A Seed Saver's Garden

Alasgun

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Messages
1,296
Reaction score
5,388
Points
195
Location
S. Central Alaska
I planted 5 originally, (in the spring) that fall i dug 2 out, gave one away and ground the other. The next spring i couldn't tell where the dug roots use to reside as every little broken off piece made a new plant. I feel confident that next spring i will have a Lot more plants.
Mine is in a raised bed and somewhat easier to deal with than if it were planted directly in the earth.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,763
Reaction score
15,560
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
I have a maple tree problem on my property. IF we were to move out and leave everything undisturbed, my property would be a maple forest! They Love to grow under fencelines.
I have killed many of them in this way:
1) cut down
2) dig down 4-5 inches and hand saw it off underground
3) fill the hole tight with cardboard, cover with soil OR a brick
Next year it will be gone.
BY
THE
WAY,
I came up with this solution.
Never read about doing it, and happy to share.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,763
Reaction score
15,560
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
I watch a Lot of gardening programs. I see many professional gardeners cover up soil next to their crops with "garden plastic."
Are they just using plastic?!?!?
I keep learning things that I have read, so when I use cardboard boxes, NOW I take the time to remove the packing tape.
I have had to clean it up later in my beds and That takes up valuable gardening minutes.
So...I am using cardboard more and more and more to help me with weeds.
 

heirloomgal

Garden Addicted
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
4,218
Reaction score
13,558
Points
255
Location
Northern Ontario, Canada
I watch a Lot of gardening programs. I see many professional gardeners cover up soil next to their crops with "garden plastic."
Are they just using plastic?!?!?
I keep learning things that I have read, so when I use cardboard boxes, NOW I take the time to remove the packing tape.
I have had to clean it up later in my beds and That takes up valuable gardening minutes.
So...I am using cardboard more and more and more to help me with weeds.
We have 2 major cedar trunk clusters that need to be dug up this spring. The last ones were absolutely brutal, back breaking work with pick axes, shovels, sawsall, etc. Without our neighbour hooking up his truck for the final yanking we wouldn't have got them out by hand. Any tips for easier stump removal? I can at least say we left these stumps much taller than the last ones, 4 feet or so for better leverage.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,763
Reaction score
15,560
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
IF there is nothing flammable close by, so no chance of a an out of control fire, you could soak the stump with diesel fuel and give it a slow burn.
Since we burn ALL of the time here, ANYTHING green will take if you burn on top of it enough times to dry it out.
Honestly, I wouild leave the stump and make it part of your gardening.
I see people all of the time try to use a truck or a tractor to pull on something with roots and then they break their machine. Not worth it.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,763
Reaction score
15,560
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
When I took out the 8 yews, south side of the garage, I used my reciprocating saw, sawed and kept digging until I found their tap roots. Yes, these were much smaller, but concept is similar.
Tree Growers root prune. You could do the same and help to kill the stump that way, too.
Follow the guidelines of what Not to do to save the tree.
 

Dahlia

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
1,765
Reaction score
4,759
Points
195
Location
Pacific Northwest
I have a maple tree problem on my property. IF we were to move out and leave everything undisturbed, my property would be a maple forest! They Love to grow under fencelines.
I have killed many of them in this way:
1) cut down
2) dig down 4-5 inches and hand saw it off underground
3) fill the hole tight with cardboard, cover with soil OR a brick
Next year it will be gone.
BY
THE
WAY,
I came up with this solution.
Never read about doing it, and happy to share.
Oooo, you should tap one of your older maple trees and make syrup!
 

Dahlia

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
1,765
Reaction score
4,759
Points
195
Location
Pacific Northwest
I planted 5 originally, (in the spring) that fall i dug 2 out, gave one away and ground the other. The next spring i couldn't tell where the dug roots use to reside as every little broken off piece made a new plant. I feel confident that next spring i will have a Lot more plants.
Mine is in a raised bed and somewhat easier to deal with than if it were planted directly in the earth.
I love using fresh horseradish for sushi!
 

Zeedman

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
12,126
Points
307
Location
East-central Wisconsin
I have a maple tree problem on my property. IF we were to move out and leave everything undisturbed, my property would be a maple forest! They Love to grow under fencelines.
I have killed many of them in this way:
1) cut down
2) dig down 4-5 inches and hand saw it off underground
3) fill the hole tight with cardboard, cover with soil OR a brick
Next year it will be gone.
BY
THE
WAY,
I came up with this solution.
Never read about doing it, and happy to share.
Too much work for this old man. I'd rather wait until after a rain, and run a weed burner down the fence line while the seedlings are still small & easily killed. The neighbor's silver maple deposits a lot of seeds when the wind is just right (or just wrong?) and when they come up, it takes me about an hour to kill those seedlings & anything else along my 300' of garden fence.
 

Zeedman

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
12,126
Points
307
Location
East-central Wisconsin
I see people all of the time try to use a truck or a tractor to pull on something with roots and then they break their machine. Not worth it.
Agreed. I was fortunate that when my basement was being worked on, the excavator agreed to dig up several stumps for free while he was on break.
 
Top