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How Do I Kill A Hibiscus Tree? It’s Too Hard…

Monique Asked

How do I kill a hibiscus tree? It’s too hard to dig it up.

The Gardener’s Answer

Hi, Monique: If you are not able to actually dig up the existing hibiscus you can prune it back to the ground and then paint the tips of the cut branches with Round-Up or any product with the main ingredient being glyphosate. These plants can become very woody so make sure your pruners are sharp before you make any cuts. Be careful not to spray the glyphosate on any plants you intend on keeping because it is a nonselective herbicide that will kill any plant material it comes into contact with. You can literally take a paint brush and paint the tips so that it is absorbed throughout the rest of the plant, eventually killing the root system. Another option would be to offer it to your gardening friends on the condition that they dig it up and take it with them. Someone may be very happy to add this to their garden and then you have a pre-dug hole if you wanted to replace it with something else.

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