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removing invasives

Started by hokie97, October 01, 2010, 03:12:22 PM

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hokie97

After having a state forester come out to check out our wood lots he suggested removing the invasive from the areas to be harvested in the next couple of years.  There are a number of surrounding fields we have reclaimed(about 20 years of growth) and now I can focus on the woods.  The primary species we need to remove will be Autumn olive, and Ailanthus.  The ailanthus seems to be pretty easy, but the olive has been a bear to deal with.  Winter seems to be the best time to get in the woods(no ticks, cool) but can I control them in the winter with a cut stump spray effectively?  The trees range from under 1" to multi stems over 4"

John Mc

I don't think cut stump treatment will be very effective in the winter. The plant has generally sent its energy reserves down to the roots. Better to get it when the leaves are still on & before they turn color.

There are other treatments which may be effective in the winter. Garlon 4 as a basal bark treatment, for example (you don't want to try to treat when the snow is piled deep against the trunk, however).

I'm no expert at the species you mention, but the above is true for Buckthorn. Others on here are more knowledgeable, and may have better input for those species.

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Ron Scott

NEW BOOK ABOUT INVASIVE SPECIES

The Wisconsin DNR is selling the new 62 page "A Field Guide to Terrestrial Invasive Plants in  Wisconsin" for $5.00, plus $1.90 for shipping. 

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/plants.asp

This URL has links to the species, a mix of profiles, maps, images, and literature reviews. 

~Ron

BlaBla

Hokie97:

I think you'll have success with the cut stump treatment any time of year for those two species with high strength glyphosate (Roundup) or 2,4-D/Picloram products (Tordon RTU). The Garlon 4 basal bark treatment would probably be more effective and easier for your situation.

Keep in mind that there are probably federal cost-share programs (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/) administered through NRCS and/or state cost-share for invasive species removal.


John Mc

You're right, BlaBla... I forgot to mention the cost share programs.

Hokie97, if you ask that state forester you met with about the Federal cost share program known as "WHIP" (Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program), he can probably put you in contact with the appropriate person in your are to find out more info and apply for funds. The program is administered by the USDA, so someone at your area USDA offices can probably also help.

WHIP program applications are ranked and awarded on merit, not "first-come, first-served" (unless you are in an area where they don't use up all their funding anyway). You can improve your chances by including other wildlife oriented practices in your application. For example, In addition to 13 acres of Buckthorn control, my application included some delayed mowing of abandoned pastures to keep them open. Mowed every other year, and did not mow from May thru mid July to allow ground-nesting birds time to fledge their chicks. I also did some release of white Oak and wild apple trees for hard and soft mast, and created an opening in the midst of a forested area to regenerate some early successional species.

In Vermont, the Fish & Wildlife Dept helps out the feds at the USDA with the WHIP program. They sent someone out to walk my land and make suggestions before I made my application. Whether it's your F&W department, someone from the USDA or someone else, there is usually someone around who can provide guidance (for free).

A good resource, with a lot of their own info, plus links to other organizations with information on invasive species: http://www.invasive.org/

Here''s their link on Autumn Olive

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

hokie97

Blah-blah and MC,
Thanks for the feedback.  Yes, I am already enrolled in the cost share program with the NRCS.  We actually cleared about 15 acres of Olive this Summer with a loader(returning it to fields) and I removed the olive from about 16ac of large hardwoods this Summer(not many with the strong canopy).  I am looking for a Winter project to keep up on them.  The next section I want to attack is a bit more thick with olive in the under story and some drainages where it has really started to grow.  20ac in total.  The basil method is not very attractive as the growth habitat of the olive makes it difficult to access the multi stem base on all sides.  I was hoping with the cut stump we would have better luck. If I need to I can always follow up some of the stumps with a foliar spray in the spring when they start to leaf out.  With the price of glyphosate right now, that will be my first choice.

BlaBla

A dye in the herbicide might help you make sure you get all the stumps. Autumn olive may have established itself on your woodland in different light conditions from the present, but it is an invasive that won't do very well when shaded out by woodland conditions.

bushhog

I have successfully used cut stump treatment on Russian Olive for the last several years - it doesn't seem to matter what time of the year I treat them.  It is best to treat the stump immediatly after cutting rather than waiting until a later date.  If you decide to wait until spring, you might want to leave enough of the stump so you can make a fresh cut and then treat

Basil bark is almost impossible for me unless I want to play pin cushion  ;D

hokie97

sounds like I know what I will be doing this weekend!  I will start with the cut stump method.  Is there any reason you would not just strap a small 1 gallon sprayer on your belt and saw and spray all at the same time?  Is there a smart way to do this I dont know about?

Bla Bla yes, they have established themselves in the fields(which we are in the slow process of clearing) and to the woodlots.   Since we plan to do a cut within the next two years I have been advised to remove as much of the olive as possbile, so when we do open up the canopy the olive is semi under control.

John Mc

Quote from: hokie97 on October 05, 2010, 11:13:14 AM
sounds like I know what I will be doing this weekend!  I will start with the cut stump method.  Is there any reason you would not just strap a small 1 gallon sprayer on your belt and saw and spray all at the same time?  Is there a smart way to do this I don't know about?

That may work if things are out in the open. The more cramped the space gets, the tougher it is to move with all that gear. I've seen folks carry a little laboratory squirt bottle or an old "Windex" window cleaning bottle in a holster on their belt that worked OK for them. It's small, so you can still move around easily. You do have to refill it more frequently, but it doesn't really take a lot of the herbicide (if you are using the right concentration).

I've attached a copy of plans for a herbicide applicator wand made from some PVC pipe and fittings. It originally showed up on the Nature Conservancy's web site. The link is no longer working, and a search of their new site turned up no hits. Fortunately, I saved a copy of the file. I've seen it in use. It's handy, since you don't have to bend over to treat the stump.

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

hokie97

Thanks for all the feedback.  I enjoyed a day tromping around the woods on Sunday with the saw and a 1/2 gallon sprayer.  It was one purchased from tractor supply.  No hose or anything just a straight nozzle and a handle.  I could just hang it from my back pocket as I moved to the next tree.  I was able to do around an acre in a couple of hours and was pleased with the result.  Now I just need to wait until spring to see if the stump spray worked.  I went with 60% glyphosate 40% water on the stumps.  Mostly cutting Autumn Olive and Ailanthus.

John Mc

Where did you find 60% glyphosphate concentration? Highest I've found around here is about 50%. (which is more than enough for my needs)

If you do get sprouting, hitting the foliage with 3 to 5% concentration should take care of them. I tend towards 5%, just to reduce the chances I'll have to do it again.  NOTE: I've occasionally seen the case where buckthorn will sprout even after a proper treatment with the cut stump method, but then it dies out on it's own with no further treatment. I'm guessing that this is because the stump was treated late in the season, when the buckthorn had already sent some of its energy reserves down to its roots. I believe Glyphosphate works by interfering with a plant's photosynthesis, starving it for energy. It's possible that it used stored energy to sprout, but then couldn't maintain the sprout due to poor photosynthesis??
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

hokie97

Mc,
Sorry, this is the same ~50% glyphosate you have up in VT.  I have cut that again with water for a 25%+ ratio as per my state forester.  I shoudl be able to follow up next spring and hit the small shoots that come up, or ones that I have missed(just can not seem to get all the small ones too)>

John Mc

Good luck with it. I've not dealt with Autumn Olive. On the buckthorn I have around here, 25% concentration is about as low as I would want to go. I've tended to bump it up a bit from there, since the process is so labor intensive that I don't want to skimp and risk doing it again (I had poor results using the 18% hardware store "concentrate").

Another tip, if I haven't mentioned it already: if you mix a bit of dye with the glyphosphate, it's easier to tell what stumps you've already treated. Dark colors work better.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

hokie97

I will have to see about the dye.  I know I have some around here from a field we used it on this past summer.  Since I was cutting, then spraying it was not hard to forget where I was.  I imagine that if you are cutting a few then spraying it would be useful.  I will have to recheck on the % I was instructed, but no, I dont want to have to go back agian with this anytime soon!

John Mc

You probably heard the 25% recommendation correctly. That's what the "official" recommendation is around here as well. In talking to a lot of folks who have done it on their own land (and from my own experience), 25% works, but 30%+ works more reliably.

If you have the time, it might be interesting to do one section at one concentration, and another section with a different one and track the results to see if one had significantly more srpouting than the other. To be fair, I'd try to do adjacent plots with similar soils and sunlight. I'd also try to do them on the same day or close to it (doing one in perfect conditions, then the other a few days later when it rains an hour after you treated might skew the results).

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

hokie97

John,
Well I certainly don't want to do this again, so I will have to up the concentration a bit.  The product I am using is just under 50% so I will not be cutting it with much water if any.  Since I have done one area already I will see what spring shows against the next bit I start this weekend.  Should be a fun experiment!

John Mc

If you're starting with 50%, 2 parts of your solution mixed with 1 part water would give you about 33%.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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