I have a small patch of woods in my backyard and it's full if bush honeysuckle and wintercreeper and I would like to start controlling it as best as possible. Has anyone here done this?Mostly I'm worried that since I only own a small portion of this larger wooded area that it'll be a huge losing battle as the invasives can just spread back over the property line. Is it even worth the trouble?
>>2882065i had to do exactly this for the colorado division of wildlife for my public service. i was controlling the canadian thistle. they just had me drive a 4 wheeler around and spray roundup on any candian thistle i saw. i was pretty easy, hardest part was all the karen hikers screaming at me for spraying the weeds but i just gave them a business card for who to call and bitch out and would spray a little extra just for them
>>2882107Just be careful with the ID work, it's all too easy to mix up the natives with the invasives. I've met way too many landowners who blast any thistle they see because they don't have the patience to check the underside of the leaf
>>2882065Didnt know honeysuckle was invasive. Thought it was native since the bees love them.I have no experience on this subject, but i watched some youtubes about it, and this native landscaper said you should know your growzone and test the soil first, then after you weed out the invasives youre trying to rid of, replace it with native plants that will thrive in your soil type which will suppress invasive weeds. Making it easier for future deweedings or something
>>2882065You will never truly get rid of invasive species. They are here to stay forever no matter how much you bitch and moan and spray carcinogens on them.The actual way to control them is by managing the habitat. I think controlled burns are the best but obviously not feasible for most so mowing and physical removal is the next best bet.Like >>2883714 says, you can plant your "natives" to compete with them but they will still be around.Personally I got rid of japanese stiltgrass on my property for the most part by cutting down a lot of trees and opening up the canopy to goldenrod and asters. I don't shit my pants over the few stragglers on the edge nor do I pull them out because they're not a problem anymore. Also, rethink the whole "REEEEE ANYTHING NON-NATIVE IS BAD!!!" mindset because they do have benefits. Somehow these idiots don't see the irony in saying they have no ecological value and then in the same breath say the main way they spread is by birds eating and shitting out the seeds.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ha3QivnjbIU