Hello all;

I have an acacia tree ~ 16 yrs old, about 12" diameter at the knee and ~35
feet high. Its located along the fence-line w/ my neighbor and had grown
over their house so early this spring I pruned it back heavily, and took off
some large branches. All together I took off about 1/3 of the crown.

About a month afterwards I had the lawn tilled to replant grass. Before I
could lay the sod, LOTS of little acacia trees started sprouting up from
roots everywhere under the former dripline. I mean a LOT, but only in my
yard, not my neighbor's.

I tried spraying them w/ Round-up, thinking they had sprouted from seed.
Some died, some didn't. Today, I just finished pulling them all out by
driving a shovel through the roots (1/2 in - 1 in thick) above and below the
shoots. It was a major PITA to do.

I'm reluctant to lay sod until I've got the acacia shoots under control.
Any suggestions as to how to do that? If I use Round-up will it kill the
main tree? Is there a proper way to deal w/ this?

Thanks a heap,
-jbb

This may be the solution. Crowd them out?

Acacia has the potential to protect poor soils from erosion
and revive their
mineral content. Acacia can grow on poor soils including
clay, limestone and
unstable sand dunes, even soil tainted with uranium wastes.
It is also able to
survive fire, dry spells and seasonally waterlogged soil.
(In fact, the seeds
germinate better when placed in hot ashes!). The tree also
contains nitrogen
fixing bacteria which can help rejuvenate these poor soils.
The tree prevents
soil erosion because of their extensive and dense roots and
heavy leaf litter.
But the seedlings don't grow well in the shade and in
competition with weeds,
so for deliberate planting, the seedlings have to raised
elsewhere first.


"J.B. Bobbitt" wrote:
=

Hello all;
=

I have an acacia tree ~ 16 yrs old, about 12" diameter at the knee and =
~35
feet high. Its located along the fence-line w/ my neighbor and had gro=
wn
over their house so early this spring I pruned it back heavily, and too=
k off
some large branches. All together I took off about 1/3 of the crown.
=

About a month afterwards I had the lawn tilled to replant grass. Befor=
e I
could lay the sod, LOTS of little acacia trees started sprouting up fro=
m
roots everywhere under the former dripline. I mean a LOT, but only in =
my
yard, not my neighbor's.
=

I tried spraying them w/ Round-up, thinking they had sprouted from seed=
=2E
Some died, some didn't. Today, I just finished pulling them all out by=

driving a shovel through the roots (1/2 in - 1 in thick) above and belo=
w the
shoots. It was a major PITA to do.
=

I'm reluctant to lay sod until I've got the acacia shoots under control=
=2E
Any suggestions as to how to do that? If I use Round-up will it kill t=
he
main tree? Is there a proper way to deal w/ this?
=

Thanks a heap,
-jbb

-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business. Quoted by the Ho=
uston
Chronicle Lazy Gardener as 1 of 7 best gardening websites in Houston.
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal