AusBonsai

not certain weather to put this here, but then it is a pest.... star weed... how do you deal with it? pull it? or spray it? one of my pots has a healthy covering of it, even though periodically I have cleared it out by pulling them out. I have tried dabbing vinigar on them etc in the past, and found it ineffective... so.. has anyone tried a herbiscide? I would of course be worried about the tree if I sprayed with herbicide? spray with vinigar? will this harm the tree??? suggestions? (the tree is a pear)

There is an herbicide you can purchase which suppresses the germination of seeds. Next time you repot, clear out all the weeds and weed roots from the soil, or just bare root the tree if necessary, and spray the chemical over the soil every 2-3 months.

Can't think of the name unfortunately, but any good nursery should be able to tell you.

-Mo

I use a paint brush and pure round up. Works well!

doesn't that harm the tree Jow?

Jow wrote:I use a paint brush and pure round up. Works well!

I do the same or a Small careful spray on the leaves of the weeds.

Roundup is absorbed thru the Green foliage only of a plant.
even if you spray the trunk or roots by accident it will not matter.

Apply with brush and very effective.

Ken

Ok, I've misted the weed/moss with roundup... hopefully it won't kill the trees.

So long as the mist hasn't ended up on the bonsai's leaves you should be fine.

no leaves atm, some got on the trunks, I wiped them down with a damp cloth hope that works.

Like Joe, I use glyphosate ( roundup) as well on starweed, sorrel, flatweed and bittercress(flickweed?). Glyphosate is only absorbed through the leaves so is safe to paint on weeds on the soil. Should not even affect the trunk unless there are buds popping. I keep a small container of pure solution and a paintbrush for this and wipe it on the leaves of the weeds whenever i see them - no harm to the bonsai in 10 years or more. It will take up to a week to show up but death is rapid after that. you may need to repeat as seed in the soil germinates. just get it before it seeds in future.