# Ideas for killing azalea bushes



## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Go for it. Seems a waste to me; but to each his own.


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## clashley (Nov 24, 2009)

Leah Frances said:


> Go for it. Seems a waste to me; but to each his own.


Which part seems a waste? The amount of effort, or just getting rid of the hedgerows.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

clashley said:


> Which part seems a waste? The amount of effort, or just getting rid of the hedgerows.


 * killing azaleas!*


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Msradell said:


> * killing azaleas!*


:yes::yes: Removing the hedgerow seems a waste. Does it serve no purpose for you? Privacy? Windbreak? Noise abatement? Delineation of property line? Child containment? :wink: Are you going to keep the area mowed? Or will you want another hedgerow? It will take time to establish..

I have 20+ I planted in an out of the way place, as understory fill (some of which are over 60 years old - transplanted from my grandmother's yard). They get morning sun and enough shade to keep them cool. The twice blooming ones are blooming again now - which is a real nice treat in a yard that is mostly done for the year.


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## clashley (Nov 24, 2009)

Leah Frances said:


> :yes::yes: Removing the hedgerow seems a waste. Does it serve no purpose for you? Privacy? Windbreak? Noise abatement? Delineation of property line? Child containment? :wink: Are you going to keep the area mowed? Or will you want another hedgerow? It will take time to establish..
> 
> I have 20+ I planted in an out of the way place, as understory fill (some of which are over 60 years old - transplanted from my grandmother's yard). They get morning sun and enough shade to keep them cool. The twice blooming ones are blooming again now - which is a real nice treat in a yard that is mostly done for the year.


Quite frankly, they really do not serve much purpose for me, and are very high maintenance. The north and south rows were apparently intended as fence rows, but are set back about 6 feet from the property line, meaning they effectively reduce the size of my yard, and they block access to my backyard with my pickup truck. Once these are gone and grass has returned to my satisfaction, the north and south hedgerows will be replaced with a split-rail fence closer to the property line. I'll get more of my yard available for my use, it will open the yard up and the fence will be much lower maintenance.

Those are my reasons, but more importantly, the wife says they have got to go. She dislikes the way they obscure the front of the house from the curb.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Like I said in Post #2 "Go for it". 

But, I still think it's a waste 

- but as a wife, I have to ratify your decision to do whatever your wife tells you to. :laughing:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Roundup will kill them dead, then you could just jerk um out with a pick up or a Suv.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

chrisn said:


> Roundup will kill them dead, then you could just jerk um out with a pick up or a Suv.


This is the part he specifically says he does not want to do due to buried wires.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

AllanJ said:


> This is the part he specifically says he does not want to do due to buried wires.


They actually have a very shallow roots so jerking them out shouldn't be a problem!


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Msradell said:


> They actually have a very shallow roots so jerking them out shouldn't be a problem!


 
:thumbsup:


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## Thunder Chicken (May 22, 2011)

If you really want them out, they are shallow rooted and come out fairly easily, though for 250 ft you probably want to get a pro with a bobcat to take them out. You can take a chainsaw and cut them down to stubs. They'll rejuvenate from the stumps - people who WANT healthy azaleas do this to get thicker growth, smaller plants, with more flowers. If you keep cutting down the new growth they'll eventually run out of energy and die off.

But my two cents - it sounds like your azaleas are old and overgrown. Something you might consider is cutting them down to stubs in the spring after they flower, and then just watch how they rejuvenate. They come in thick, short and compact. They are much easier to maintain when they are small, and they'll flower better in coming seasons. I did this to my azaleas last year, they are now about 2-3 ft tall and solid green, no gaps.

If you still hate them, you can just cut them down again. The new growth is thin and less woody, so a few passes with a brush hog would keep it knocked down.


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## CLC (Oct 5, 2011)

Kill them with roundup at a concentration sufficient to kill established shrubs. Buy the concentrate, the pre-mix is several times more expensive.

Wait a couple weeks.

Cut them at the stump flush to the ground

Debris Removal: Not a fan of burning, and neither are your neighbors probably, you can also rent a chipper, cut them into smaller pieces for pickup, rent a small dumpster, or take them to a yard waste recycling center.

Either leave them as is or hire/rent a stump remover, but then you again run into issues with underground utilities if you're not careful. 

Personally I would cut them way back (not to ground) and let them live. It would be years before they were a big maintenance issue again.


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## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

cut them down to stumps and wood boring bit drill out a good size hole down the into the stump pour some round up in and see you in the spring:wink: the truck cut will shock the roots if you do it now before it goes dorment


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## Bradshaw (Jun 5, 2021)

Msradell said:


> * killing azaleas!*


 Why?? I have killed 90% of the azaleas around here. They are terrible plants that only flower for a short period. Everyone and their sister fills their yards up with those hideous plants and the whole neighborhood looks the same. Terrible plants.


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## Bradshaw (Jun 5, 2021)

Leah Frances said:


> :yes::yes: Removing the hedgerow seems a waste. Does it serve no purpose for you? Privacy? Windbreak? Noise abatement? Delineation of property line? Child containment? 😉 Are you going to keep the area mowed? Or will you want another hedgerow? It will take time to establish..
> 
> I have 20+ I planted in an out of the way place, as understory fill (some of which are over 60 years old - transplanted from my grandmother's yard). They get morning sun and enough shade to keep them cool. The twice blooming ones are blooming again now - which is a real nice treat in a yard that is mostly done for the year.


 You’ve gotta be kidding. Everyone alive planted those ugly bushes in the 70s and 80s. (political statement removed by moderator) America would be a prettier country if everyone sprayed roundup on 90% of their azaleas. They are just ugly bushes that take up too much landscape.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

@Bradshaw you are responding to a 10 year old thread. You may not get many responses.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

Bradshaw said:


> Why?? I have killed 90% of the azaleas around here. They are terrible plants that only flower for a short period. Everyone and their sister fills their yards up with those hideous plants and the whole neighborhood looks the same. Terrible plants.


That opinion certainly depends on what part of the country you live in! In the southeast US they are by far the most popular plant there is, just look at the photos from the Masters golf tournament if you doubt that. How long they bloom depends on the varieties, many of the newer varieties bloom several times a year.


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