Will Round Up or Weed-Be-Gone kill my St. Augustine grass? The oxilis is mixed in with the St. Augustine.
Ortho Weed b Gone can NOT be used on St. Augustine grass. Roundup is a systemic that will kill any plant so that it also can NOT be used on a lawn without killing the grass.
It can be bought at nurseries or at places like Home Depot. This is a granular product which has to be watered when applied. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. Keep pets out of the area where the product is used until the lawn is dry. For any questions contact the manufacturer. They have people on the phone who will answer all questions including where to buy in your area.
TheGardenLady received this question from Mary Anne.
My roommate bought some Round Up (gross, I know!) to spray on weeds, and she sprayed it all over some lovely yucca plants. 🙁 Despite my efforts to revive them through pruning off all the dead leaves and fertilizing and watering, they are sad little stumps that look quite dead. I am so sad! Do you have any idea if I might be able to save them?
Roundup is what is called a systemic weed killer. That means it goes down to the very tips of the roots of a plant to kill it. It doesn’t know which plant is good or what plant is bad. It just kills any plant it comes in contact with and is very effective in killing the plant.
That is why, whenever one buys any herbicide or pesticide product to use, you MUST!!!! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY AS THE PACKAGE SAYS.
So, to answer your question: It is with regret that TheGardenLady has to say that she does not think you will be able to save your yucca plants. Roundup killed it all the way to the tips of its roots.
TheGardenLady has never used any herbicide on her property. She hates chemicals in her garden or lawn.
Now she knows that there are times when people have to use herbicides. TheGardenLady has been lucky that she hasn’t had to use any. She pulls her weeds by hand. Her garden isn’t as pristine as it could be; there are weeds. She would rather live with weeds than with chemicals in the soil or getting into the water in the stream on her property. Even poison ivy is pulled by hand- pulled carefully using plastic bags so that the ivy can not touch skin. She tries to get the poison ivy when it is young.
If TheGardenLady readers feel that they have to use a herbicide, PLEASE USE CAUTION! Remember that so many of yesteryear’s herbicides which were once considered safe- are now banned.
PS Thank you, Mary Anne, for enjoying TheGardenLady site. I love readers like you.
Would you like to plant a tree for FREE? TheGardenLady discovered this site and wants her readers to know about it.
“Odwalla is planting trees in state parks, and will plant one for you too! All you have to do is click on this link and choose your state. Then pass it on to a friend. Happy planting!”
TheGardenLady chose to plant a tree in another state because her state wasn’t listed.
The National Wildlife Federation wants you to create a Wildlife Habitat which you can then get certified. Find out how to create your own Wildlife Habitat by going on their website. You will be helping the environment as well as making a lovely garden for yourself that is beloved by birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
I saw a gorgeous plant at a person’s house and thought it was a clematis. She said it wasn’t and said a name like “boca via” or something. I tried to do a search and couldn’t find anything like that. It is a very tall plant in a huge pot with a trellis type thing to hold it up. Just beautiful! Any ideas what is was?
Trying to find a plant without knowing its Latin name or even a common name, with no description of the flower and its color nor having a photo of the plant- even a photo of its leaves if not a photo of the flower, is asking a lot of TheGardenLady.
I will guess that your friend might have an Akebia Trifoliata known as the three leaf chocolate vine. This has a pretty flower. with a fragrance. It doesn’t like its roots disturbed and can be planted in a container or in the garden. It grows tall.
BUT Akebias can be INVASIVE.  See here. If this is the vine you are seeking, when buying BE WARY! What does invasive mean? It means that the roots or seeds of the plant will spread all over and for the rest of your life you will be trying to kill the plant all over your yard and your neighbors’ yards. Invasive plants do not allow other plants to live and because the Akebia is not native, it will probably not allow native birds or good insects like butterflies to have sufficient foods that they need. Especially the Akebia quinta (the five leaf chocolate vine) which is definitely said to be VERY invasive. I’ve read of a new variety of Akebia quinta called Silver Bells Chocolate vine. TheGardenLady thinks that this vine will also be an invasive. Just because something is sold does not mean that it is ok.
Please, if this is the vine you are looking for, check out your state’s invasive list or call your local Master Gardener office to check on the plant’s invasiveness. I would worry about the invasive quality of any Akebia and buy a beautiful clematis instead. There are so many clematis to choose from.
