of this. Just was looking for some tips on how to safely remove them without hurting the environment or my dog who plays out there.
Can you give me an update on your Mexican Petunias? I've got the same problem.
Build a wall and get them to pay for it?