12-30-2005, 11:38 PM
I am a brand new member to Punaweb, and as of last week, a brand new home owner in Puna. Our house is still being built, with the lot only partially cleared (thankfully!). I have to admit, I am addicted to gardening, and while very excited about the house, I am more excited about all the gardening possibilities ahead of me! Upon being told about all the strawberry guava still left standing on our lot, and learning that it is an invasive species, I contacted Malama O Puna - an organization (right in our own backyard!) dedicated to protecting the local environment. I spoke to a wonderful woman there who talked to me at length about my new property and what might be on it. When I told her there were guavas on it, she agreed that they were a terrible pest and had to go. She suggested the only true way to get rid of them is to cut them off, close to the ground, and then apply an herbacide (she suggested Ortho Brush Be Gone) directly to the freshly cut stump. You cannot wait to apply it as the wound will quickly heal up. You have to be careful of dropping ripe fruit, as they are full of viable seeds, and must be careful of leaving live roots behind as they sucker freely.
I am the first one to recoil from the use of any kind of herbacide, but in this case, in balancing the need to remove a noxious, invasive and non native species - is it justified? It sounded to me that it might be the only way to truly clear my site of this particular tree. She told me the best way to ensure that other plants are not affected, is to mix the concentrate in a squeezeable bottle - like a shampoo bottle. In this manner, you can squeeze the liquid herbaside directly on the stump and not worry about overspraying.
She told me that after I had the guava removed, that I was welcome to call her back, and she would be more than happy to come out, walk my property with me and let me know what I had for native flora and fauna! I thought that was tremendously generous!! And, believe me, I am looking forward to that day!
So now, I am looking around for someone I can hire to help me in this endeavor. I am also looking for someone I can employ to build me some stone walls with all this lava rock! I too, will be utilizing a raised bed system (as I did for years in PA). But, I'm only one woman - so if anyone has used someone they would care to recommend, please feel free to email me. I would appreciate any suggestions! Happy New Year!
I am the first one to recoil from the use of any kind of herbacide, but in this case, in balancing the need to remove a noxious, invasive and non native species - is it justified? It sounded to me that it might be the only way to truly clear my site of this particular tree. She told me the best way to ensure that other plants are not affected, is to mix the concentrate in a squeezeable bottle - like a shampoo bottle. In this manner, you can squeeze the liquid herbaside directly on the stump and not worry about overspraying.
She told me that after I had the guava removed, that I was welcome to call her back, and she would be more than happy to come out, walk my property with me and let me know what I had for native flora and fauna! I thought that was tremendously generous!! And, believe me, I am looking forward to that day!
So now, I am looking around for someone I can hire to help me in this endeavor. I am also looking for someone I can employ to build me some stone walls with all this lava rock! I too, will be utilizing a raised bed system (as I did for years in PA). But, I'm only one woman - so if anyone has used someone they would care to recommend, please feel free to email me. I would appreciate any suggestions! Happy New Year!