Weed free lots????

[Beachboy]

I've noticed here and there in HPP lots that are completely free of just about any growth. What are people spraying on their lots agent orange?

I have a running battle with three types of plant/weeds/trees on my lot in HPP. That one green ground cover plant/weed that grows little yellow flowers on it. This one grows at a pretty fast rate too? That one brown weed that seems sensitive to touch. It curls up, and it's loaded with stickers too. My 2 yr old will not wear shoes of any type(Hawaiian feet?). These buggars hurt just to pull because of their stickers end up in your fingers. Three, the imfamous Albeiza sprouts that are popping up all over my lot. These things are truly driving crazy!!

So does anybody know of anything that works good on these three headaches?

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...

[janeadams]

Hi Beachboy,

The "sensitive" one is Mimosa -- some idiot thought they were cute houseplants and brought 'em over. Don't feel bad about straying them! Roundup will get 'em eventually, but to really do it quick, try Remedy ro Crossbow (nasty 24D type stuff). Albezia, same stuff.

I think the groundcover one will respond to Roundup.

Just thinking of baby's tender toes on Mimosa makes me cringe. Must be very tough feet for a 2 year old!

Jane

[Mitzi M]

Hey there Beachboy,

I also think Roundup might be a good first step. But whatever you do, don't weed wack the mimosa! I learned the hard way that it comes back twice as strong with it's evil little thorns. Depending on what size area you have, another idea is to get some old carpet from the dump or wherever, and lay it down where you want to kill weeds. After about a month or so, the carpet will be kinda nasty but most things under there will be pau. Whether you use chemicals or carpet, you'll have a new crop of seeds sprouting up a little while after you kill the parent plants - so you'll have to look for those and zap them too. I think the main thing is, you have to be ready to cover the area with something else before weeds can reestablish. I don't really believe in weed barrier as a long term solution. It breaks down pretty fast here and looks like an ugly shredded mass of plastic that's hard to clean up. I say use a fast growing groundcover you like instead. Grass is easy - another good one is perennial peanut (arachis pintoi)- it also fixes nitrogen. It's worth it to spend some time and money preparing the planting area with cinder/soil and or compost, and then plant the groundcover thickly to give it the best possible advantage. At first you'll have to pull a few weeds, but when it grows in, the weeds will have a hard time recolonizing.
If you don't need to walk on the entire area, that opens up your plant choices a bunch too.

Happy weeding.

Aloha,
Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[Beachboy]

Jane & Mitzi, thanks for your ideas. I bought some stuff from Home Depot today that promises no weeds for one year. Off the top of my head I can't think of the name of the product. Oh well I'll see what happens..

mahalo,

Roger aka Beachboy

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...


Edited by - beachboy on 11/17/2007 17:08:17

[JayJay]

It's all about the weeds and bugs in Puna. That's the real challange. These forces can not be mitigated appropriately without changing our focus on what a Hawaiian garden really is and with the Albezia here to stay we've got to learn how to use nature, and eventually a new technology - at least new to Hawaii, to battle these invasive species. First off, the Albezia mush be kept off the parcel because it's nature is to spread rapidly, and due to it's growth rate (it's nitrogen fixing btw), with out human intervention the whole of Puna would be taken over in perhaps two to three more decades judging by what I've seen in terms of coverage over the last fourty years. For instance, here in Puna, and anywhere on the Big Island ... as well as I recall, there were no Albezia here in 1965. I don't recall any and I've talked to old timers who don't recall them bing here at that point either, although I understand from one source they were in the vicinity of Lava Tree State Park. In any case ... If one want's to get a glimpse of the future, since the state and county have basically dropped the ball on the infestation from the beginning, drive to the steam vents and take the gravel road (the entrance is across the highway to the west) drive to the end of the road (about one and one-half miles going west) get out of the car (and take binoculars), and from that vantage point you'll actually see the infestation as few others actually do. There is a giant tree system comming up from Sea View ... up across the highway ... through the Black Sands Subdivision and extending well into the Wa Keli O' Puna. The first time I saw it I was shocked and it reminded me of pictures I'd seen of the forests in Summatra. Funny thing, later I discovered Indonesia is home to Albezia.

So first things first. The first gardening challange we face collectively (and let's call it for what it is, eventhough it's really is a beautiful tree), is the Albezia weed. We're got to keep it out of our yards and parcels and that's all we can do for now ... again, since the local and state departments which should have recognized the enviromental consequences of this species as it literally, year after year, covers our beautiful endemic landscape (along with the miconia and others).
Forgive me, but I'm rather passionate on this subject. Look around, the topography is literally being exsponged by vast swatches of 'giant weeds' which are exponentialy covering the land and the powers-that-be have long ago simply thrown up their hands and given up and we're left with the result of their initial betrayal. And now, there's no turning back ... since the infestation is so immense due to airborn seeding. I'm always exasperated when realizing how inappropriately my tax payments were used. The state can afford to construct a multi-million dollar adminisrative head quarters in the center of Hilo (the structure resembling the administration building, at least in my mind, from Orwell's 1987), yet they've never been able to mount and fund a viable miconia and albezia eradication format and we're left with the aftermath of their negligence.

