Sumac is great to have around in your garden at certain times of the year with their luscious leaves and red berries. The problem is that some varieties of sumac are harmful because they are poisonous and can lead to allergic reactions. They can also be dominant, meaning that they will ho the water and nutrients in the soil at the expense of the growth of other plants. The good news is there are ways you can get rid of sumac.
Get them early
The best time to get sumac is when they have just started growing. If you leave them too long they can end up growing into a wide network of plants. Remove the smaller sprouts as they arise. Unfortunately there will still be a main tree that will continue to produce more offspring.
Cutting
Cutting is the way that many people deal with unwanted plants. The problem is that cutting just promotes the growth of plants even more. A good way to prevent this is to throw salt over the area to prevent the plants from growing. A better alternative would be to pull the whole plant out of the ground complete with the root system.
Mowing your lawn
Although traditional cutting may promote the healthy growth of plants, when you cut sumac before they produce seeds and flower, you will eventually kill it. By cutting it regularly you will end up starving it of nutrients so it will die out. This method is time consuming and you have to be very committed to it for it to be effective.
Herbicides
Herbicides can work very well if you want to get rid of sumac. All you have to do here is cut the plants right down to their stumps and apply the herbicide. Spraying it can destroy adjacent plants so what you should do is get a brush and almost paint the stumps with the liquid. If you aren’t sure about how to use it then contact someone who is.
Brine
If you don’t want to use any harsh chemicals for whatever reason then there are a number of organic alternatives. One of them is brine, which you can make up with half a cup of salt and boiling water. This should be poured onto the sumac directly, so try and avoid getting it onto other plants as well. This works well when your garden is made up of sensitive plants.