Buckthorn control by basal bark treatment

Today four of us used the basal bark technique with Garlon 4 in Bark Oil to treat mostly small buckthorn stems, as well as brambles, an occasional honeysuckle, and some other woodies.

We started out using handspray bottles, but decided after an hour that this was too slow. We then loaded up four backpack sprayers and used those for the rest of the day. They worked quite well, although not all herbicide remained on the stems. However, since we were in a savanna area where there was a good leaf fall, the herbicide that did not get on the stems simply wetted oak leaves and should burn up during our spring burns.

An important matter was to choose the correct spray tip for the backpack. The one we used was adjustable, and by cranking it fairly tight, a well defined spray pattern was created. Also, we found that if the pressure was kept high, the spray pattern was better. Strange little quirks, but important to attend to.

The herbicide can be controlled much better with the hand spray bottle, but the work is a lot more slow-going. Since the labor cost is considerably greater than the herbicide cost, it makes sense to use the fastest method available.

We'll continue to refine our techniques as time passes. It is hard to believe that I have been doing this sort of thing for over 10 years and still keep learning better ways to do things.

The basal bark technique can be contrasted with the "cut and treat" technique. No cutting is involved with basal bark, and the treated shoots die in place. Since they don't leaf out the following spring, they don't shade the native plants, which are actually released by the lack of competition.

With cut and treat, the woody plants are cut with a loppers, brush cutter, or chain saw, and the cut stems treated with herbicide. With this method you have the cut material to deal with. If it is small, it can be allowed to lie where it is cut, but large stems must be stacked and burned only after they are well cured. The choice of method depends upon the nature of the infestation.

In our early days of restoration, we used basal bark a lot, even for large buckthorns and honeysuckles. The roots of the dead plants rotted away in a year or two and the plant just fell over. However, if you are clearing trees from a site, then it makes sense to cut the woody shrubs at the same time, and use them at the base of burn piles.

In sum, there is no single "right" way to do this sort of work. Pick the most efficient for the conditions and site.