How to get rid of lilacs on the site forever: ways to remove roots and shoots

It is quite difficult to get rid of lilac overgrowth on the site, because this shrub tends to grow strongly, spreading its root system in the surrounding area. But not all varieties of culture form shoots, and those that fill the site can be quite successfully fought. The main thing is to choose the right and effective method.

Possible reasons for the growth of root shoots

The uncontrolled growth of bushes can lead to the fact that the entire plot will be planted with fluffy trees, and the owners of land allotments will have to face the question of how to bring out the lilac shoots. First you need to establish the cause of the growth of root shoots in order to choose an effective method to get rid of it in the future and take a number of preventive measures.

A multi-stemmed shrub, which is one of the favorites among the people, is able to reproduce by root offspring, seeds, as well as shoots that appear in place of a felled trunk. Due to the length of the life cycle (about 100 years), many young shoots have time to form from the lilac. From each lateral root branch, several new root offspring are formed annually, capable of moving 50–60 cm away from the mother plant. As a result, a bush that has lived for about half a century can grow 8–10 meters around. Such uncontrolled growth leads to the fact that the shrub fills the free space, actively reproduces and simply squeezes out all the rest of the vegetation from the territory.

In addition, lilacs may not give shoots, but carry out seed reproduction. And it is simply impossible to guess the exact place where a new seedling will sprout, since the wind can carry the seed far enough from the mother plant.

Are there varieties of lilacs that do not give shoots

Almost all varieties that were bred on the basis of common lilac give a lot of shoots. But there are also some exceptions.

Lilac without overgrown varieties:

• Hungarian lilac;
• Belicent;
• Gaiavata;
• Dream;
• Beauty of Moscow;
• Christopher Columbus.

Several ways to remove lilac shoots

To get rid of the roots of lilacs on the site, you need to make a lot of effort. The choice of the appropriate method depends on the type of shrub and the extent of the disaster. After all, coping with a couple of extra bushes is much easier than getting rid of entire lilac plantations.

uprooting

The most common and very effective way to remove lilac roots from a site is to physically impact the bush. Uprooting is a complex and rather laborious process, it does not guarantee the complete destruction of the shrub, but is one of the safest methods to get rid of lilacs.

If you don’t want to use chemical means to combat lilac shoots, then you can try this method. For this you need:

1. With a sharp saw, file the main trunk of the shrub.
2. Cut off the shoots to the very root.
3. From the roots in the field of view, shovel the top layer of the earth to make it easier to get to them.
4. With the help of a shovel or crowbar, with an effort, turn out large roots from the ground. It is better to start at some distance from the trunk, where the root is more pliable.
5. Pull out the broken piece.
6. Continue working until you can get rid of all the lilac root shoots in the ground.

Many experienced gardeners prefer not to spend their own energy fighting shrubs. Instead, they go to the trick – the use of vehicles. A towing cable is tied to a car, tractor and other vehicles, fixed to the roots of a bush and pulled out. After such a procedure, it remains only to dig up the area and get rid of all the remaining particles of the roots.

How to remove lilac from the site with salt

You can also get rid of lilac shoots with ordinary table salt. To do this, you just need to fill the area with the processes with a few kilograms of salt. It is usually enough to pour about 1 kg per square meter. Then the place should be poured with boiling water and covered with any material through which light will not enter the soil. It can be slate, boards, iron sheets and more. In the next two years, the treated area should not be opened. Only in this case, in the spring, the growth will not come to life again.

But this method is dangerous, because there is a risk of salinization of the soil, which will eventually lead to the fact that nothing else will grow on such a substrate. If the area of ​​overgrown bushes is not too large, it is better to choose a different method to get rid of lilacs.

How to deal with lilac shoots with chemicals

Remove lilacs from the site forever and in a short time will help chemicals – herbicides. Usually used tools such as Tornado and Roundup. But they are too weak to get rid of an adult plant. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out processing in a certain way.

In order to remove the lilac, you must do the following at the beginning of the season:

1. Cut the main trunk and shoots as close to the root as possible.
2. Wait a few weeks for the young to appear, which will become a supplier of poison to the lilac root.
3. Treat each shoot with the above chemicals (any one of your choice), and it is best to coat each sprout with a brush so that the poison completely covers it.
4. Monitor the appearance of new processes, if they are found, also lubricate with a chemical.
5. After new shoots stop growing, processing can be stopped.
6. The branches must be covered with a black bag so that the sun’s rays do not fall on them.
7. Open next spring. By this time, the poison should have reached the root system and destroyed it.
8. The final stage is digging up the roots and their disposal.

There are more effective chemicals that can get rid of not only lilac shoots, but also centuries-old trees. They are hazardous to health, so working with them must be accompanied by increased safety measures (rubber gloves, special uniforms, respiratory protection, goggles).

Of the funds allowed for use in the fight against lilacs, we can distinguish:

• Arbonal;
• Arsenal New.

Other methods

To destroy the growth of lilacs, you can use other methods of dealing with shrubs.

1. Mulching. You can weaken the growth and reduce its growth rate with a thick layer of mulch. It is necessary to lay out a thick layer of sawdust or humus on the ground, carefully spill them with warm water. After 2 – 3 weeks, it will be possible to transcend to remove the roots.
2. Some gardeners argue that even a simple cover of the roots with a black film has a detrimental effect on the growth. The dark color attracts the sun’s rays, and air does not enter the soil. There is a greenhouse effect, which has a detrimental effect on the growth. Roofing material is also suitable as a shelter.
3. Fresh manure can also help get rid of the lilac bush. To do this, within a radius of 2 meters from the bush, it is necessary to shed the soil with fresh manure, diluted with a small amount of water. Such a fertilizer literally burns out the lilac root system.
4. If at the beginning of autumn the growth is poured with sodium nitrate, then the plant, having received rich top dressing, will not prepare for winter rest, but will begin to grow actively. It is this factor that will be disastrous for him.

A set of preventive measures

Since it is quite difficult to remove lilac from the site, it is better not to allow it to grow. Simple preventive measures will help get rid of overgrowth.

Among them are the following:

1. When preparing a place for planting seedlings, you must immediately take care of installing a protective screen that will prevent the roots from growing. For this, roofing material, boards, metal sheets are used, which are dug in a few meters from the dug hole.
2. As soon as the growth begins to appear, it must be immediately removed, cut off to the very root.
3. When planting lilacs, it is important to mulch the nearby soil so that the offspring, growing up, do not gain strength.
4. At the end of flowering, the brushes must be cut off so that the seeds do not fall off and do not scatter around the site.

Simple preventive measures will allow you to keep the growth of lilacs under control, and then you will not have to deal with it in the future.

Conclusion

You can get rid of lilac growth on the site with the help of folk remedies – this is a long and painstaking process, but very safe. You can use automotive equipment or apply another type of physical impact on the lilac root system. In the case when these methods were not effective, special chemicals can also be used. But the easiest way is to prevent the uncontrolled growth of the shrub, limiting its capabilities in a timely manner.