When is self-propagating equal to an invasive pest?

18 years ago

Two years ago I bought a Buddleia "Nanho Blue" and a "White Profusion". I was thrilled when the cuttings I planted grew strong roots and became shrubs. Now I am looking at my propagating bed (where the seeds dropped) and am seeing them all over - without my help! Are these going to be a problem???

I look under my Chaste Tree - thousands of seedlings - how many can this thin soil support? This is the third year of seedlings! How many babies can I possibly give away?

When do you determine that something you love becomes a pest?

Sedum acre, Artemesia 'Limelight', Cleome, Love-In-A-Mist, running Bamboo? But don't even talk about Japanese Stilt Grass, Honeysuckle, Poison Ivy, Common Ivy, Kudzu, and Wisteria.

When is it that you decide that something is invasive or mearly self-propagating? I've been happy that my Siberian Iris have multiplied, but not so happy about the Butterfly Bushes.

Nancy the nancedar

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Comments (7)

Claire Pickett
18 years ago
I think it's very personal like gardening itself. I am a cottage gardener, and I simply love it when Mother Nature takes over. To me it's nothing to just weed out unwanted seedlings, but I seldom have the heart not to find them a home somewhere or with someone. Now with the swaps (I've only been to one), there will be a place for these progeny.

We should all have such problems as too many healthy seedlings! Your gardening skills may have made it too hospitable for these babies...like children who won't leave the nest b/c it's too cushy and bring home their own children to roost.

I can hardly get nigella to grow, so if you have any extras, nancy, bring them along.
brenda_near_eno
18 years ago
I agree that Limelight is a pest for me as well, but I agree with Claire - it's mostly your great gardening skills to blame. You have all that beautiful land, Nancy, something's going to fill it up, be glad it's chaste trees crowding under your chaste trees instead of wild grapevine or honeysuckle. I'll gladly take more white profusion, nigella, and vitex off your hands.
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alicia7b
18 years ago
Vitex are known for being that way, some people just put them where they can mow around them. They are beautiful though.

The bullies I have spread from runners. Monarda and obedient plant can run around a lot, but the real thugs have been bog sage and Miss Bessie's aster because they grow so tall. They are beautiful in bloom (bog sage blooms all the time, Miss Bessie's very late and shrugs off frost), but I would recommend either planting them where you want them to take over, or plant them in pots. They literally spread like wildfire!

Mulching with something coarse during the winter seems to help a lot with self-seeders because then the seeds are covered too deeply or don't have a medium fine enough to get started. However, that can be difficult to do in a thickly planted garden.
nandina
18 years ago
Have those of you mulching with pine straw noticed that it seems to inhibit or reduce seed sprouting? I have been running some trials using different types of mulch around Nicotiana, which is a heavy reseeder here. Not a sign of a seedling in pine straw mulch. But tons of seedlings in ground bark mulch. Just interested in your observations.
alicia7b
18 years ago
Pine straw, hay, and wood shavings seem to work pretty well. I use the wood shavings from my horses' stalls.
mrsboomernc
18 years ago
i'm a heavy pine-straw user in my paths throughout the yard, and i've had great success with it keeping my paths weedless/seedlingless. where i've used bark mulch, i'm still doing battle with stilt grass and tree seedlings, and will convert these areas to pine straw as soon as i can.

nancedar, my gardens are still so new, and i give new plants more space than they probably need - so any and all self-propagation i welcome. if, by chance, i have more babies than is practical for the space, i pot them up and find homes or plant them somewhere else in my yard. you have so much land, i'm sure you can find space for anything you want! i'm happy when things multiply for me - it lets me know it's in a good spot and i've done well by it.
marsha
lynnencfan
18 years ago
Getting back to 'when is it a pest or invasive' - I really think that is solely dependent on the gardener - I am like Claire - kinda of a cottage gardener and have the room to let things run rampet and self seed so few plants are invasive to me - I just pull up the seedlings that I don't want...........however......... if someone can tell me how I can get rid of cypress vine and morning glories - I would greatly appreciate it. I like them in a controlled enviroment not in every single one of my gardens. They are sneaky little buggers, they seem to pop overnight and get entangled in some of my prize plants. I FINALLY seem to have gotten the gooseneck loosestrief under control. Now I have obedient plant in the wrong place and it loves it so we are having a face-off.

btw - I am interested in Chaste Tree also

When is self-propagating equal to an invasive pest?

Comments (7)

Claire Pickett

brenda_near_eno

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