I have two nandinas in the front of the house that I want to remove. However, after a lot of digging over the weekend I've discovered this may be a bigger job than I previously thought. We've got one of them dug down about 18 inches right now. Dad is hoping he can use a chain to pull it next time he comes to visit. Has anyone else tried removing these, and if so do you have any tips to share?
Heavenly Bamboos (Nandina domestica) is a lovely plant but it is extremely invasive and if all roots aren't removed it can spread by underground runners. Smaller plants can be pulled out easily by hand but large, mature shrubs will have to be dug out or yanked out by a heavy truck with a chain, as you've stated your dad might be able to do. Seeds remain on the plants for many months so it's a good idea to dig the plants before the seeds appear.
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Thanks Lin! I had a feeling that was about the only way to get rid of these. They are planted too close to the house, and were massive before I cut them back. Even with yanking them out I will probably be dealing with volunteers for quite a while, but at least I know concentrated roundup will do them in. I brush it on after I cut them (no spraying). At least we got the tree that was too close on the other side down over the weekend. Baby steps!
Nandina has very deep and strong root system so it's good to try to eradicate as much of the root structure as possible but may be impossible to completely eradicate it, even with Round Up! Check the area @ a year later and yank any seedlings that might have sprouted from remaining root fragments. I've heard that seeds can remain dormant in the soil for many months before germinating so that's a good reason to keep an eye on the area too. It's a highly invasive species here in Florida ... and in Texas: http://www.texasinvasives.org/...
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Name: josephine Arlington, Texas (Zone 8a) Hi Everybody!! Let us talk native.
We got rid of ours by digging with pick ax, we had a lot of them all around the house.
We didn't know that they were invasive at the time, all we knew was they were pretty and could take all kinds of punishment. Here are the pictures from our adventure 15 yeas ago.
We planted Coralberry in its place.
Wildflowers are the Smiles of Nature.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants and Wildflowers.
I am not a fan of nandina. At a recent Native Plant Society of Texas meeting, we were told that the berries contain cyanide which studies have shown causes internal hemorrhaging in song birds who eat the fruit. Always happy to hear that people are yanking them out. Good luck with your project!
Im sorry to be in the minority on this thread. Love me some nandina! The laciness, pretty fall leaves and if course stunning red berries. But I'm a shade gardener. Nandina grow suuuuuper slowly for me. And I don't have a hedge full if them. Even in what little sun I do have, they are manageable. I know nandina are said to like full sun. Perhaps giving them everything it wants is not such a good idea?
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I'm in the minority too. I like the standard nandinas but we have many of them. I have several, I bet 5 outside my kitchen window, and I want them moved to another spot. We have 2 acres so I can always find a spot for them and they are great for a fence line. Excellent privacy and yes, very hard to kill AND evergreen.