We have three phormiums in a row. They are a muddy mid-green and are about three feet tall and the same wide. They must have been in place for at least five years, but probably much longer. We'd like to get rid of them and lay a lawn there. Do we need to dig them out or can we just weedkill them and turf over the dead roots? There's nothing around them that would be damaged by glyphosate. The lawn does not have to be perfect.

Thanks.

Laura

Interesting. Most varieties of phormium died in most places last winter, the exception being those most similar to the basic phormium tenax plain species. But once in that category are usually at least 6 feet high after 5 years. Even with neglect and a dry location.

I don't know the answer, but I'd try glyphosate. Reason being that digging them out is difficult without a mechanical digger. Good time of year to try.

"Laura Corin" wrote in message
...

We have three phormiums in a row. They are a muddy mid-green and are
about three feet tall and the same wide. They must have been in place
for at least five years, but probably much longer. We'd like to get rid
of them and lay a lawn there. Do we need to dig them out or can we just
weedkill them and turf over the dead roots? There's nothing around them
that would be damaged by glyphosate. The lawn does not have to be
perfect.

Thanks.

Laura

Laura welcome to uk.rec.gardening via gardenbanter :-))

A phormium is a pretty tough cookie. We had one in our little garden which
became a thug. The root formation is pretty solid. We wanted to get rid of
it. I dug down and used a carpenters hand saw to slice down and reduce the
roots to a smaller diameter. It was then lifted out, put in the back of a
pick up truck and taken to my daughter and son in law's walled landscaped
garden. It was 'plonked' into a hole in the ground and is now fine thank you
very much :-))

What am I saying? Dig it out.They are tough :-((

Other 'experts' may have different views. I am only talking from stuff
called 'experience'.

Mike

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Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

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In article , echinosum
writes
Reason being thatdigging them out is difficult without a mechanical digger. Good time of

year to try.


I dug out a very large Phormium with a pickaxe, sort of chopped off the
outer edges first then worked my way round the plant undercutting it.
Then rocked it and it came out fairly reasonably. It was about 6 foot
tall and about 4 foot wide but the roots didn't go down that far.

Janet

A local gardening 'expert' was surprised they survived our -18 temperatures last winter. They face full south west onto a south-west-aligned valley, so I suspect that the wind has kept them small. They are very boring looking, so I suspect they are close to the species.

Thanks

Laura