An article published in The Washington Post describes a battle with invasive plants on the writer’s property in Virginia. It is much the same as the fights we face here in Maine: invasive plants grow uncontrolled in fields and woods, crowding out the native plants. The article can be read in its entirety here.
The author’s final point is one we share:
“Invasive vines and plants, though here for centuries, are gradually taking over the forests, killing native flora and denying native fauna their food supply. They gain a foothold on the border between open space and forest, then work their way into the woods, overtaking indigenous plants because they have longer growing seasons — and leaving a heap of vines and dead trees.
Any attempt to remove the invaders by mechanical means alone is doomed; the interlopers would grow back faster than I could cut them out or replace them. The only chance of victory is with a laborious, multiyear course of herbicides applied to each invasive plant. Virginia’s Department of Forestry also recommends herbicides.” (The Washington Post, November 25, 2022)
So sharpen those loppers and pruners, and come spring, resume the battle against invasive plants!