How to tackle Desert Broom?

11 years ago

Hello,
New to this forum, not new to Arizona. I have lived here for many years and still can't figure out successful ways of getting rid of Desert Broom.
I am sure you all know that Desert Broom is a non-native and extremely invasive plant. Grows very fast, propagates like a virus, has deep roots, clings to native plants and eventually overtakes the entire yard and beyond.
I am in Carefree (NE corner of Scottsdale, east of Pima Rd), we have open spaces, no fences, one acre plus yards, and deseert broom is virtually taking over.
I have been trying to dig it, spray it, cut the tops and then pour root killer, wrap black plastic around tightly to prevent sunlight from reaching the plant... Some of them I was able to pull with my off-road Jeep (truck doesn't work in tight spaces), some roots are so deep that when I try to pull them the enire Jeep's rear goes up on the air.
Trying to keep new growth under control, weeding before they grow deep and strong, but it's hard to keep up when most pf the neighbours are either oblivious and ignorant or too old to worry about it, these bloody plants grow out fo control on their properties, and seeds spread all over.

It there anything at all better than Jeep pulls and one-by-one root killing by Roundup? I certainly don't want any good plants to affected....

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desert_cat
Original Author

11 years ago

Thank you for the directions. Makes perfect sense about pulling them out: those roots never come out entirely and contunue growing unless I do it after heavy rains.
I will try the solution.

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Comments (6)

grubby_AZ Tucson Z9
11 years ago
It's not your neighbors. Your own personal broom plants could have blown in from miles away. Broom is native throughout the entire Sonoran Desert. It's called "invasive" because it can only hang on in the real desert with hard soil surfaces but thrives where there's disturbed soil, like where humans like us try to conquer the desert.

Try to not pull.

Pulling is actually bad because they say that wicked tap root breaks and then will regrow the plant even bushier. You'd have better luck slicing the buggers off just above ground level and doping the cut ends with poison. Ends seem to clog up fast on desert woody plants, so spray or splat immediately. Some people (not all) think Roundup is a waste on woody plants like broom so try 2,4-D or triclopyr or both mixed together on stumped ends. Don't dilute to more than about 40 or 50 percent or such, and don't bother to spray the foliage.
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User
11 years ago
Cut and dab with herbicide IMMEDIATELY. Works well if one person cuts and the other one has a small dish or roundup and a sponge tipped paintbrush for dabbing.

The young growth is susceptible, so another control method is to cut it off, water it well and spray the tender new growth with an herbicide when it shows up. Repeat a few times and it's usually dead.

And keep a watch for seedlings.
waterbug_guy
11 years ago
You can also make a few cuts in the bark around the trunk with an axe, leaving good bark intact between cuts, and spray some glyphosate (RoundUp, Accord, whatever) into the cuts. With active leaves the glyphosate will be taken up and make its way to the root. It also shows you a little faster how the tree is being effected, you can see the leaves dying rather than waiting to see if a cut stump sprouts.

Takes very little glyphosate. Very safe for surrounding plants because glyphosate becomes inert on contact with soil.

But cutting and applying just to the cambium layer does work too as others have already said.
aztreelvr
11 years ago
Try the method lazygardens outlined above and be sure to use the most concentrated glyphosate you can find. Round Up is fine but other products with the same active ingredient (glyphosate) are available at about half the cost. I found one with 41 percent glyphosate at Lowes. Immediately paint full strength on freshly cut stems. It works best when the plant is growing at its peak - probably late spring through summer.
waterbug_guy
11 years ago
Cut bark method can be done in the winter.