Eliminating Non-Native Or Exotic Weed Trees Using Herbicides in an Ecologically Safe Way

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In private woodlands, public parks and forests, or virtually any wooded area in this country, we face a problem: weed trees - often non-native or exotic species - that invade and often dominate desirable native species. Weed trees like these are an ecological threat and need to be removed.



I have used the following technique for over a decade and it has worked really well. I use herbicides in this technique. At first, I was reluctant to use an herbicide but have found that it's the only way to go if you have a substantial number of trees to remove.



Tools





loppers or hand saw

 herbicide applicator - hand held

 machete or hatchet





The technique I describe here - I call it the "tall stump treatment method," I have mostly used on buckthorn in a northern climate (Minnesota). However, I believe the technique should work on many other invasive trees. The technique works best for trees of about 1 inch or greater in diameter. These larger trees are the first ones you should get rid of because they will bear fruit and shade out native competition.



Timing - When to begin I find it best to treat trees with chemical in late fall or, better yet, winter. It is easier to see and maneuver without all the foliage. More importantly, it is more effective. If you treat a tree in the spring when the sap is flowing, the chemical will be transported to the leaves. The leaves may die, but the tree survives. In late fall and winter, nutrients are being transported down to the roots. This is where you want the chemical transported too for effective die off.



Stage 1 - Cutting the Tops This first stage can be done at any time of year because it doesn't involve treatment with chemical. For this first stage, all you need is a pair of loppers or a saw (depending on the size of the trees). I dive into the thicket (wear safety glasses because branches can poke your eyes) and cut each tree about waist height. If there are other branches below the main cut, I cut those off too. This leaves a barren trunk about 2 to 3 feet high. I repeat this cutting technique with all the trees in the area that I plan to treat in this batch.



Next, I haul out all of the cut tops of the trees to a burn pile, chipping area, or other storage area. With tree tops that have berries or seeds, move them carefully to minimize the number of berries that fall to the ground.



This leaves an area of tall stumps. You can leave the tall stumps for several months before applying herbicide. The longer you wait, the more re-growth you will have. However, most of the growth will occur just below the cut (as opposed to at the base of the tree), so it shouldn't be too problematic.



Stage 2 - Treating the tall stumps For this stage I bring an herbicide spray applicator and a machete or hatchet for notching the bark of the tree. The spray applicator can be relatively compact - similar to the spray bottles used for spray cleaners. For an herbicide, I use glyphosate (common trade name: RoundUp). Try to buy it in high concentration - preferably 40%. You don't need much herbicide with the technique described here. Make sure you follow the label for the herbicide.



Since the cut tree tops have been removed from the area, I can move around the trees relatively easily. I cut notches (or frills) around the base of the stump and squirt chemical into the notches after making the cut. DON'T WAIT MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES if possible to apply the herbicide after making the cut. Otherwise, the tree's defense mechanisms will seal off the wound and prevent absorption of the herbicide.



Cut the notches or frills as near to the base of the tree as possible. This ensures that more herbicide will be transported into the roots. Many of the demonstrations on the world wide web of the "frill method" (aka "hack and squirt") show the frill or line of cuts up the trunk some distance from the base. When I have done this, I find the tree has a greater chance of re-sprouting below the frill, presumably because not all the herbicide was transported to the roots.



When making cuts at the base of the tree, however, be careful not to get dirt into the notches or on your tools. Soil and dust neutralize glyphosate. (In general be very careful if you are applying glyphosate. Do not to get dirt on the cutting tools or applicator nozzle.)



If possible, leave the strips of bark from the notches attached to the tree. These attached strips have exposed inner bark that absorb chemical exceptionally well. With this application of herbicide the tree should die within a couple weeks even in the winter.



Stage 3 - Cutting the stumps to the ground For appearance's sake, you may wish to go back to the area a few weeks later to cut the stumps to the ground level. Since the tree should have died, you can cut them at any level. If you do make a cut to the stump and notice living tree tissue, you can re-apply herbicide at this time. Alternatively, you can simply leave the tall stumps standing and then break them off after they rot.



