How best to get rid of Rhodendron

muddle84 · 30-08-2022 04:02PM #1

I have a field that is quite boggy and is slowly being taken over by Rhododendron. My neighbouring fields have been nearly completely taken over( their land is not being used). My plan is to cut them down tight to the ground, drill a 10mm hole in the stump and inject roundup. I've found this the most effective way to kill them in the past.

But I'm not sure what to do with the actual bushes that i'll be cutting down. Whats the best way to get rid of these?

Hire a wood chipper and turn them into mulch? Could mulched Rhodo still take root?
Pile them in the middle of the field to dry out and burn?
Any other ideas? Most our neighbours dump the cuttings somewhere, usually on the bogs or something like that but that just makes the problem worse!

Thekeencyclist · 01-09-2022 03:33PM

I'd be more inclined to burn them if possible. They tend to be in seed for Nov -> Feb so I would avoid doing anything with them for those few months.

You can just nip them at the stem to break the bark but it is critical to spray them with round up within 20 seconds. They seal themselves relatively quickly. The recommneded dosage is 14% Round Up Biactive. (So for every 1L of spray, it should be at least 140ml roundup). You can also add a dye / coloring to help identify which ones have been sprayed. You can simply spray them with a spray can that can be pressurised etc. These can be got in any hardware store. This would be simpler than injecting them.

Your neighbours are not helping the problem by dumping the cuttings elsewhere!!

Citizen Six · 01-09-2022 03:36PM

So you can just spray the exposed surface, within 20 seconds. Is that enough?

muddle84 · 01-09-2022 03:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119555196#Comment_119555196

I did not know they seal themselves up that quickly! Thanks for that!

Thekeencyclist · 01-09-2022 04:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119555211#Comment_119555211

Yip, ensure to get broken surface (as close to the ground as possible etc) withing 20 seconds. The round up should work away after that.

That is what I was told from a training event I attended about 2 months ago as part of a project.

01-09-2022 07:25PM

I used the drill and pour method myself, as well as just manual yanking for smaller bushes.

Very doable, the key thing is follow up. Once you have started, plough on to the end. This is the reason larger scale plans haven't worked in the past here in Ireland. Groundwork down in Killarney had the right idea - clear an area and keep it cleared, but naturally they got no backup.

Unfortunately the wood is shite, so no use for stoves etc.

01-09-2022 07:26PM

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://invasivespeciesireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Rhododendron-BPM.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjIzYnIp_T5AhUCHewKHdzuB_MQFnoECDEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw037Y6Gtft48xLnnrRE3ZJM

This is worth a look

How best to get rid of Rhodendron

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