Will a controlled burn eliminate Kudzu? Will it get to the root and kill it off completely?

Question

I have about 5 acres of land that is overrun with Kudzu. It has even engulfed all of the trees. All of the underbrush is dead or dying. I am wondering if we burned the land and started over completely would the Kudzu come back? What is the best way to deal with it? I have heard the roots can go as far as 10 feet deep and I wouldnt want the root to sprout up again.

Answer 1

unfortunatley nothing will kill kudzu it is not native and was brought over here from different things and no one seems to know what will kill it . yes the roots can go that deep that is why it is so hard to get rid of it and no one seems to know what can kill it . good luck .

Answer 2

I read somewhere that my state's DOT was trying to control Kudzu by applying a weed killer.  They said it would take 5 to 10 years of application to totally get rid of the vine and roots.

Burning is not going to kill the roots, only the vine.  You need to start working on the'root' of the problem.

This site gives you a pretty thorough overview of Kudzu...Know your enemy!  Read up on the different methods they suggest.  Sounds like goats and cows are good if you don't want to use herbicides.

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/exotic/vegman/f...

Answer 3

In order to kill the roots, you'll need a good herbicide that the plant can absorb and feed on for a few days or so. Brush-B-Gone, will get it rite down to the roots and help you get rid of it. Here are some reviews for it.

http://www.epinions.com/review/Ortho_Bru...

You simply spray it on the Kudzu leaves, and let it work. Before you know it, you've reclaimed your land. You should be able to find it locally.

Best of luck,  ;-)

Answer 4

Unfortunately, a controlled burn will not get rid of the Kudzu.  It will come back quickly.  You could try contacting your local Agricultural Service or maybe the Horticulture dept. of a large university and asking if they have any solutions.  Kudzu has become a nightmare in many parts of the country.  If I remember correctly, it was introduced in this country to be used on hillsides to prevent erosion (because it roots quickly, and spreads equally as quickly) but it quickly got out of hand.  In the past I've gotten some really good info (on other problems) from the 2 sources named above.  I wish you luck ~