[jmbuckhunter]

I have applied for equip funds to wage war on the bush honeysuckle on my property. Hopefully it'll get approved soon.

What is the best way to defeat this beast (or at least control) and when is the best time to take action? I have about 15-20 acres where it ranges from pretty bad to one here and there.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Are you where you can burn?
I'll elaborate. Killing it is one step. Getting it out where you can walk through the woods again is another. That's why I asked.
The fastest way is to use a chainsaw on-a-stick, with a 30 degree offset at the base. Let's you saw it off low to the ground without having to bend over all day. One guy can do 1/2 acre (heavy infested) in about 2-3 hours.
Then, next spring, nuke it when it resprouts. Regular weedkiller, RU, or a combination.
If you have access to a Bobcat with a toothed blade, honeysuckle pops out easy. It doesn't resprout from those root sections, either. Get the right soil moisture, and it's a good way to clear an area in a hurry, but you end up with a heck of a pile in a hurry, too.

 

[jmbuckhunter]

[rquote=1565887&tid=108907&author=UrbanHunter]Are you where you can burn?
I'll elaborate. Killing it is one step. Getting it out where you can walk through the woods again is another. That's why I asked.
The fastest way is to use a chainsaw on-a-stick, with a 30 degree offset at the base. Let's you saw it off low to the ground without having to bend over all day. One guy can do 1/2 acre (heavy infested) in about 2-3 hours.
Then, next spring, nuke it when it resprouts. Regular weedkiller, RU, or a combination.
If you have access to a Bobcat with a toothed blade, honeysuckle pops out easy. It doesn't resprout from those root sections, either. Get the right soil moisture, and it's a good way to clear an area in a hurry, but you end up with a heck of a pile in a hurry, too.
[/rquote]

Burning won't be a problem.

I have a saw blade for my weedeater that does a good job of cutting it off without having to bend over. Most is 1 1/4 inch in dia. or less. So spraying later is easier than stump treating at sawing time?

I have popped some out around the edge of my field with my tractors bucket, works prety good.. But in the woods its too thick for the tractor.

 

[UrbanHunter]

If there are two of you, treating at the time is OK, I guess, but it sure seems easier to go back next spring and do it. Plus, you can use weed killer in spring and not kill any grass you might have (may not be an issue).
I've sprayed over the top early spring (before everything else is green) with RU, and got OK kill, but mostly just burnback. Fall spraying seems to work better.
I've got about the same problem you do. I'm trying to get an acre/year cleaned, but I'm having to re-treat each cleared acre every year now, too.
Everything works. But you still have the seed source, too, not just the plants. It's a never-ending battle.

Oh, the burning thing... if you leave the plants in place after cut, you get a better fire then you would with just leaf litter, and I think H-suckle don't like fire at ALL!

 

[HabitatMD]

20% glypho for cut stump or some of the ole reliable herbicides like remedy/diesel or tordon RTU. You can kill it with basal spraying too with Crossbow or Remedy. You just burn through a fair amount of chemical. Foliar spraying with Crossbow or Remedy will work as well. You just may kill smaller non-target trees/shrubs with this method. Smaller stuff is pretty easy to pull.

It'll probably take you a few rounds.

 

[jmbuckhunter]

[rquote=1567937&tid=108907&author=HabitatMD]

It'll probably take you a few rounds.[/rquote]

That much I know! :whinging:

But I ain't giving up, most places aren't too bad.!!!:whiteflag:

 

[OutbackBio]

If you applied for EQIP, there should be a PLC around somewhere. Ask them for a copy of 'Course of the Bush Honeysuckle'. It is a great publication put out by MDC and Grow Native. It might help answer some of your questions.

 

[rat]

I'm getting rid of my stand in the back yard and putting a fence...

As far as digging post holes, I'm prolly in for it where them roots are. :whinging:

 

[venatic]

[rquote=1568689&tid=108907&author=rat]I'm getting rid of my stand in the back yard and putting a fence...

As far as digging post holes, I'm prolly in for it where them roots are. :whinging:[/rquote]
Rent an auger for those post holes. I don't know how it will handle the roots, but it's got to be better than a manual post hole digger.

 

[Redonthehead]

I would think if EQIP is helping pay for it they will expect you to follow their instructions. (?)

 

[letemgrow]

[rquote=1567944&tid=108907&author=jmbuckhunter][rquote=1567937&tid=108907&author=HabitatMD]

It'll probably take you a few rounds.[/rquote]

That much I know! :whinging:

But I ain't giving up, most places aren't too bad.!!!:whiteflag:[/rquote]

At the very least you will be able to keep it under control where sprouts are only here and there which is still benefical so keep after em!! :cheers:

 

[montgohunter]

make sure you leave some of the honeysuckle up! cuz i worked with it over the summer and was talking to biologists and say that honeysuckle doesnt drop their berries in winter giving deer a place to chow and is also great bedding cover for fawns in the spring and big bucks during heavy pressure! good luck with it though and chainsawing it would be the best bet i know of!

 

[UrbanHunter]

montgo, if you were closer, I'd invite you over to see what honeysuckle becomes... EVERY time it's gets going!
Inside the Zoo at KCMo, it's so bad, they had to give up on it so they could manage the "maintained" areas. 600 some-odd acres, and it's now the only understory plant in quite a few areas.

It will displace every native understory plant, and so is never worth the trade-off. Other native plants offer the same benefits without taking over.

 

[rat]

[rquote=1620080&tid=108907&author=UrbanHunter]montgo, if you were closer, I'd invite you over to see what honeysuckle becomes... EVERY time it's gets going!
Inside the Zoo at KCMo, it's so bad, they had to give up on it so they could manage the "maintained" areas. 600 some-odd acres, and it's now the only understory plant in quite a few areas.

It will displace every native understory plant, and so is never worth the trade-off. Other native plants offer the same benefits without taking over. [/rquote]
He's in St. Charles... he should be very aware of what honeysuckle can do. lots of it here too .

 

[montgohunter]

[rquote=1620096&tid=108907&author=rat][rquote=1620080&tid=108907&author=UrbanHunter]montgo, if you were closer, I'd invite you over to see what honeysuckle becomes... EVERY time it's gets going!
Inside the Zoo at KCMo, it's so bad, they had to give up on it so they could manage the "maintained" areas. 600 some-odd acres, and it's now the only understory plant in quite a few areas.

It will displace every native understory plant, and so is never worth the trade-off. Other native plants offer the same benefits without taking over. [/rquote]
He's in St. Charles... he should be very aware of what honeysuckle can do. lots of it here too . [/rquote]

yeah im aware! i just know what i learned from working with biologists over the summer and if you keep it well maintained it serves a good purpose...i wouldnt take it and put it on my farm but if you have it there is no way to permently get rid of it so working with it is the only option! good luck tho its a really invasive plant

 

[rat]

[rquote=1568727&tid=108907&author=venatic][rquote=1568689&tid=108907&author=rat]I'm getting rid of my stand in the back yard and putting a fence...

As far as digging post holes, I'm prolly in for it where them roots are. :whinging:[/rquote]
Rent an auger for those post holes. I don't know how it will handle the roots, but it's got to be better than a manual post hole digger.[/rquote]
Auger attachment for the bobcat. :cheers: