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Miconia is springing up again and its time to "nip it in the bud" - pun intended. First volunteer workday, organized by Malama O Puna, will be on Sunday, April 7 from 10 to 1. Location is the old ginger patch at the corner of Post Office Road and the Hwy. 130 Bypass. Wear sturdy footwear and long pants. Area is only about an acre, but terrain is uneven. Tools & supplies will be provided, as well as light refreshments. Project is funded by council contingency grants. These are large trees, and the goal is to prevent them from going to seed. For more info: malamaopuna@yahoo.com or renesiracusa@hotmail.com.
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Is there a reliable mechanical way to kill them, or is a chemical required? I've been cutting them down near my house but they come right back...
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If they are small, you can just pull them up by the roots and hang them upside down so that the roots dry out.
However, if they are already trees, you cannot kill them using only mechanical means - girdling is not always 100% effective. You can drill a downward pointing hole in the bottom with a large bit and then inject herbicide into the hole. Or you can hand girdle and then re-girdle with the herbicide. Or you can cut and immediately treat the cut end with the herbicide. I do not like spraying, because the I don't want to breathe in aerosole droplets. Roundup doesn't work. Ortho poison ivy killer does.
When you cut without following up with herbicide all you are doing is pruning to encourage bushiness. That's obviously not at all what you want to accomplish.
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cut and immediately treat the cut end with the herbicide
Cut, immediately drill holes in the stump, apply herbicide.
Ortho poison ivy killer does.
Crossbow has a superset of the Ortho ivy chemicals.
Combination of the above is a "one-shot" for waiwi, cecropia, others.
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We treated 39 large trees on April 7, and on Earth Day, 4/22 controlled 24 across the street from Pahoa High ball-field. We will be returning to the ginger patch on P. O. Rd. near the Hwy. 130 intersection on Sunday, May 19th at 10 am. Volunteers are needed. The parcel is only about one acre, but the terrain is rough, so sturdy footwear, long pants & sleeves are the recommended attire. Light refreshments, gloves, tools, etc. will be provided.
mahalo plenty,
Rene
