Acadia National Park has some practice removing invasive species. If you’ve identified invasive species on your property, you may be wondering, “what now?” Depending on the species of plant, size of the plant, and size of the area, as well as your own comfort and ability, different removal methods may be a better fit for your situation.
Below are some general methods for removing invasive plants from your property and what to do after. For more in-depth information on what method would work best for your target species, check out Maine Extension’s Maine Invasive Plants Field Guide and the external resources section.
Watch a removal timelapse
Dig in! Mechanical control involves methods like pulling, cutting, and using tools to dig out invasive plants. These methods can be labor intensive and work best for small populations covering small areas.
Pull out young or shallow-rooted plants by hand. This works best when soil is moist, and plants can be pulled more easily. If dealing with plants with sharp spines, like Japanese barberry, be sure to wear gloves!
For larger or more deeply rooted plants, a shovel, trowel, or other weeding tool can help pry them out.
Take care to remove the entire plant— some plants can resprout from just tiny stem or root fragments!
For some larger plants, cutting the stems or base of the plant using loppers, shears, or a handsaw is a great way to remove the seeding part of the plant and minimize seed crop.
Cutting back invasives causes less ground disturbance than hand-pulling but requires persistent monitoring. Re-cutting multiple times during the growing season for at least three years is suggested.
Consider this low effort control method: cover it up! After cutting the base of the plant, cover the cut stumps with a heavy, light-blocking plastic bag or landscape tarp for at least 1 year.
If you are planning to remove invasive plants manually, here are a few tools you may want to have:
Another option to control invasive plants on your property is using herbicides, which can be an effective and resource efficient option.
Most invasive plant species can be treated using two types of herbicides– glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup and Rodeo) and triclopyr (found in Brush-Be-Gone and Garlon).
If using herbicides to treat invasive plants, please read all product labels carefully and take proper precautions for both personal and environmental safety.
Foliar herbicide applications involve spraying herbicide on the leaves, or foliage, of the plant and works well for large areas of invasives.
Glyphosate and triclopyr work well as foliar sprays. Use a backpack sprayer or handheld sprayer to coat the leaves of the target plant. Full coverage is key!
Applications can be made anytime during the growing season, but late summer and fall applications are often most effective.
This method often requires more than one application.
A cut-stump application works well for large woody plants that are hard to dig or pull.
First, use shears or a handsaw to cut the woody plant off near the base. Then, use a spray bottle, paintbrush, or sponge to apply herbicide to the entire surface of the stump. Time is of the essence! Plants can seal off fresh wounds fast, so be sure to apply the herbicide as quickly as possible after making the cut.
Glyphosate and triclopyr work for cut-stump applications as well but are needed in higher concentrations. If using glyphosate, a concentration of at least 20% is needed, while 8% concentration is required if using triclopyr.
Applications can be made anytime during the growing season, but late summer and fall applications tend to be more effective.
If the stump resprouts, a cut-stump or foliar spray can be applied.
If you are planning to remove invasive plants using herbicide, here are a few tools you may want to have:
All that digging, pulling, cutting, spraying; now what? Proper disposal of invasive plant material is just as important as the actual removal. Roots, seeds, and other fragments from leftover plant material can cause new plants to take hold and reestablish.
Here are a few things you can do with all your hard work:
Pile it up!
Pile materials on a section of pavement, a tarp, or a pallet to dry out and decompose within a couple of weeks.
Burn it
Burn plant materials with a required burn permit.
Solarization
Bag up plant material in heavy black or clear plastic bags then set them out in direct sunlight for several weeks.
*Avoid dragging and dispersing seeds or putting debris in the compost.
External Resources
cipwg.uconn.edu/control-information/
Useful per-species guides for control at the bottom of the page
cipwg.uconn.edu/herbicide/
Herbicide safety
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