Many of you have asked for advice on how to handle invasives. Below are five important "TIPS" to get you started during the winter months. Also be sure to mark your calendar and join us at the TIP -- PR planning session this Sunday February 3 from 7 -- 8:30 pm at the Pound Ridge Library!
1. Invasive plant species are much easier to manage before they get established. Start learning how to identify which invasive species are here and which ones are starting to emerge. We currently know of 16 invasives in the area that are listed on the chart below. For help identifying invasive species on your please email: invasivesPR@BedfordAudubon.org.
Herbaceous
Shrubs
Vines
Trees
Japanese stilt grass
Japanese barberry
Oriental bittersweet
Norway Maple
Japanese knotweed
Wine berry
Japanese honeysuckle
Tree of Heaven
(Ailanthus)
Garlic mustard
Rosa multiflora
Porcelain berry
Mugwort
Winged euonymus
Black Swallow- wort
Phragmites
Mile-a-minute
2. Make a plan for removing the invasives on your property. But before you start pulling, consider the service the plant is providing. For example, does it help with erosion control or is it an active nesting sites? If so, then it's important to include a replacement plan with comparable native plants.
3. Managing invasive plants is repetitive work so it is especially important to keep track of the progress you are making. Create a log and be sure to take photographs during the intervention. Remember, these plants are aggressive. Planning and recordkeeping helps stay committed to the challenge.
4. Winter is the perfect time to tackle and remove Japanese barberry (Berberis thungergii) from your property. Cutting barberry during this time will help reduce the deer tick population later (barberry is a vector for immature ticks). Be sure to cut barberry stems at the base and try not to disturb the soil around the base of the plant. Be sure to monitor for new growth. Barberry is one of the relatively easy invasives to suppress if you tackle it through cutting or by removing the root to prevent new growth.
5. Bring nature home to Pound Ridge: when you make your garden plans this winter plan on using native plants. To give the natives a chance to take root, be sure to fence the plants or a small area of your property to create a refuge from the deer.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
