QUESTION:

Good Morning from Rainy Texas, Two years ago I bought this house and the previous owners must have loved Nandinas.  I have them everywhere and would like to start getting rid of them in the flower beds.  How do I kill them?  I tried sawing them off at the ground but now I have a rounded bush.  What does it take to get rid of them?  Thanks.

ANSWER:

You have discovered that cutting them off just makes for a stronger shrub!  Unfortunately, you have to dig them out by the roots.  They will self-seed happily in the fall/winter, too. Remove the lovely clusters of red berries from all of the plants and use them for Christmas decorations or in floral arrangements.  Make sure to pull up any new seedlings as they appear.  They only need a couple of seasons to get established in the garden.