Page 17 - Waterfall City Issue 4 April 2025

DIY ways to remove alien species found in your garden

What to do with plants like the common How to remove invasive alien trees like
blackjack and khakibos: Mulberry trees:
Manual removal: Find the root system of the plant; it is usually Garden loppers with herbicide application: These
deep, depending on the age of the plant in question. large scissors are used to cut down young alien trees.
Apply herbicide (specifically designed for trees)
Uproot the plant: responsibly to the freshly cut tree stump, which will
• Loosen the soil: Use a garden fork or spade to dig around the kill the roots. Often food colourant is added to confirm
base. treatment in large-scale applications.
• Pull gently: Grab the plant near the base and pull slowly and
firmly to extract the entire root system.
• Check for rhizomes: Ensure all underground runners
(rhizomes) are removed, as they can regrow.

This works best when soil is soft after rains for easier root
extraction.

Example of herbicide application on tree stumps.

Herbicides: There are many variants for various
applications. In residential gardens, it is probably best
reserved for those pesky paper thorns (Alternanthera
suessenguthii) or hard surface weeds where manual
Image source: https://www.sciencefacts.net/types-of-roots.html removal is bound to leave some of the roots intact.

Tree popper: This is a mechanical device (Ruan’s
team calls it the hooligan tool). Using leverage, it
grips the tree stem. You lever it back and forth until
you dig the roots out. It takes some getting used to
but is fine for light infestation although probably not
a tool lying around in everyone’s garden shed.

Image source: https://treepopperusa.com/

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