Poisoning Plants

Question

How can we kill fuchsia bushes – ‘organically’? We moved into our wonderful property (converted barns) over 5 years ago. Behind our house, in what we call our ‘secret garden’, are the most prolific fuchsia bushes. They are beautiful but have taken over the area. They are confined within an area of perhaps 40′ x 20′ by stone walls and no-one has been ‘in there’ for over 50 years! It was ‘cultivated’ by the previous occupants – over 50 years ago! – and is therefore completely organic. We would like to know how we can kill the fuchsia bushes (some of them!!) as they are so entrenched that we become battered, bruised and exhausted trying to dig them out! Do you have an effective organic suggestion?

Answer 1

We would recommend following the directions found in this article on killing trees: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/how-to-kill-a-tree-killing-trees-in-your-garden.htm

The same principles apply to killing shrubs as they do to killing trees. You could also try aggressive pruning on the bushes that are too big. It will either kill the shrub or return it to a manageable size, which either way will accomplish what you needed.