If the Akebia is not the vine you are looking for, contact Georgiavines. The owner has made it her life’s work to raise vines of all kinds. She might even suggest a vine for you that the person whose vine you loved will find even more enticing. Two other vine nurseries are here and here.
One of my favorite trees is in bloom right now. It is a tree I grew up with and played with the flowers that fell to the ground. It is the Catalpa speciosa or catawba tree.
CATALPA SPECIOSA by ESOX LUCIUS
TheGardenLady has one shedding its flowers on the side of her property. One delighted me by self seeding near the driveway. And I just transplanted a baby that self seeded or a bird planted in my perennial bed. I worry that the baby might not be happy in its new location because this is an area that might not have good drainage, which the catalpa likes. The catalpa tree does not like poor drainage or really feezing weather.
The catalpa tree has numerous common names like umbrella tree, Indian bean tree, Johnny smoker tree, Indian cigar tree, fish bait tree and Lincoln Log Tree. This is a tree that native Americans used and the early pioneers liked, seeing how successfully the tree lived under all sorts of situations from polluted cities to windswept prairies; how it grew quickly; lived long- up to 70 years; and had profuse fragrant flowers while it gave shade with its large heart shaped leaves. Farmers found they could use the wood, which makes strong, lightweight rot-resistant fence posts . In fact the northern catalpa is used for carving, millwork, framing, furniture, drawer sides, and general-purpose construction. The species is also intentionally planted to control erosion, aid brownfield revitalization or new stand growth, and as windbreaks and screening from the sun. Thus pioneers found a good tree to take with them wherever they moved. They planted catalpa trees on their new property all over the country.
There are two types of Catalpa trees: the larger more showy Northern C. speciosa and the Southern C. Bignoniaceae, but both seem to do well outside their range from zone 4 to 8. The nectar in their flowers entices hummingbirds, tiger swallowtail butterfly larva, and bees. The trees and seedpods attract lots of birds.
Though TheGardenLady has never had any problems with the catalpa trees on her property, they can have problems. One is the Catalpa Sphinx moth (or catawba sphinx moth) The caterpillars can cause defoliation; but if the tree is hardy it will have its leaves grow back unless major defoliation occurs for a few years in a row. Then the tree might see a limb die. Cut off any dead branches. A lot of fishermen find the caterpillar of the sphinx moth great for fishing. There is also a fungal disease that may affect the tree, but that is not too common. If a tree dies, do not plant another catalpa in the same area.
Warning : The flower pollen is quite allergenic so if there are allergies in the family, don’t plant the Catalpa. Also, the tree can become a large tree that will crowd other trees out or give heavy shade where plants can’t grow; so this is a tree for a fairly large yard. Know that the tree the roots are poisonous, Be wary that the sawdust from working with Catalpa wood can cause inhalant and skin allergy symptoms. Don’t use catalpa wood chips or shavings as animal bedding in case they might cause a problem for pets. The seedpods and seeds of catalpa contain a mild narcotic and sedative and should not be put in the mouth or eaten.
The GardenLady is always looking for beautiful and interesting gardens. And I am sure that the readers would also love to see photos of wonderful gardens. The blog would love to showcase YOUR GARDEN. If you want to show off your garden, contact me by filling out the information on this page.
Welcome to My Garden by njchow82
I am asking TheGardenLady.org readers for photos of your garden with a little write-up about the garden. The write-up should include what country (US, Canada, England, Abu Dabai, etc) and state your garden is in. If you don’t mind telling what town or city your garden is in, that would be wonderful. It would be nice to see both over views and close ups of your plants with the names of the plants in your garden. Other interesting details would be the age of your garden- how long have you been creating it; which direction is North in your garden; something about the soil- is it acidic, neutral or alkaline; what you use for mulch; how much sun your garden gets; any problems your garden has; any interesting anecdotes about your garden; and anything you think would be of interest to TheGardenLady blog readers. Email as many photos as you can.
View on my garden by frans schmit
Of course, if you don’t have a garden but have indoor or patio plants, TheGardenLady would love to see photos of your plants, too. Include information about the plants- names, how long you’ve had the plant, how you designed your container with plants, etc.
Thank you.
(The webmaster reserves the right to choose the photos for the website and edit the writings.)
