October is a great time to basal bark buckthorn in prairie and savanna remnants!

Even a single stem of buckthorn stands out among all the brown senesced native species.

Killed yesterday

Killed in 2013

Killed in 2015

Killed in 2008

If it's green this time of year, it's probably bad.

It may be too late for a foliar spray, but basal bark with triclopyr works all year long. Use 20% Garlon 4 in bark oil (20 parts  Garlon 4 plus 80 parts bark oil). If you don't have bark oil, use diesel.

Even a natural area where buckthorn has been eradicated will always have a few new shoots. If  they are not treated NOW, they will be bigger next year! We always budget time in the fall for control of invasive shrubs. Not only buckthorn, but also honeysuckle, sumac, and brambles, all of which are easy to spot.

In a tour of known buckthorn areas at Pleasant Valley Conservancy yesterday, we found only two stems. It took less than a minute to basal bark each one.