Plants You Regret?

[Aaron Rosenthal]

Morning glory, I pull up the shoots as soon as I see them. Still come every year.
Creeping Charlie, Killex they tell me about this time of year will do it in.
Blue Bells, I dig up every year and get the root bulbs out, but if even one survives, the seeds never die - they germinate everywhere they land.
Curses on the people who plant these "lovely" plants.

[Ronald Blue]

Surprised no one mentioned multiflora rose. It's fast spreading and difficult to control.

[Jim Becker]

Surprised no one mentioned multiflora rose. It's fast spreading and difficult to control.

Grows in the wild here...and yea, "prolific", too. Witch Hazel, too...grows naturally and fills in fast.

[John K Jordan]

Grows in the wild here...and yea, "prolific", too. Witch Hazel, too...grows naturally and fills in fast.

I hate the multiflora rose. The tiny roses are not even attractive.

The original topic was about regrets after planting certain species but if expanded to annoying plants that are already around, difficult to control, and spreading, around here my list includes:

- Privet
- Kudzu
- Bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- Wild grape
- Poison ivy
- Horse nettle
- Pigweed
- Buttercup

Also, honeysuckle vines. I love the smell of honeysuckle but the vines twist around and choke small trees. I've cut vines of wild grape and poison ivy that were over 3" in diameter. Invasive foreign plants like Privet, Kudzu, and Bush honeysuckle are taking over the south. Bush honey suckle also smells great when in bloom but inhibits/kills other plants around it, and birds spread the seeds everywhere. A field full of buttercup is colorful but is horrible in pastures - no animal I've had would eat it and it spreads quickly, although easy to control with 2-4-D. When I moved here there was Privet growing up to the second-story window in the house and growing out of the top of a 30'+ cedar tree. At least animals will eat Privet.

JKJ

[Roger Feeley]

The neighbor down the street has bamboo. Fortunately, it's WAY down the street.

[Jim Becker]

We have pretty much all of those, John...except the Kudzu. And if things continue to stay warm, we might get sucked into that world someday, too.

[John K Jordan]

We have pretty much all of those, John...except the Kudzu. And if things continue to stay warm, we might get sucked into that world someday, too.

I'll send you some Kudzu so you can get ahead of the curve. There is none on our property but I know where to get it. Our house guest from italy last summer was fascinated by Kudzu. Of course, she was fascinated by skunks too.

JKJ

[Lee DeRaud]

I'll send you some Kudzu so you can get ahead of the curve. There is none on our property but I know where to get it. Our house guest from italy last summer was fascinated by Kudzu. Of course, she was fascinated by skunks too.

Old joke from my dad:
Q. What is a couple of kudzu seeds and a rusted-out junk car?
A. A redneck topiary starter kit.

[Mel Fulks]

Update on Scouring Rush AKA Horsetail. You can eat it and drink it ; and it's good for you! Removes aluminum from brain and does other stuff.

[Tom M King]

On the list of aggravating plants already here, on the top of my list is Johnson Grass. It's hard to kill, and while it's nice to have the state cut the grass on the sides of the roads, they bring in Johnson grass seeds from elsewhere. I do my best to kill it but it's a pain, and hard to kill. We have a state road coming down the middle of our place that's a mile long, and two other borders also with a mile each of state roads.

Birds spread that seed too, and I've, so far, been able to kill it when I see it on our trails, but I have to catch it early.

Mel, I'll have to try that, I'm sure I have aluminum, and all sorts of other stuff, in my brain.

I hate to use poisons, but gave up the fight without them long ago. This mower stays on the back of my category 2 tractor all through the growing season. I have a 40 gallon tank on it. There is an ATV boom on the back that can cover a 30' swath, or I can flip another switch, and spot spray up to 30 feet away. I had to go to two different pumps to serve either, but I can operate them from the tractor seat. The twin rear wheels lets the 7' rotary cutter cut as good as a finish mower. I fabricated a door that I can open, and sharpen the blades with a grinder.

The other picture covers smaller jobs. The rack above the sprayer tanks holds the wands up in the air so they can drain, and not clog up. After each use, the wand used is taken off, and soapy water run through it that's in one of the sprayers.

[John K Jordan]

On the list of aggravating plants already here, on the top of my list is Johnson Grass. It's hard to kill, ...

A hay producer told me once he knew of one way to get rid of Johnson Grass - he had fenced off an area and put hogs inside. Apparently they will root down and eat the rhizomes. Hard to imagine if what I read is true, that the rhizomes can grow 5' deep. Maybe that's not typical.

I hate it when I find Johnson grass in hay. The llamas will digest the seeds but I understand they can pass through a horse. But I worry about it less since I found out horses love to eat Johnson grass and apparently clean up any sprouts right away.

I got some in my garden years ago and fought it by hand. The garden is fairly small at about .2 acres. The small sprouts are distinctive with a bit of red near the ground - I kept a sharp eye out for them and dug up each one, following and digging up the roots. I tried to get every little piece since I understand a new plant can grow from a fragment - till the ground with roots and you plant pieces everywhere! It took a number of seasons but I haven't found any for years now. I watch for stray plants around the farm too that birds probably brought in, and dig them up as I find them. Fortunately as the leaves grow they are quite distinctive too with the white vein, making them easy to spot.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

Our horses won't eat Johnson grass.

[Bob Glenn]

Sticker bushes. I don't know the real name, I've just always called them sticker bushes. We bought a house that had several planted around and never pruned. I got a sticker in my finger and the finger still is right after a year. Why would anyone plant sticker bushes in their yard?

[Kai Morrill]

Jerusalem Artichokes.

[W Craig Wilson]

Clover! Years ago my dad planted clover in his lawn, expecting the added green to be a plus; realized his mistake when it started choking out the grass. Took many seasons to get is all eradicated.

(I used to chuckle when I would remember one of the bone head things my dad did. As I age, I find I do more and more that are just as stupid. Miss you Dad.)