Q.I Need To Eradicate Camphor Seedlings. Will The Fill, Needed To Raise My Land, Kill Them If It’s Poured Thick On Top Of Them?
My .4 acre has several mature camphor trees, which are invasive in North Florida, so I want to eradicate hundreds of seedlings. I need to clear the camphors and large sweet gums for a homesite. The land is low, so after clearing trees and stumps, I will need a lot of fill dirt. Will the fill on top of the seedlings kill them, or do I need to keep pulling them out by hand? thanks!please send answer to my email as well as online.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Cutting them, manually, would be a good step to start with. Keep any regrowth trimmed up until you plan to start leveling. If any are vigorous enough to stay alive through the constant trimming then you can hit those with boiling water. If you are not able to get boiling water out there then it will likely die from a thick covering when you level it. Still, should any remain, you may turn to things like vinegar or chemical herbicides.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/clearing-and-grubbing.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/weed-trees.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/boiling-water-and-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/post-emergent-herbicides.htm