Late winter and early spring is the perfect season to target a few of the troublesome invasive plant species found throughout our area, such as mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata) and Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum). 

While you may not see these invaders growing now, you can surely find the remnants of last year's plants.  There is a very good chance that, come spring, these species will grow again in the same area.  Both mile-a-minute and Japanese stiltgrass have seeds that can remain viable for up to 7 years; so in order to eradicate these plants on your property, perpetual maintenance is necessary. 

One management strategy we have been utilizing on our preserves for the last several years is an annual application of a pre-emergent herbicide.  With this technique, you apply a specific herbicide to an area infested with the invaders before the new plants emerge from the soil.  As the seed tips poke through the ground, they absorb the herbicide and are killed before they fully germinate.  Since many of the common invasive plants emerge weeks earlier than our natives, there is little chance that a pre-emergent application will harm more desirable, native species; the herbicide will not persist long enough in the soil for the seeds of native plants to be affected.  The use of pre-emergent herbicides can allow native plants the opportunity to grow without competition for space, sunlight and nutrients from more aggressive invasive species.

If you are interested in learning more about pre-emergent herbicides or how you can incorporate them into your invasive species management efforts, email us at [email protected].  It is important to know which herbicides will work best at targeting the specific invasive plants you wish to control.  In addition, it is critically important to follow carefully the manufacturer's instructions when using any herbicide, and to use only those products approved for use in wetlands when working near wet areas or streams.