Spring has yet to begin, but it's definitely in the works! Just as the New Year was about to start, we began the annual "clear out" of those pesky, invasive Asian Honeysuckle. 😒 Last year we spent countless hours clearing and burning, doing our best to eradicate them from the property. This year it is more of the same. We have several wooded areas not far from the house. Unfortunately, the invasive species has tried its best to take them over. We are doing our best to take back our woods. Needless to say, it's not an easy process.Â
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Some of you might remember me writing about the invasive Asian Honeysuckle last year. (sorry for the repeat) 🙄 However, it really is worth talking about again. Several years ago the government thought it was a good idea to bring them into the country to aid in erosion control. Big mistake! Reason being, we are at risk of losing several of our native trees. Invasive species have the potential to suffocate the forest floor. They rob new seedlings of not only oxygen, but sunlight as well. Adding insult to injury, the contaminants their roots release into the soil is toxic to our native plants.Â
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Because our farm is CNG or Certified Naturally Grown, we use no chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides of any kind. The way that we kill the roots as well as the cut stump is by covering them with small black plastic bags. When the stump is robbed of sunlight, oxygen, and water, it eventually dies and decomposes in the ground. It is a lot of work, but great is the reward! Not only are our woods much healthier, they will be so much more enjoyable to see and walk through. My big tip of the day is....if you're looking for any type of ground coverage or something to stop erosion, please use plants that are native to your environment. It really does make a huge difference. I'm including a link about the Asian Honeysuckle in case any of you are interested in learning more about it. Knowledge is power!Â
