How do I kill my multiplying Yucca plants?

Question

I have tried to dig them up, but the roots go too far and any little splinter of root creates new chutes.

Answer 1

Till the soild after pulling them up.
You can bury a black tarp over the area for awhile to make sure that they don't come up.

Answer 2

I had 4 yuccas along my driveway when I bought my house. It took about 3 yrs to get rid of all them.Keep spraying new shoots with Round Up but try to spray just the shoot. Get the Round Up in the little cup the shoots form and just let it sit in there. You are right about digging ,the tap root goes down in the ground as far as the flower stalk is high.

Answer 3

If you don't want the Yucca Plants, you could post them on the freecycle website for pick up in your local area. Someone else might want them after they are dug up. A great way to recycle. www.free.org

Afterwards, you could bury a barrier around the root area that way the shoots can't go past your barrier.

Call your local Extension Office, (they usually run the 4-H groups too) because someone there can probably answer your question. That's what they are trained to do. :)

Answer 4

Yuccas are hard to kill because their roots are so deep. The best way is to wrap a chain around the plant, attach the chain to a car, and "drive" it out. This is what I had to do to get rid of mine. If the oak tree is well established it shouldn't be harmed by this.