How to kill artichoke weed?

She had the right idea the roots/tubers are edible! They are hard to get rid of because if you break off roots they just spread more the plant is extremely difficult to control. Each plant produces from 75 to 200 tubers in a single growing season, and each tuber is capable of sending out up to six shoots. It’s easy to understand how Jerusalem artichoke weeds create major headaches.Jerusalem artichoke develops new shoots only on tubers formed the previous year. It may seem logical that Jerusalem artichoke weeds should be easily controlled by simply digging the tubers, but unfortunately, things are not that simple because locating all of the tubers, which grow on long stolons, is nearly impossible. A more effective way of managing Jerusalem artichoke weeds is to pull the young plants as soon as they emerge in spring – preferably when they are about 4 to 8 inches tall. If you have a large patch of Jerusalem artichoke or if the plants are sprouting in your lawn, you can mow them down. Either method works because new tubers are unable to develop without the above-ground shoots. However, total Jerusalem artichoke control requires you to be super vigilant and remove every single sprout. Do not let them bloom or go to seed either at least remove the flower heads to keep them from spreading even more. Or use Round-Up Herbicides should always be a last resort. However, if you’ve tried everything or if the patch is too large to manage by hand, spray the plants with a product containing glyphosate, which is a broad-spectrum product. The herbicide should be applied on undisturbed plants in the fall.

Hi Linda, From what I have researched these weeds sound almost indestructible. One of the articles I read had this to say: In our study, we made broadcast treatments with selective herbicides such as Milestone® and Perspective®. These chemicals burn down the standing plants (postemergence activity), and also have a 3 to 5 month soil residual, so they control germinating seeds (preemergence activity). Most important, they are also selective for broadleaf plants, meaning they should be able to take out the artichoke without hurting the grasses. The combination of selectivity and pre + postemergence activity means we can apply these chemicals broadcast, over a whole patch, and control artichoke for a year. (May take a few more applications to deplete the artichoke seedbank.) Hope this helps.

kill the GREEN, kill the PLANT ( eventually the tubers/corms will die from lack of nutrients ); (works for ANY plant ) ... weed eater works well on large areas, but you have to be very vigilant. first sign of 'green' and it has to go!

Please, not Round-up, unless you want to invite Follicular Lymphomo into your life!

I use vinegar to to kill any weeds in my garden that I want gone.

Hi Linda! Artichoke Thistle (Cynara cardunculus) can be controlled by herbicides, and young plants may be removed by physical means, with cultural and grazing by goats also an option. Hope this helps!