These things have thorns

[Tractor Seabee]

A close cousin is the black hawthorn. Their thorns aren't as long but will also leave an infected wound that takes a while to heal. They grow wild around here. They propagate from seeds and sprouts from the root system. I pulled out a root w/the tractor and it was 40' long. The roots re very hard to kill. The stumps I had were cut 20 years ago and still sprouting. Bury a piece of root in damp soil and it will sprout. They would make a wicked hedge and keep getting thicker as sprouts come up. Fantastic firewood though. Burns hot and clean.

Ron

 

[oosik]

I planted a Hawthorn out in one of my fields. Its got thorns - nothing approaching what those pictures show. Maybe an inch long. Initially planted two - the survivor is ten years old.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I planted a Hawthorn out in one of my fields. Its got thorns - nothing approaching what those pictures show. Maybe an inch long. Initially planted two - the survivor is ten years old.

Once a year take a sub-soiler and go around each one to stop roots from expanding outward. Keep the volunteer plants from growing unless you soon want a thicket around each one. Ones from seed pull up easy when fresh. Ones from roots can be difficult. I inherited 6 stumps 3' across and in 7 years of aggressive measures I still had shoots coming up from the roots and the base of the stumps. Tried a lot of things short of fire and nothing worked. Short of digging out every root I was baffled. In one yar a shoot left alone would grow 6'. That's 27 years after the trees were dropped.

LOL, Ron

 

[Oldoak]

I have never found a tree or stump of any species that I couldn't kill by brushing a coat of undiluted 41% or higher glyphosate (generic Roundup) around outer 2 or 3" of the circumference of the top of the stump with one application.

Although there has been a lot in the news lately about how hazardous glyphosate can be to your health.

 

[joefromga]

I hate thorns!

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I have never found a tree or stump of any species that I couldn't kill by brushing a coat of undiluted 41% or higher glyphosate (generic Roundup) around outer 2 or 3" of the circumference of the top of the stump with one application.

Although there has been a lot in the news lately about how hazardous glyphosate can be to your health.

That sure does not kill those Hawthorn roots. Nothing short of digging them up works. They live on for many many years.

Ron