How to Get Rid of Sunflowers
Pull up sunflowers from your garden., Remove sunflowers using chemicals., Keep the sunflowers from getting sunlight., Cut down sunflower stalks., Remove sunflower root balls from the soil.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pull up sunflowers from your garden.
You can get rid of sunflowers by pulling them up from the soil with your hands.
Try to do this before the seeds develop.
If the seeds develop, removing the plants becomes harder because the seeds could get dislodged and scatter around your garden.
Any seeds that scatter may regrow the following year.
If you have to remove mature sunflowers with seed heads, put some sheeting down—like an old dust sheet or tarpaulin—underneath the plants.
This will catch any seeds that fall.
Shake the cloth into the compost can once you’re finished. -
Step 2: Remove sunflowers using chemicals.
Sunflowers are broad-leaved plants so a broadleaf weed killer should get rid of them.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions before using the weed killer.
In most cases, the approach will be to carefully apply the weedkiller to the leaves of the plant you wish to remove.
Take care not to get any on nearby plants you wish to keep.
Chemical controls will only work on growing plants.
Any dead, woody plants will need to be cut back and dug up. , One intense approach to getting rid of any unwanted plant is to keep it from receiving any sunlight.
To do this:
Pin a light-excluding material, such as weed barrier sheet, also known as landscaping fabric, over the area affected.
Some gardeners have success by laying several sheets of newspaper on the ground and pinning it down with a heavy mulch such as well-rotted manure or bark chips.
By the time the newspaper rots away the seeds below will no longer be able to grow.
Whatever you use, take care to choose a material that permits water to penetrate.
You’ll need to keep the cover on the ground for roughly six months to a year. , Once sunflower blooms fade, a tough stalk remains in the ground.
These aren’t easy to remove but it can be done.
Cut the sunflower down to knee height using a small saw or pruning shears to cut through the woody stem.
Grab the remaining stalk and pull it out of the ground.
If it’s really hard, try hacking away at the roots a bit with a mattock or trowel.
This will help loosen the plant’s grip on the earth.
Remember to use gardening gloves. , Once dislodged, sunflower root balls should be removed from the soil as much as possible, as it will be hard to plant around the tough roots.
The woody root and stalk won’t compost very quickly, so consider burning them instead.
However, use extreme caution when doing this. -
Step 3: Keep the sunflowers from getting sunlight.
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Step 4: Cut down sunflower stalks.
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Step 5: Remove sunflower root balls from the soil.
Detailed Guide
You can get rid of sunflowers by pulling them up from the soil with your hands.
Try to do this before the seeds develop.
If the seeds develop, removing the plants becomes harder because the seeds could get dislodged and scatter around your garden.
Any seeds that scatter may regrow the following year.
If you have to remove mature sunflowers with seed heads, put some sheeting down—like an old dust sheet or tarpaulin—underneath the plants.
This will catch any seeds that fall.
Shake the cloth into the compost can once you’re finished.
Sunflowers are broad-leaved plants so a broadleaf weed killer should get rid of them.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions before using the weed killer.
In most cases, the approach will be to carefully apply the weedkiller to the leaves of the plant you wish to remove.
Take care not to get any on nearby plants you wish to keep.
Chemical controls will only work on growing plants.
Any dead, woody plants will need to be cut back and dug up. , One intense approach to getting rid of any unwanted plant is to keep it from receiving any sunlight.
To do this:
Pin a light-excluding material, such as weed barrier sheet, also known as landscaping fabric, over the area affected.
Some gardeners have success by laying several sheets of newspaper on the ground and pinning it down with a heavy mulch such as well-rotted manure or bark chips.
By the time the newspaper rots away the seeds below will no longer be able to grow.
Whatever you use, take care to choose a material that permits water to penetrate.
You’ll need to keep the cover on the ground for roughly six months to a year. , Once sunflower blooms fade, a tough stalk remains in the ground.
These aren’t easy to remove but it can be done.
Cut the sunflower down to knee height using a small saw or pruning shears to cut through the woody stem.
Grab the remaining stalk and pull it out of the ground.
If it’s really hard, try hacking away at the roots a bit with a mattock or trowel.
This will help loosen the plant’s grip on the earth.
Remember to use gardening gloves. , Once dislodged, sunflower root balls should be removed from the soil as much as possible, as it will be hard to plant around the tough roots.
The woody root and stalk won’t compost very quickly, so consider burning them instead.
However, use extreme caution when doing this.
About the Author
Isabella Hall
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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