What's the best way to dig this out of the garden?
by
Bee
+2
I bought this as a small plant in a pot at the supermarket. It's grown to 7 ft tall and is swamping all the other plants nearby. I'd like to get it out and give it to someone with a bigger garden but I've no idea how to even begin.
I'm afraid that it's just going to be the old-fashioned way with a shovel and your back. Try to "stab" around it with the shovel and keep working it really well for about half way around it, then just give it one last "stab" and a good umph to drive it out.. You can fill the hole in with some garden or top soil bought at your local box store.
I agree with shovel and back! Might want to trim those spikey leaves so they don't "stab" u when u start digging!
Deeply wetting the soil a day in advance of digging may help. Using a large garden fork to loosen the surrounding soil can also make it a little easier
If you have a friend with a small backhoe, it will take about ten minutes to grab it by its roots and pull it out thus sparing your back and muscles!
Can also be done with a noose around the base of the plant attached to a pickup truck. Pull slowly, digging around the plant as you see the soil rise. Beware, you must remove every chunk of root of that plant or it will come back! You would do well after removing it to rope off around the hole (so no one falls in) for a few weeks without filling it in and watch it for new growth. It'll make digging it further easier if you don't fill the hole. Hint: pick an overcast day so you don't die in the heat. It's gonna be a tough one!