Exposing Overgrown Lava Flow

[achutch3]

Hello All,

My property has a few areas in which you can see some nice lava flow features but they were overgrown.  I weeded them down so they are pretty exposed now but am looking for any suggestions on how to get them down to bare rock and keep them that way.

Thanks!!!

[Wao nahele wahine]

Hello All,

My property has a few areas in which you can see some nice lava flow features but they were overgrown.  I weeded them down so they are pretty exposed now but am looking for any suggestions on how to get them down to bare rock and keep them that way.

Thanks!!!

We have used a pressure washer to expose bare rock in some areas of our property.

[Obie]

We used an OO Bar to pry that root mass that is left off of the lava and roll it up. Lots of work. Roll it and use a machete as you go to cut any stubborn roots.
Followed with back pack blower or pressure washer.
Followed with a weedburner.

[Wao nahele wahine]

If you want the rock to remain exposed to show the features, you will need to use a pressure washer, weedburner or whatever means you prefer at regular intervals as needed.

[achutch3]

Thank you for the responses! I'll try it!

Tried to Google an answer to this but knew I wouldn't find anything.  Also knew someone here would know the answer. Thanks again!

[Olohana 1790]

weed burners are a waste of time, because the larger ones grow back from roots...
actually everything 'kooky' is a waste of time...

either pull the weeds. or....

Roundup works! try it for a change....
and maybe dont fall for all the stupidity ....
use common sense , use as directed...
ps. its not a vitamin
aloha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate

[MarkP]

I have used glyphosate a lot. If used with sufficient care it allows you to surgically remove unwanted plants without a lot of physical disturbance. It requires patience as it takes weeks for full effect to be seen. Repeated applications are often required. So far it has killed everything I have needed it to. I was once tempted to buy some Milestone. Glad I didn't. That stuff remains active for years. If you compost the dead vegetation the Milestone is still active in the compost, killing whatever you put the compost on. Not saying Milestone is bad, just that you need to know what you are dealing with. People endure chemotherapy if the circumstances warrant it.

I often go through phases where I actively try to kill off a bunch of guava. Weeks go buy and the results don't seem satisfying enough so I do another application. Eventually I lose interest and stop paying attention. Months later I notice that the guava that didn't seem to be dying has in fact died. It just took a long time. It was probably a combination of physical ring-barking that occurs if I am doing hack and squirt and just repeated applications. I have physically cut down clumps of guava and treated the stumps with glyphosate and had the stumps re-sprout. At that point I apply diluted glyphosate to the new foliage. I have also cut and treated stumps on my side of the fence and had guava die on my neighbors side of the fence.

[Obie]

I use roundup but still use a burner and a pressure washer.

[Justin]

I did this last year, over several weeks, during the times I was under 14 day quarantine and couldn’t leave the house.  I removed sections in rows, like rolls of carpet or sod.  I’d go in a foot or two from the edge and cut a line with a shovel, then roll up the 1-2 foot wide section and toss it into a wheelbarrow.  Then I dumped all the dirt around my bamboo.  Once this was done, I used a high velocity nozzle to spray off what was left.  Came out great.

[Ccat]

Hello All,

My property has a few areas in which you can see some nice lava flow features but they were overgrown.  I weeded them down so they are pretty exposed now but am looking for any suggestions on how to get them down to bare rock and keep them that way.

Thanks!!!

Another option to kill very tough plants is to cover them with a black plastic tarp.  Nothing (much) can grow without sunlight.

We killed off a vigorous old tree stump (embedded in a nice lava outcropping) by wrapping it securely with a black plastic tarp.  It took some months, but finally it died.  Glyphosate didnt touch it!

Ccat