Advantages of the Tall Stump Treatment Technique Although I like to avoid using herbicides (i.e., pesticides) to eradicate exotic species of trees, I believe you have to if you have a job of any size. I also far prefer the tall stump application method outlined here to foliar, basal bark, or soil treatment methods. I don't really consider those to be options because of concerns about environmental effects, the quantity of herbicide needed, and efficacy.



There are also number of advantages to the tall stump technique over the traditional cut-stump application, frill, or drilling methods:





By breaking the task up in stages, you have fewer tools to carry and keep track of. This means you can work faster and not lose track of tools.

 You can remove the tree tops from the treatment area without hurrying (unlike with the traditional cut-stump method where the stump faces have to be treated immediately after cutting).

 You can wait a long time - up to several months - between the initial cutting creating the tall stumps and the herbicide treatment.

 If there's snow on the ground, it's easier to find the tall stumps for treatment.

 The amount of exposed cambium is greater with this method than with the traditional cut stump treatment method. More pesticide can be held on the strips of bark and in the notch and you can more effectively destroy the weed tree.

 If you forget to treat one of the tall stumps or if a treatment fails for some reason, the branches will re-grow just below the cut but well above ground level. You can generally make another, single cut just below this re-growth. On the other hand, if you leave an untreated stump cut at ground level, the stump will re-sprout forming a bush, and you will have to cut all the branches and treat each one.

 With the cut stump method, if you treat the stump face, it's hard to know which stumps have been treated unless you use a dye. However, some dyes reduce the efficacy of glyphosate.

 I find it easier to walk in an area with the higher stumps. I trip too easily on short stumps, especially if there's snow on the ground or high grass.





That's my treatment technique. If you have looked around the web, you know that nearly everyone who has worked a lot in removing invasive or exotic trees has different techniques. Learn something from the all.



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How Best to Deal With Oxalis

Oxalis, commonly known as Wood Sorrel, is hardly one of the ugliest of weeds. On the contrary, many species are favored perennials in garden beds, with their delicate, clover-like leaves, and attractive blooms. Yet one species of Wood Sorrel, Oxalis pes-caprae, can be in certain circumstances, one of the most annoying and difficult weeds to eradicate.

Oxalis has two properties that make it particularly problematical. One is the vigorous network of bulbs that it develops, rendering ineffective, hand or mechanical weeding. Secondly, while most perennial weeds are active during the summer, the primary growing season for Oxalis is the winter. Why is this a problem?

It is often the case that perennial weeds need to be treated with a systemic herbicide in order to eradicate them. The most suitable systemic weed killers available to gardeners are those based on glyphosate, such as Roundup. The trouble is that Roundup's systemic properties (that is the capacity to reach down to the plant's roots) are only effective during warm weather, and when the weeds are actively growing. Considering that the plant is mainly active during the cooler months of the year, it follows that the bride and the groom; in this case Oxalis and Roundup, "miss" each other.

Wood Sorrel is not a disaster in all situations. If it grows in a small flowerbed, hand weeding as a part of routine maintenance, will not eliminate the weed, but keep it under reasonable control. As mentioned before, the plant is not unattractive.

Heavy infestations in a lawn can be more disagreeable, unless mowing is carried out very frequently - say every three days or so. If eradication is the goal, then it is possible to apply a selective herbicide, that poisons broad-leaved plants (like Oxalis) without damaging then lawn. The trouble is that the weed killers in this category, which are based on the dreaded 2-4-D, evaporate easily, and by so doing, can seriously damage neighboring plants, including those in adjoining properties. While their use may be reasonably safe where there are no plants in the vicinity, in the average private garden, they are liable to be very dangerous.

Without a doubt though, Oxalis comes into its own as a noxious weed, in areas of the garden planted with low ground covers. If it is growing with the ground covers, it is virtually impossible to get rid of without damaging the desired plants. It is vitally important therefore to eliminate the Oxalis prior to planting. However, here it is worth remembering the case of the unhappy bride and groom who discover that they are unsuited to each other!

What should you do in the summer for instance, if you were planning to plant ground-hugging plants, in soil that may contain Oxalis bulbs? The answer is to wait for winter and the sprouting of the Oxalis weeds, and then treat them with the afore-mentioned selective herbicides, which unlike Roundup, are effective in cool weather. Needless to say, the work should only be carried out by a qualified professional.