Cottonwoods

[Whip]

I have a ditch line bordering one of my property lines with mature cottonwoods lining the banks. This past spring I planted a mix of spruce, dogwood and hazelnut along parts of the field adjoining it. The plantings did well for the first year, but so did cottonwood seedlings. The place is loaded with them!
They grow fast, and I'm sure will soon out compete my plantings. There are hundreds upon hundreds of them. I can control somewhat between the rows with mowing, but within the rows themselves they will soon be out of control.

Manual spraying would work for some of them, but many are too close to the plantings. And I'm assuming that getting rid of them this year is only a one year solution. I honestly don't know if I can keep these things under control.

Do I just give up on plantings and allow the cottonwood to take over? Do they have any value as cover for wildlife? Of do I just plow it all under and turn this part of the field into RR food plots? Any other suggestions?

 

[H20fwler]

I am lucky enough to not have many on our place, I cut them down whenever they pop up because I don't want them competing with the hardwoods for anything. I now that besides making my screens look like crap with their fluffy seeds the fish eat the crap out of them on the water, I imagine birds eat them too?
I think all trees have some value to wildlife even if I don't see it but I definitely have my preferences on what I like to have growing if I can help it. A guy I work with had a small woodlot of big cottonwoods and a timber cruiser actually paid him a few thousand for them for pallet wood.

 

[j-bird]

cottonwood can be a real bear to deal with because as you said they grow quickly and they stump sprout readily. I fight them in my CRP and I tend to burn and then mow them off. The larger ones I hack and squirt. I HATE giving up. You may have to change your row spacing in a way so you can get in and control them to some scale. Cottonwood has ZERO wildlife value that I have seen. Best thing they do is hold a stream bank. You may need some sort of "beater" mower that is smaller to get within your rows or maybe a clearing saw. You may be in for a long haul for keeping them under control.

 

[Kleckner Oasis]

Cottonwood has ZERO wildlife value that I have seen.

Probably depends what wildlife? Turkey use them to roost in, herons build rookeries in them, deer graze young ones and bucks rub them, birds and squirrels build nests in them, raccoons and opossums use the cavities as homes. I'd imagine a lot of birds even use the cotton to line their nests.

 

[bwoods11]

Personally I like free trees, even if they are cottonwood. Deer love to bed in new growth trees in grasses.

Friend of mine had 9 acres of volunteer ash and cottonwood, on his 400 acres. Full of deer!! I mean it was crazy.
Just depends on if you want bedding or a travel corridor, personally cottonwood fits both, until they get real big.

 

[tynimiller]

Cottonwoods like other trees all have a purpose...sometimes best served logged, clean cut, hinged or left standing....each case varies.