I Have Hickory Nut Trees In My Yard. The Nuts…
Cindy Asked
I have hickory nut trees in my yard. The nuts fell off in the winter and now are sprouting in my new zoysia lawn that was put down last spring. How can I get rid of the sprouting trees without huring my zoysia grass?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Cindy in Mississippi: There are several species of hickory trees and some produce more desirable nuts than others; if you are growing these trees for the purpose of consumption, harvesting them will help reduce the number of seedlings in the future. As for the seedlings that have already sprouted, you have a couple of options. First, you can hand pull them if you are not dealing with a large space, but if this is not feasible you can spot spray with any product labeled with Triclopyr as its active ingredient. Many of these products might also contain 2,4-D (also an herbicide) as an active ingredient. Triclopyr is a nonorganic, selective herbicide you can spray without harming your grass. It is effective on woody plants and herbaceous weeds. It is usually available in granular and liquid form. For your purpose a foliar liquid application would work best. Spot spray the foliage and you will notice the decline of the seedling in a few days. As with any chemical, be sure to follow all application instructions.
