How to get rid of overgrown Milkweed plant?

I have a couple of very large gardens that have overgrown in the 10 years before I moved in. There are lots of lovely plants I would like to keep, but there is Milkweed plants that are taking over and just getting larger and strangling out everything else. How do I get rid of it easier than digging it up?
  5 answers
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 11, 2013
    A lot of the info I see for milkweeds is to help grow them...as they make a great plant for butterfly gardens. Most have a taproot, so they are pretty hardy. I would suggest getting the soil really moist then pull them. The well saturated soil should allow a good portion of the root to come up.
  • Chris' Water Gardens Chris' Water Gardens on Mar 11, 2013
    Thank you for the response. I would like to keep some for the butterflies, but I don't want the entire garden covered in milkweed! I'll try soaking them and pulling. Usually they break off and are very sticky and I can't get all of it. but i'll give it a try. Thanks!
  • H.C. Lawn H.C. Lawn on Mar 12, 2013
    on the farm we sprayed them in the corn feilds when spray more leaf the better kill or cut then as it grows back beter control spray weed be gone 24d only broad leaf kill or round up kills all leaf plants
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Mar 12, 2013
    You probably have the common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. I hope you'll keep as much as possible because so many species of beneficial insects depend on it. With that said, one way to get rid of the excess would be to paint the foliage with an herbicide containing glyphosate. This way you can ensure there is no overspray onto nearby plants.
  • Chris' Water Gardens Chris' Water Gardens on Mar 12, 2013
    Thank you for that response - that's exactly what I'm looking to do. I have several iris and other plants in the area, and I would like to keep some of the Milkweed, just not an entire flower bed of it! :) Thank you!