Fast growing trees

[overherebc]

Not sure what kind of tree but for sure v fast growing and seem to drop seeds everywhere.

Bit of land next to me over the side (wall 2 metres high) has them. I am fed up cutting them down as it seems to make them grow faster.

Is there a herbicide sold in Thailand that will kill the roots and at least delay the next growth from seeds.

Send a photo soon for ID.

Edit for photos.

Trees and seed pods.

[drtreelove]

I believe its Leucaena leucocephala, a legume, similar to Acacia.  It's very common and very invasive.  The seeds disperse over a large area and spread by seedlings and by resprouts from cut stumps.  Management involves repeated cutting of the young seedlings as they occur. If you let them mature they will become large woody trees and a much bigger job to remove. 

 

I have the same trees growing up and arching over our garden wall from an unmanaged neighboring property.  In July I went over the wall, fully clothed, long sleeves, boots, gloves, hat (yeah they have thorns) and armed with a pruning handsaw and a small sprayer with herbicide. I cut and sprayed the cut stumps. So far so good, but I expect to see more coming up after this incredible rainy season. 

 

You can supplement the cutting of woody stems just above ground level, with spraying of an herbicide on the cut stumps.  This will limit the resprouts, but not the seed germination and new seedlings. Controlling the seedlings and resprouts will eventually limit the amount of seedlings.  

 

My herbicide of choice for this task is glyphosate. Ask for ya ka yah, (chemi kill grass), or specifically "guy po set" in local ag shops and super store garden section.  Round up is well known Monsanto brand product, Glyphosate 48% is a generic on the local shelves. Use it straight at full concentration for small area, or you can dilute it 50/50 with water. Put it in a small hand held pump-up sprayer (available at HomePro or other garden shop), or for small area you can use an ironing type spray bottle with trigger pump action.  Cut the stem close to soil grade and immediately spray the cut surface with the glyphosate solution. (you do not need to groove or notch the cut surface or spray onto the bark covered sides of the stump or the soil, just the sapwood, outer rings of the cut stump ) It will be absorbed and translocated into the root system for a complete kill of that individual plant. It will not disperse into the soil or kill latent seeds that may be present. So you need to keep an eye out for new seedlings.

 

Do not get overspray on other desirable plants, as this is a contact and systemic herbicide that will kill any plant material very effectively. Use long sleeve shirt and pants and rubber or latex gloves, and eye protection.  In spite of much bad press and controversy, glyphosate has relatively low toxicity on a short term basis for skin and eye contact by the applicator,  people and pets. Large scale use in farming, and repeated use over a period of time has some downside. Use responsibly according to the label instructions.  If you can't read the Thai label, then google the english version label for Round Up Concentrate, or Dow's Rodeo, which is similar to the Glyphosate 48%.  

 

Hope that helps. Don

[drtreelove]

If  you're not into jumping the wall and wading into the brush and thorns with tools and weed killer, then spraying the foliage thoroughly with 4% to 7% glyphosate solution might work if the plants are small, seedling stage. But for woody trees, you will need a different herbicide approach. Or a backhoe. 

[overherebc]

Wish I could buy a flame thrower.

Our maid has said she will venture in next week and do some cutting and spraying.

Worth a good few hundred baht I reckon.