How do I Kill Mint and Daylilies?

Ditch lilies, the bright orange lily often seen along highways, can get out of control if not managed. Mint plants also need to be controlled or this invasive plant will take over a garden. Commercial products can be purchased as a last resort, but first try a home remedy that is less costly. Time and perseverance are helpful when combating these two plants.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Garden spade
• Boiling water
• 2 cups of salt
• 1 tsp. of dish soap
• White vinegar
• Heavy plastic
• Brick
• Newspaper
• Mulch
• Handsaw
• Lawnmower

Mint

1. Pull the mint plant out by the roots. Loosen the soil with a garden spade or hoe to ensure all the roots have been pulled.
2. Pour boiling water over patches of mint that continue to survive. Direct the water so that leaves and roots are soaked. Soak daily until the plant is dead.
3. Mix 2 cups of salt, 1 tsp. of dish soap and 1 gallon of white vinegar and place in a spray bottle. Spray the mint with frequent applications until the mint is dead. Use the application alone or spray the mint after the boiling water method has dried from the mint leaves.
4. Spread a cover of heavy plastic over the mint. Secure the sides of the plastic with bricks or rocks to keep the heat from escaping from under the plastic. The process will take four to six weeks for the mint to die. Spraying the mint with the vinegar mixture or pouring boiling water over the plants before covering will improve the process.
5. Spread thick layers of newspaper and cover the newspaper with mulch. This method is more eye-appealing while killing the mint plant.
6. Cut mint shrubs to the ground using a handsaw. Paint the stump with a killing herbicide that can be purchased from a nursery of home improvement center.

Daylilies

1. Cut the daylilies as close to the ground as possible. Use the lowest lawnmower setting or a weed trimmer to cut the flower.
2. Cover the area 1 foot beyond the flowers with heavy plastic. Secure the plastic around the edges to keep it in place. The lack of sunlight will eventually kill the flower, but it will take several weeks.
3. Spread mulch 1 foot deep for a more attractive method of killing the lily. This method could take a year to kill the daylily.

Tips & Warnings

• Growing mint in a container is better than a garden setting.

• When using an herbicide to kill plants, be aware that nearby plants could also be affected by the product.