Don’s Expert Answers: How to remove Monsteria Deliciosa

Question From: 
Gary Bigelow in  OATLANDS,  Sydney NSW

 

Nature of problem: 
How to remove Monsteria Deliciosa

 

Type of Plant (if known): 
Monsteria Deliciosa

 

Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself): 
NA

 

Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type: 
NA

 

How often do you water the plant:
NA

 

How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
NA

 

What type of plant is it:
Monsteria Deliciosa

 

How long since you planted it:
Over 30 years. Was in the garden when we purchased the house

 

Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
No

 

Is the plant indoors or outdoors: 
Outdoors

 

Is the plant in a pot or in the ground: 
Ground

 

What other treatments have you given the plant: 
NA

Upload photo if available: 

Other Comments: 
Have just spent a whole day cutting out most of the extensive stem and leaves. There are now hundreds of roots and suckers coming from the ground with red sap oozing out.

Have tried to find an answer as to whether we will now have 100s of new plants generating from roots and how to poison the rest before removing them from the ground. The only answers on forums just question why yo would remove it.

We need the garden space for other plants that don’t take over so readily.

Do we need to locate all roots and poison with direct application of ZERO or similar? It will not be possible to remove them all manually as most disappear into the rock ledge behind the garden.

 

Answer:Hi Gary,  Monstera is not an aggressive weed. Your description of the bits left was too vague for me to help much. A photo would have helped a lot. If you have left stems about 20-30mm thick, then they may regrow. The roots, which are usually no thicker than your little finger, are not likely to regrow. If anything starts to regrow, fertilise it then wait 3 weeks or so until vigorous new growth appears. At this time Roundup or Zero weedsprays should do the job.  Don