Re: Robinia pseudoacacia?
A very effective way to eliminate suckering trees which has worked well
even on Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) is to cut the tree off a few
centimeters above the ground, and _immediately_ , meaning within 5
minutes or so, paint the cut end heavily with concentrated glyphosate.
It is available here as 41% active ingredient. Then, tie a plastic bag
over the cut and treated end, securing with a rubber band or string.
The bag needs to stay on only for a few weeks or so.
It is most effective in the fall when the plants are translocating
sugars into the roots. I have seen Ailanthus trees 40 to 40 ft away
show significant damage the next year, as the material was transmitted
throughout the underground connected root system. You obviously would
not want to do this if you want some of the thicket left undamaged.
This technique has worked well on figs, Albizzia and willow as well. It
has the advantage of being relatively easy, sparing of glyphosate, and
keeps the herbicide localized. Particularly compartmentalized root
systems may take a second go when the undamaged roots send up their
shoots the next spring. It may take more than one year for the roots to
actually die and begin to decompose, but they do no further growth in
the meantime.
--
Gary Matson Far Northern California
http://www.plantstogo.com
Adapted Plants for Hot Summer Climates
Gibbons F wrote:
> Dear all,
> I'm not quite sure why my message, which
> was posted on 22 March, (hence the Easter
> greetings) has now suddenly appeared on
> the listserv two & a half months later - very
> odd!!!! Where has it been all this time, I ask
> myself!
>
> The question still applies however - I did some
> subsequent checking around the topic of acacias
> & found references that suckering towards water
> sources of some types was a nuisance factor,
> (from memory this information was on a South
> African site, referring to the invasion of the
> fynbos by unwanted vegetation)
>
> The odd thing is the flowering period -
> definitely summertime, after Christmas;
> I had always thought acacias were spring
> flowering, but then we probably only see in NZ
> a small percentage of the huge numbers
> of varieties which make up the Acacia family.
> So. they may well not be acacias!
> Any assistance would be much appreciated.
>
> Frances Gibbons
