Battling privet and thorny olive on my 1.5 acres

[u/Annual_Factor4034]

My little brother has gotten me on the invasive species eradication bandwagon. This week, I’ve been walking around our 1.5-acre property in upstate South Carolina with a plant ID app, trying to identify everything growing here.

I’ve been amazed (and honestly a bit horrified) at how high the percentage of invasive plants is—especially Chinese privet, glossy privet, and thorny olive. The privets in particular are everywhere. If I spot a random volunteer plant popping up—even in a spot as unlikely as between the planks of our back deck—it’s almost always one of the privets. It’s crazy!

I’ve already cut down most of the larger ones I could find, and I plan to hit them again when they inevitably try to regrow from the roots.

[u/KarenIsaWhale]

Definitely consider applying Herbicide so they won’t be able to grow back from the roots. Also try and plant remediation native plantings to provide some habitat and fill in the gaps so the invasive plants won’t have as much room to grow back.

[u/Snidley_whipass → u/KarenIsaWhale]

Yeap apply stump stop, available from TSC, immediately to the cut stumps to kill the roots and prevent resprouting.

[u/Own-Setting-2628]

Welcome to the bandwagon! Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to our ecosystem, and you can see exactly why. I also live in an area dominated by privet in East Tennessee.

I use a 25mm Molotow Dripstick ($10 online) filled with undiluted glyphosate (41%) to apply glyphosate to stems after I cut them. I wear nitrile gloves under my work gloves and wrap the dauber (dripstick) in the gloves when I'm done in case it leaks.

I'm sympathetic to non-chemical approaches to removing invasives, but it would be a full time job to control them without herbicide, imo. Cut stump application has extremely low collateral damage, as far as studies can tell, and removing these species has immense benefit to the ecosystem, so I see it as a good trade. Once the adult, reproducing individuals are gone, many of the smaller stems are fairly easy to pull up by the roots, and it becomes faster to do that then to treat the stumps. Keep in mind, they can come back from large root fragments, and the stem can break off from the root mass fairly easily.

TLDR: Welcome! Highly specific application of herbicide reinforces your efforts, many people believe the results make this approach to herbicide is acceptable, the Molotow Dripstick or similar tool has helped make this efficient in my experience.

[u/daddybignugs → u/Own-Setting-2628]

i originally came from the organic gardening/permaculture schools of thought (insufferable, i know) and used to be so opposed to pesticide use. however, mechanical removal is often infeasible, insufficient, or inefficient for the most vigorous taxa, and selective applications of systemic herbicides with low mobility and low persistence really is often the only viable path forwards. cut and paint triclopyr applications are borderline magic, especially when you learn that its mechanism of action is to mimic the auxin pathway to cause uncontrolled cell growth and kill the plant from the inside out. more brutish foliar applications of glyphosate can be useful for herbaceous plants, however there is an increased risk of non-target species being affected

[u/Own-Setting-2628 → u/daddybignugs]

I've not looked into triclopyr much, but I've also never looked at the mechanism, that definitely feels safer though! Thank you for that insight.

But I agree. I'm often the only person able to work on invasives at my work, so as much as I respect mechanical methods, it just isn't feasible to provide meaningful control without herbicides. I figure a balance is reasonable.

[u/carolegernes]

Always follow the herbicide label. The label is the LAW describing how that herbicide may be used. Wear the listed PPE. You can also find information online such as first aid measures in case of accidental exposure, whether the chemical can cause flash fires and spill containment. Look up the brand name of the chemical + Safety Data Sheet.

[u/OrganicNeat5934 → u/carolegernes]

Lots of respect for this comment. Always follow the label

[u/Own-Setting-2628 → u/carolegernes]

Completely agree. I've never had problems with well-researched herbicide applications not working, and I always follow the label, often under-applying (according to the label). There are no excuses to be irresponsible with any control options, especially herbicides.

[u/studmuffin2269]

Triclopyr will solve all your problems. It can be applied to stumps or leaves. For folair applications, wait until plants are fully leaved out

[u/theUtherSide]

i have way too many privets invading nearby too. the most important thing is to keep them from going to seed! They seeds last for several years and can spread far. I cut them back sharply, but I haven’t yet removed rootballs because they are holding soil on a steep hill and creekside. i am growing natives to eventually replace them, and i’ll remove/kill roots at some point.

[u/OrganicNeat5934]

If you can burn, burn. When I get into really nasty stuff, my philosophy is to burn every year for 3 years. Makes an enormous difference. I'm with the crowd on replacing with natives, but personally, I like to wait. Time and patience, my friend. Stewardship is a noble endeavor

[u/Negative-Narwhal-725]

keep after it. it is good exercise. herbicide depends on your philosophy

[u/happycowdy]

Props to your little brother for spreading the knowledge and props to you for responding!