just wondering if anyone has any non toxic ways of getting rid of wild parsnip ( other than digging it out)? We have a fair bit of it and some if it is giant and growing right through the middle of our haskap bushes! Also wondering if the sap can travel to neighbouring plants? iE; is it safe to eat those haskaps as long as we don’t come into direct contact with the parsnip? Thank you!
Triclopyr 4 is an excellent herbicide for many pest plants – excluding annual grasses.
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Digging it out is the only non chemical option im aware of. I suppose you could try smothering it with cardboard. One thing i do know is you want to deal with it sooner rather than later. There are various herbicides that will control it, but most should be applied at the rosette stage. Whatever you do don’t allow it to set seed.
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First, make sure it doesn’t seed. Remove all flowers as they appear. Second, no plants can survive without sugars produced by leaves. Cut all the leaves you see every day as low as you can. If you can damage the top of the root - even better. But you have to be patient. If you do not want to use chemicals and cannot dig, it may take long time for it to die. I personally would paint its leaves with herbicide, this will do minimum contamination to the soil and get rid of it fast.
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If it’s in the middle of other plants, you can (carefully) cut in down and then painting the cut stem with highest strength glyphosate concentrate you can get. Should kill it all.
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I am past that stage unfortunately. I got the property in the fall. Some of them are for sure in their second year. It is pretty wide spread in our area.
Yep, it’s widespread in many areas.
I don’t mess around with the stuff when it shows up on my property. Crossbow is my go to herbicide for tough broadleaf weeds.
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Coming back to this as the plot, unfortunately thickens! I’ve read that it doesn’t grow past five feet we have some that are well over five feet, approaching 10! Is it possible that it is something else? Unfortunately there is a part of our land that we haven’t been to in a while that has some fruit trees and if it is parsnip, it is very thick and very tall and growing through some of the trees and bushes and IS flowering. Would you still use the herbicide if it is basically growing through trees and bushes? Sorry for the ignorance. VERY new at this and this is our first year with the property. We have put a call out to find an arborist in our area as we clearly need professional help but would also be grateful for any insight.
Giant hogsweed can appear very similar. Be very careful around it as the sap reacts with sunlight on your skin causing blisters/burns.
Pictures would be helpful. Ive seen wild parsnip over 5’ tall, but never 10’
I’m attacking it very carefully in industrial rubber gloves and full rain gear. I’ve learned that wild parsnip is equally dangerous. thank you!
I’ll take some tomorrow with my height for reference. thank you so much. very grateful to you and this community!
Sure looks like wild parsnip to me. Impressive specimens
At least I know I have ideal growing conditions wild parsnip, so there’s that.