Removal of Japanese honeysuckle is possible! You need a good eye to notice the pattern of the leaves, but most importantly, you need to be persistent. Before going to chemicals, attack by mechanical means. Fall is the best time of year to do this; the other plants (in your case, asparagus) are out of the way, and you can clearly see the honeysuckle. Water the bed well; you want the ground to be soft but not muddy. Wear garden gloves. You may want to use sharp garden clippers. Simply pull up the honeysuckle by hand. That should get the vast majority of it, unless some is so close to the asparagus that you fear to damage it. If you have difficulty removing older plants because of the depth of the roots, cut the roots off an inch or so below the soil level. I believe the roots will not sprout new plants if severed that deep. With this method, you should be able to get at least 95% of the honeysuckle. Just be sure to check for new growth in the spring. Then check every fall and spring. (And be glad you don't have an acre of it.) Once things are under control in the asparagus bed, you'll need to go after the runners in the 20' between the fence and the veggie garden. Unfortunately, you may also have propagation from seedpods in the fence area. [I have Japanese honeysuckle growing in large chunks of the neighborhood, but at least no one's demanding I keep a patch of it on my own property.] At times I've sprayed with triclopyr (Ortho Max Tough Brush and Poison Ivy Killer); that was a major factor in eliminating most of the honeysuckle from the second area I tackled. I buy the concentrate (poison ivy used to be a major problem); Home Depot carries it. I've generally sprayed during the winter, and repeated spraying was necessary. Really, tearing it out by hand works much better. Here are some recommendations by the experts: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/loja1.htm http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/Japanese_honeysuckle_M_C.htm

Good evening all, first i have to say many thanks to Shirley and Jo for such nice trade boxes. you guys are wonderful!!!!!!! Shirley you picked out such beautiful hosta for me. and drool drool...need Diana Remembered. but it can wait til we trade next time :). Jo an awesome iris and daylily selection. :). Couln't believe you added so many, it was not necessary! Angie, Lisa, Anita, Maryotts Lovers in general :), they are so awesome!!! I don't think ive ever received smaller than 3 fans and that was JT Davis. and HUGE ones too. and great bonuses too! reminds me to place another order soon :):). Marea, ouch on that Lunar Max....why did i not pick that one in my Trimmer kick? going on the must have list. Dianne, i have tons of yellow needing divided, if you aren't too picky, i need to move remove some duplicates after they bloom this year. email me. Jean, i only have 10 iris that have even bloomed so take it for what its worth, but that noid looks like Stepping Out to me, if its really purple purple and only photographs blue. :) Barb, lol...would have described an iris like that too. big grin. MaryB, you are such an enabler yourself!. Started and heavily dosed by MaryB, highly seasoned by Shirley, with just the right touch of Marea and Ellen. All simmered with fresh MaryS. Heres my hostas: Mini hosta garden ut oh...out of room...mini hostas #2 bigger hosta for those not impressed, i had 3 hosta 2 years ago :). (Cody-ihope something like that might qualify me for July...cause i grow no food :). onto daylilies next :):) Cindy O/namso

Salt is a problem but if you put it just around the plant on the other side of the fence it will kill it and it won't come back in that spot. We're dealing with a lot of salt here!! You can still see it crusted over much of the island. Can't fertilize yet as it just makes the salt worse. Even organic stuff like I use. But, I've been over dumping dirt to make raised beds next door(building was empty and I got sick of the weeds) I know the group moving in and they are cool with my gardening, and I've got veggies and flowers planted there. I routinely go to my neighbors yards and cut back things, dig out stickerburrs, spray weed n feed, put out ant killer....I have no fear of my neighbors. And if the one ever takes the locks off the gate I'm planting flowers over there, man that's an ugly yard. They just think I'm crazy. And I'm sorry but I spent toooo long getting rid of stickerburrs in my yard to let them get a foothold by creeping in from the neighbors yards! Her yardman cuts back anything that escapes from my side of the fence, I pull up the grass that tries to sneak from her side...and so it goes. Tally HO!

Hello, I live along a creek in No.Cal. that runs into the county reservoir. We are in severe drought conditions. The creek dries as soon as rain stops. I have a long narrow 4 acres that completely parallel the creek 1 side & road the other. I have huge thickets of wild blackberry & massive amts. of poison oak & stinging nettle. 10 yrs. ago I had goats; otherwise I have left it all alone so wildlife has refuse. Now medically unemployable & have become more interested in hurgenkulture. I want to cut the dead oaks, over grown 50'Xmas trees and place them along the creek bed. I will being cutting the willow trees & bringing up to dry. If I spray brush be gone numerous times, when poison oak is dried & dead I lay the logs in piles over where p.o. was, cover with dried willow sticks & other dead sticks, compost, leaves, manure, dirt a few inches of top soil; will the poison oak grow through into my hugelkultur gardens. Ultimately my goal is to plant almost 1/10 mile of creekbed with these beds. They are drought resistant gardens for as the trees stumps hold water & release it they eliminate almost all watering. I plan to plant gardens most distant from the house with blueberry, currants, gooseberry and grapes. Then potatoes, onion, garlic, melons, squash and finally nearest gardens with tomato, peas,beans, and other daily veggies. Would it be best to use product that sterilizes creek bank soil killing poison oak, nettle & blackberry first? My husband is a firefighter & on the big wildland fires has gotten systemic poison oak. I always pray he doesn't get it in his lungs. Many of the firefighters have become highly sensitized. Thank you, Moni