This photo is from August, it is now December. Did I miss my window of cutting this thing down in late fall? If I do it sometime in January or February will it come back with too much of a vengeance? I sortof had life get in the way but also I'm a bit afraid of how ugly the shed will look having been covered for years with this thing (we moved in about a year ago, I did not plant this).
My plan was to: Cut all the way down to the ground Paintbrush herbicide onto the stump(s) Layer a BUNCH of cardboard and Mulch Repeat as necessary for the next 1-10 years ðŸ«
I meant to have it done in early December. I don't really want to wait another whole year but I also don't want to cut it down and then have it come back even more intense. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have to help me out here!
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You can cut and paint until the sap rises in the spring, so you have plenty of time!
You can also cut and paint after. It won't be as effective, but it will still be helpful.
Best time to cut and paint is in fall as sap is flowing to roots. You could certainly do it now to lesser effect, followed up by continued murder into the spring.
Thanks for helping make east Nebraska a better place!
Yay! Okay I'm glad to hear it's still okay to do now, thank you!
I'm in the start now camp. As OP expressed missing the previous schedule, we all know how life can get in the way.
At least, cutting it down will have the desired aesthetic effect now.
I appreciate this, thank you!
Whether I do it in the right or wrong time, I still have to repeat it at least twice despite putting a dark bucket over the stump and despite drilling holes in the stump for herbicide, despite everything. So my opinion is that no time is a bad time to start. It won't take years and years. The sooner you start, the fewer berries will be landing in your yard making new honeysuckles.
Probably at most will just need to scrub or powerwash that side of the shed. It looks sunny there; if you clear a little sod, the shed would make such a nice backdrop for some flowers (sunflowers?) Maybe a bird bath too. It's never a bad time to start dreaming of what you can make of that area either!
Oohh power wash, I forget that's a thing! I definitely want to have a trellis of some kind for tall pants 😊 thinking: tall flowers, blueberry bushes in pots, surrounded by native flowers in ground.
That sounds amazing! I think in your area you could do either virgin's bower or western white clematis. Either would love to crawl right over that shed, lol. You may not even find the shed after that.
Or, do you have a native climbing honeysuckle? That would be poetic, huh?
Cut close to ground, brush stumps with triclopyr. Expect to work it again in spring, but you could likely switch to roundup spray on the foliage.
There are some great resources put out by various state cooperatives or forestry organizations, like this
https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/invasive-plants/japanese-honeysuckle-control
(j/k)
Cut to stumps, brush triclopyr on freshly cut stumps. Don't bother to put stuff on top - if it isn't dead dead it won't help, and it'll make applying the triclopyr again a pain. You can use a bingo marker or the Buckthorn Blaster sold by NAISMA to apply the triclopyr (consider adding dye) and it'll be a breeze. I'd be shocked if you were doing it for 10 years. Fall application is best since the plant will pull the triclopyr to the roots, but it's worth hacking it all back ASAP to keep it from spreading seeds.
Just cut it now and then keep cutting all next year. No need to wait. It'll be more work without the chemicals, but better to get started now than never.
You could also always try and dig out the roots in spring.
Cut to the ground and dig up the roots with a shovel, they’re not that bad usually multiple small ones. Should take less than a few hours if you’re not very experienced. No need to use any toxic chemicals/herbicide it’s not that serious of a job.
I removed an equally large Japanese honeysuckle early last summer. It took a few hours spread over the course of a weekend, but the process was much easier than it looked.
The roots are surprisingly shallow and fibrous.
Start by cutting it as close to the ground as possible.
Next, use a shovel to start removing soil from around the root collar. You won't have to go very deep.
As you dig, you'll start finding some thicker roots. Use a pruning saw to cut those. The wood is fairly soft. You may have to go around several times.
Once those main roots are severed, use a mattock and/or shovel to start digging beneath the root collar. If you have one or more helpers, try using the cut branches like levers. Rock the stump back and forth, try twisting it, and prying it from the ground. If it's really heavy, maybe use a wedge to split it into sections.
Eventually it will come out, and you won't have to worry about it regrowing. The key is getting rid of the root collar.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
The sooner the better! That is the easy decision - now, what will you plant there? Do you want to keep the shed somewhat shaded? would you plant a tree nearby? flowers?
Chainsaw, auger, shovel nd some glypsophate for any strays.
Here's a three step organic control process https://www.lymelandtrust.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NixtheKnotweedflyer-5-15-21.pdf
Ugh, that's not the kind of cutting I enjoy.Â
I'd hire goats, then cover the whole area with paver blocks for a few seasons. Probably put some potted plants on the pavers, looks like that gets good sunlight.
I've never actually hired goats for defoliation, but it is a dream to some day have both a need and ability to hire some landscaping goats.
Just cutting it down is going to be a whole lot cheaper and faster.