Mature Bouganville taking over. - DIY Chatroom

redrover · 11-01-2009, 07:06 PM

I'm really liking this place, I've got questions all over the forums. J
I have a stunning Bougainville (color) quite mature having made it's way down thru a 4' rockwall/planting bed and 2" roots dislodging the paved walkway and probably attacking the Lava rock wall in secret.

I have several reasons to want to kill it, think of it often as the of trimming and hauling away wicked thorns alone are so not fun. But it is gorgeous and frankly I've been unable to kill some much smaller Bougie after 7 years of trying. This one is an upright and has quite the sturdy trunk at least 1' wide. Doubt I can kill it, and no way to get any equipment in there to dig it out.
I've pulled up the broken walkway and chopped on the roots for two years now simply creating new branches all over the ground.

Any ideas to at least stop this tropical incessant growth down below?

chrisn · 11-01-2009, 07:48 PM

This should work

Kap · 11-01-2009, 10:29 PM

Yeah. Make cuts in the bark into the combium layer and paint that stuff on straight.

Soak some gauze with it and wrap it around the roots. Enclose in plastic.

I HATE bougainvillea with a passion. I've got one property I take care of, the bough has about a three foot diameter trunk. It's gotta be around 40 years old. I wish they would burn it to the ground.

Lali · 11-05-2009, 07:22 AM

How could anyone want to kill this tropical beauty, especially with chemicals??? Think of Mother Earth & be thankful you can grow it there. It's part of what makes Hawaii gorgeous. Here our growing season is soooo short, things get planted & before you know it, it's time to yank it from the ground or it freezes! If it was planted, it's meant to be there, let it flourish. God Bless y'all!