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Buckthorn - burn or brushpile?

McGilvra

McGilvra

Buck Fawn
I am planning on cutting a few dozen buckthorns along with some tartarian honeysuckle and autumn olive this weekend. I have a solution of crossbow ready to go for cut stump spraying.

I have been debating whether to pile the brush and trees for habitat or screening, or if I should just burn it. If I didn't burn the piles I'd be conscious of any remaining seeds on the buckthorns.

What do you guys do with your cut invasives?


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I cut a lot of honeysuckle and locust because I hate them... along with a few maples. The bigger stuff I cut down for wood to burn in fire ring, I use the branches to make bunny piles.
 
I spent two weekends this winter taking on a 1/2 acre buckthorn stand. I chose to burn it out of spite. Where you cut in relation to the burn pile is a big factor. Moving the cut wood is a lot of work, even if you use an atv or truck to skid. Also unless you plan on having a huge fire you will need to cut them down to size. Bring help! On the upside I am using this new area for additional apple trees now that is is free of buckthorn and cleared...
 
I usually pile them up and make a few nice brushpiles for the rabbits or to make a blockade. Now I have brushpiles everywhere, so last weekend I started burning some of the new areas I'm clearing so I have a little more room to spray/mow these recently cleared out areas. And out of spite as sconnie said since I hate buckthorns.

Cutting down those stupid big buckthorns is just the start of the battle though, as soon as the sun hits the ground again you'll have 10,000,000 buckthorn seedlings popping up. I'm going to try to mow and spray these areas for a couple years to kill off these seedlings before coming up with a long term plan.
 
Alright, thanks for the feedback. I get the desire to burn that stuff out of spite! I will be cutting quite a bit this weekend. Temps in the high 50s which is a welcome respite from Wisconsin winter.



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Ben.MN/WI said:
I usually pile them up and make a few nice brushpiles for the rabbits or to make a blockade. Now I have brushpiles everywhere, so last weekend I started burning some of the new areas I'm clearing so I have a little more room to spray/mow these recently cleared out areas. And out of spite as sconnie said since I hate buckthorns.

Cutting down those stupid big buckthorns is just the start of the battle though, as soon as the sun hits the ground again you'll have 10,000,000 buckthorn seedlings popping up. I'm going to try to mow and spray these areas for a couple years to kill off these seedlings before coming up with a long term plan.
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There is a small window (Halloween thru Nov. 10) when most of the woods has gone dormant. Buckthorn on the other hand is still green & thriving. This provides a great opportunity to spray the flush of regrowth with Gly. I've used the method a number of times.... it works great!
 
Coop said:
There is a small window (Halloween thru Nov. 10) when most of the woods has gone dormant. Buckthorn on the other hand is still green & thriving. This provides a great opportunity to spray the flush of regrowth with Gly. I've used the method a number of times.... it works great!
Click to expand...

Why a short window? What happens after Nov.10?
 
S.T.Fanatic said:
Why a short window? What happens after Nov.10?
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The buckthorn begins to go dormant thus inhibiting the Gly uptake process. A.K.A. - the leaves turn brown and stop producing food for the plant.

Nov 10th is a weather contingent estimation. Unfortunately in 4b the best time to kill buckthorn regrowth is usually the best time to be in a bow stand.
 
That's one other reason I should fill my buck tag early in the bow season, but that doesn't seem to happen too often.

Do you ever have any problems with the November spray killing anything other than buckthorns? My infested areas are about 98% buckthorn, but there are a few decent dogwoods and plums hidden in there that I'd like to save if possible. I'm not familiar if there are typically any issues when spraying other trees/shrubs when they are dormant.
 
I have had good luck killing buckthorn up to 8' tall with a heavy dose of qly by foliar application at anytime. I go for the "nuke" approach and kill everything in the area. This gives me a clean slate to further eradicate popup seedlings for a few years. On a different note for larger specimens: If doing a hack/cut and squirt treatment. Buckthorn seems to kill best when cut and treated after it has gone dormant (when sap is flowing from up to down), this gets the herbicide to the roots. With the weather central WI has been having you may be too late to cut/squirt. When daytime temps get above freezing the sap starts flowing up from the roots, this takes the herbicide up and away from the target area. In reality the best time to kill buckthorn is A.S.A.P, however a complete kill is time, weather and method dependent.
 
Ben.MN/WI said:
That's one other reason I should fill my buck tag early in the bow season, but that doesn't seem to happen too often.

Do you ever have any problems with the November spray killing anything other than buckthorns? My infested areas are about 98% buckthorn, but there are a few decent dogwoods and plums hidden in there that I'd like to save if possible. I'm not familiar if there are typically any issues when spraying other trees/shrubs when they are dormant.
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Just wait until the leaves of the desired fauna are brown & crispy. Plums turn early, dogwoods I'm not so sure.
 
I don't have the necessary location to burn cut buckthorn on my home acreage. I pile it on existing brush piles. I hate it. The seeds have a laxative effect in any birds that eat them. That is why it is so easily spread. Once you start a buckthorn eradication project, you have to continue with follow ups for years to keep it under control. I don't think you can ever totally eliminate it.
 
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