Getting rid of Yucca?

21 years ago

Ok, I inherited huge amounts of the stuff on the house I bought last year. After trying to unseat some of it last spring, only to find it back this year, I am convinced Yucca is an Aztec word for 'infestation'. It seems the folks who owned the house before me planted a little bit everywhere, and so I see plants just about in every plantable bed I have. Digging it up just produces huge root groups of which I am sure I am not getting all of.

Is it me, or is this stuff impossible to get rid of?

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Comments (5)

creatrix
21 years ago
No, it's not just you. Yucca has a huge tuberous root and the tinyest bit will grow back. You just have to keep at it. I've had some luck with (wispering) Round-up on the new shoots after digging the bulk of it up. It did take several applications, if I remember correctly.

You can grind the root to make a flour, if you feel like it. I believe several Indian tribes did.
bogturtle
21 years ago
An amazingly persistent plant. Just keep pulling sprouts that grow. The plant will eventually weaken and die. You have to be more persistent. I would also rub roundup on the leaves.
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pianolady
21 years ago
Yes, I have the same problem. Mine was back again this year. I had to dig about 2-3' down to get that puppy out. Luckily I had it in a berm, so it wasn't too hard to dig up. Try to follow every root and get it all, or it will come back.
red_canyon
21 years ago
I posted this on another site so I copied it and will tell the story again on this site.

I made the mistake of killing a yucca once in my younger dumb days. We were having a party on the front lawn and I didn't want anyone drunk backing in to it and hurting themselves. I spent hours the day before with my nail clipper clipping each and every sharp point off, thinking it would grow back. Duh. It died months later. I guess I killed it's defense mechanism. I cried at what I did.

So there you go. Get out that nail clipper and we will hear from you next year. Lot's of work I know but I'm sure you can find a faster way to do it. Skill saw? Oh, I can't believe I'm giving ideas as I really do like the plant.
red_canyon
21 years ago
I posted this on another site so I copied it and will tell the story again on this site.

I made the mistake of killing a yucca once in my younger dumb days. We were having a party on the front lawn and I didn't want anyone drunk backing in to it and hurting themselves. I spent hours the day before with my nail clipper clipping each and every sharp point off, thinking it would grow back. Duh. It died months later. I guess I killed it's defense mechanism. I cried at what I did.

So there you go. Get out that nail clipper and we will hear from you next year. Lot's of work I know but I'm sure you can find a faster way to do it. Skill saw? Oh, I can't believe I'm giving ideas as I really do like the plant.