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getting rid of camelia bush #309885

Asked March 29, 2016, 3:29 PM EDT

I had an older camellia bush cut down and the stump was supposedly ground out but slowly but surely the plant came back up. It's now about 1' high and I want to get rid of it. It's growing beside a concrete pad and near other plants so I want to be careful in how I exterminate it. Any suggestions?

Multnomah County Oregon

Expert Response

If you have cut down a bush or tree but it resprouts from the stump, just prune off the shoots for a couple of years and the plant will take the hint and die. It is important, however, to do this while the shoots are fairly young--it costs the plant stored energy to send up the shoots, but when the shoots leaf out those leaves recharge the energy the plant used to send up the shoots, and most of that energy will be available to send up new shoots next year!

It is not necessary (and frequently not even possible) grind the stump, and it is generally not necessary to use an herbicide. (Painting a freshly cut stump with glyphosate will help discourage regrowth, but this must be done within about a minute of making the cut, as the plant quickly seals the cut surfaces.)





An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 02, 2016, 6:31 PM EDT

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