The elusive Nandina is a plant that has captured many gardeners imagination over the years. It is also known as heavenly bamboo or lucid bamboo. Many gardeners will try their utmost to keep the plant in it’s natural habitat but the question remains: How to get rid of Nandina from a garden?
To begin, we have to understand that Nandina is not a garden pest. In fact it does not feed on plants. The plant only damages plants when it invades them and takes over. This plant does not seek out food; it merely conquers the space in which it lives. If you are wondering how to get rid of Nandina in a garden, you need to first understand that it is much like a moth in that it seeks to destroy vegetation only.
Nandina can be controlled in a variety of ways. Control the plant by keeping it well watered, keeping it from spreading by removing any of it’s underground runners and by trimming it back to the desired height. If the plant is still in its young stages and if you see it growing close to your home then you may wish to dig it up and divide it into two or three separate pots. You should however avoid splitting it so that the plant has access to all the earth around it.
How to get rid of nandina in a garden varies with each gardener, but there are a few things that will almost always work. If you have a large area to treat, such as a large field, you can divide the plant into smaller patches and apply insecticides to each. In the case of a plant that you are trying to control indoors, then you will need to isolate the plant and apply insecticide vapour directly to the foliage. Do not wait for the plant to settle down and dry out, because in that case the spray will simply wash away.
The most popular methods of how to get rid of nandina are the use of borax and vinegar. Both of these treatments can be combined using equal measures of water. Borax can be used to add some essential oil to your soil and help to aerate the soil, while vinegar will give off a musty smell that will deter pests. Both of these treatments can be applied to the entire plant or each individual leaf.
If the problem is particularly bad, such as root rot, then you may need to dig the plant out and treat the roots with an organic herbicide. Some of the more effective organic herbicides for use on plants include black diesel, horsetail weed, garlic / onions powder and potato salt. If the problem persists, you can try to remove the leaf on top of the plant, but this will damage your plant’s nutritional value. When attempting to get rid of nandina from a damaged plant, it is important not to try and pull the whole thing up because this will damage the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Once you have killed the plant, you should take all of the dead leaves and twigs and squeeze them or crush them into a pulp. Use a teaspoon to extract the juice. Then rinse the leaves thoroughly under warm water. Make sure all of the soil is removed before you plant new seeds. You should also prepare the soil by adding coarse sand to the bottom and working it into loose pebbles. When the plant begins to grow, it will take up much of the sand so keep the extra dirt out of the ground for future seedings.
When the plant starts to grow roots will begin to take hold of the soil around the base. As the roots start to grow, they will grab onto any Nandina they come into contact with until the plant is firmly established. After it has established itself you should be able to remove the twigs and leaves and squeeze or shake the plant to remove excess water. Nandina can be a persistent pest problem but with the right methods and the determination to do it properly you should be able to get rid of the pesky pests that plague many gardens.
