Agave Plant Eradication

[Foolish Gardner]

I will preface this query by stating I am not a gardener and I know very little about plants in general. Of course, I know the difference between a large fir tree and a strawberry plant but that is as far as my plant knowledge goes.

Living here in the desert Southwest of the USA we have a lot of agave plants. Once planted they tend to grow a network of shallow underground rhizomes that spread and sprout above ground in a very willy nilly fashion. This network survives removal of the main plant structure and continue to grow without support from that central plant.

My query is.... How do you kill this persistent spiky plant and it's underground network?

 

[Chuck]

I will preface this query by stating I am not a gardener and I know very little about plants in general. Of course, I know the difference between a large fir tree and a strawberry plant but that is as far as my plant knowledge goes.

Living here in the desert Southwest of the USA we have a lot of agave plants. Once planted they tend to grow a network of shallow underground rhizomes that spread and sprout above ground in a very willy nilly fashion. This network survives removal of the main plant structure and continue to grow without support from that central plant.

My query is.... How do you kill this persistent spiky plant and it's underground network?

It is not difficult altough it will require at least two and maybe three applications. What you do is get a bottle of Stump and Vine Killer. The active ingredient is Triclopyr. You cut the plant off at very close to the ground. If it is a large plant try to drill some 3/4 inch holes into the stump as deep as you can. Fill these holes up with the S&V Killer. If you can't drill holes, paint 3 or 4 times before the stump dries out. With the sprouts coming of off the roots snip these off at ground level and paint the cut stump. 41% glysophate will eventually work but not nearly as effectively as the S&V Killer. Bonide and Monterrey are the two most popular brands. Just make sure it is 8% triclopyr

 

[Foolish Gardner]

@Chuck Thank you!