Back on topic ... keep the albezia out, don't allow your neighbors to let their albezia or miconia drape or droop over your property line and try to educate them ... and you subdivision if applicable, on the exigency of removing these plants for the common good. Once the Albezia are irradicated you must go through your lot(s) periodically and pull up the young plants which have grown by air-borne seeding before they become established and at that point you can actually begin to take on the other minor problems like mimosa pudica, cain grass, say grass, the carpeting weed with the yellow flower (I've forgotton the name but mysister knows it and I'll get it from her and post it), these things can all be handled ... my point is Albezia and Miconia first and then I'll get into how to create a garden which has very few weeds and requires ziltch fertilization and best of all will provide food and enjoyment and better health year round.
JayJay

Edited by - JayJay on 11/18/2007 01:06:58

Edited by - JayJay on 11/18/2007 01:18:29

[Beachboy]

quote:

---

Back on topic ... keep the albezia out, don't allow your neighbors to let their albezia or miconia drape or droop over your property line and try to educate them ... and you subdivision if applicable, on the exigency of removing these plants for the common good. Once the Albezia are irradicated you must go through your lot(s) periodically and pull up the young plants which have grown by air-borne seeding before they become established and at that point you can actually begin to take on the other minor problems like mimosa pudica, cain grass, say grass, the carpeting weed with the yellow flower (I've forgotton the name but mysister knows it and I'll get it from her and post it), these things can all be handled ... my point is Albezia and Miconia first and then I'll get into how to create a garden which has very few weeds and requires ziltch fertilization and best of all will provide food and enjoyment and better health year round.
JayJay

Edited by - JayJay on 11/18/2007 01:06:58

Edited by - JayJay on 11/18/2007 01:18:29

---

my house is surrounded by Albezia Trees! As beautiful as they are...they must come down! I also have these trees hanging over my house & property from neighbor's undeveloped lot. I actually wrote a letter to one of the owners(Hui, three owners two lots) of their lots. But my letter fell on deaf ears, or blind eyes...however you wanna spin it. I never got a reply and that was four months ago. I told them I was afraid that one of their trees could fall on my kids, or worse go through my roof! I'm kinda pissed just thinking about it, wish I had a "phatty" to calm me down..

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...


Edited by - beachboy on 11/19/2007 06:35:00

[Mitzi M]

While I also wish the state would get more serious about invasive species control, there are people out there addressing these issues and trying to make positive changes. Check out BIISC (Big Island Invasive Species Committee).

http://www.hear.org/biisc/#aboutbiisc

It's a volunteer group that meets monthly - the November meeting just passed.

Aloha,
Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[Beachboy]

yesterday's hard rains remind how important it is that I get this stuff done. Just about every other day I find myself up on my 'step ladder',clearing our my rain gutters of Albezia leaf,seed & sprouts if I wait longer than two days. Because of the hard rains yesterday I had to clean rain gutters twice by the four "down spouts", to make sure water flows freely back to Catchment tank.
I've noticed something about Albezia sprouts, call me crazy but the smell edible! Does anybody else get this same feeling from these sprouts?

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...

[Beachboy]

quote:

---

Hey there Beachboy,

I also think Roundup might be a good first step. But whatever you do, don't weed wack the mimosa! I learned the hard way that it comes back twice as strong with it's evil little thorns. Depending on what size area you have, another idea is to get some old carpet from the dump or wherever, and lay it down where you want to kill weeds. After about a month or so, the carpet will be kinda nasty but most things under there will be pau. Whether you use chemicals or carpet, you'll have a new crop of seeds sprouting up a little while after you kill the parent plants - so you'll have to look for those and zap them too. I think the main thing is, you have to be ready to cover the area with something else before weeds can reestablish. I don't really believe in weed barrier as a long term solution. It breaks down pretty fast here and looks like an ugly shredded mass of plastic that's hard to clean up. I say use a fast growing groundcover you like instead. Grass is easy - another good one is perennial peanut (arachis pintoi)- it also fixes nitrogen. It's worth it to spend some time and money preparing the planting area with cinder/soil and or compost, and then plant the groundcover thickly to give it the best possible advantage. At first you'll have to pull a few weeds, but when it grows in, the weeds will have a hard time recolonizing.
If you don't need to walk on the entire area, that opens up your plant choices a bunch too.

Happy weeding.

Aloha,
Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

---

Mitzi, so you think I should start with "Roundup". Like weeds there are so many different types of 'Roundup"! Any particular "Roundup" I should use? They have a big variety?!

mahalo,

Roger aka Beachboy

Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...


Edited by - beachboy on 11/19/2007 06:51:13

[Mitzi M]

Well, the active ingredient in Roundup is "glyphosate", a chemical patented by Monsanto. It kills plants by supressing an enzyme. It's moderately toxic and breaks down pretty quickly in the soil. But the weeds will come back in a couple of months or less after being sprayed. That's why I don't think it's a great long-term solution, but it's a good way to get rid of stuff so you can get something else started. You can buy the regular Roundup grass and weed killer, which will probably work well enough, or you can buy the more concentrated kind called Roundup "Pro Dry", I think. Sometimes people mix Roundup with other herbicides like Diquat or Sythe (Sythe is actually made from organic fatty acids) for a faster kill off. (Roundup alone takes a little longer to kill the plants) Like Roundup, both of these break down in the soil pretty fast and aren't very toxic. If ya gotta use chemicals, these are some of the more benign.

Edited by - mitzi m on 11/19/2007 16:17:26