How do I kill a fuschia bush in an environmentally friendly way?

[BrandyandGinger]

I want to get rid a fuschia bush that's growing by a wall. I won't be able to dig it out but I don't want to use Roundup or anything nasty. Does anyone know any tricks for doing it? I've already pruned it to the ground, but it could be two foot tall again in a week.

Are you sure it's not a budleja? I've never known a fuscia to have deep roots, all mine have shallow roots even ones that are years old.

Budleja are more difficult to remove.

It encourages it in the short term. But the energy to grow those new shoots is coming from the roots, and to replenish it, it needs to photosynthesise. So if you keep taking shoots off as soon as they appear, eventually it will exhaust the energy supplies in the roots. May take two or three years

Btw, it’s Fuchsia, named after Herr Fuchs. Not Fuschia or fucsia or fuscia.

A mattock, as I understand it, has a narrow blade both sides, a pickaxe has a pick, a tough pointed thing, one side.

If you can’t dig I think the only thing is going to be constant cutting. It’ll run out of energy and die away. Every time you pass it cut off what’s grown since the last time, you’ll win in the end if you’re consistent.

Saw it as low as you can and cut any regrowth immediately.

If something wants to grow that badly somewhere then just let it be. It's clearly happy there. Can't believe you want to kill a beautiful and tenacious tree so you can have more roses

That’s the OPs preference whether you agree with it or not though. The OP is asking for solutions not opinions.

Having said that I’d prefer roses over fuchsias any day.

*edited for spelling mistake.

Vinegar kills bush fuchsias. I know this because a nutter neighbour from across the street threw American hot dog bottles with pierced lids into my front garden several times (witnessed by other neighbours). The vingar slowly leaked out and killed it. Horrid man.

EDIT - agree with others though, it doesn't sound like a fuchsia. Do you have a photo of it? Mine grows 2 inches in a season.

It would have been good to see a photo of it as well. What colour are the flowers?

Lots of salt will kill it, then water on top.
Take care if you have other plants close by but won't harm animals.

with the temps as low as they are at the moment, there's no way anything will grow 2ft in a week, or even if there was a heatwave.

in your situation OP if you don't have any budget to get some help in or buy the right tools (a shovel isn't the right tool) just keep it cut down to ground level and address the problem when you can get someone to help you and maybe they can bring along the right tools. Maybe an advert in a local newsagent to ask for help?

Boiling water, cut off as much as you can first.

If I do manage to kill the tenacious thug and get a rose bush to grow there instead, I think my conscience will be able to cope with the guilt.

I'll feel guilty forevermore for spelling fuchsia incorrectly multiple times in a thread I started about fuchsia though.

Absolutely no foundation to it whatsoever I'm afraid

try boiling water

I agree - honestly find it bizarre that someone would want to kill a perfectly healthy and beautiful plant just to put something else in its place.

It wasn't a beautiful plant, it was gone leggy and didn't get many flowers last year. All the prunings are on a log pile I made for biodiversity in a wild part of my garden.

If you want to buy another rose surely you need a spade for general gardening purposes.

Either way cut it to the ground (more than once a year) then dig a small hole and put a water bottle in with the lid and bottom off, then pour vinegar into it to direct the vinegar to the roots. Copper nail in the top for good measure and cut any growth back weekly/monthly.

6 foot high fuchsia? I dont think I've ever seen one that big or grow so fast

Talk about calling a spade a spade.

I have similar issues with hardy fushcias ( the type that grow as hedges in Cornwall and Ireland and other mild west coast areas). They really do grow fast. And come back relentlessly. I usually use a pick axe to get established shrubs out as you can get it under roots and then lever them loose with the handle.

I wouldn’t worry, you’re in good company. But if you know it’s named after Mr Fox (Fuchs) it’s easier, which is why I tell people. I don’t correct Buddleia because there isn’t an easy way of remembering it, and as for Tropaeolum! It’s taken me to this year to even say it right.

Try Devon and Cornwall, or Ireland