Buckthorn can be a troublesome and invasive plant, which is why it is important to manage it when it is just beginning to become a problem rather than when it becomes more serious. You can get the buckthorn management services you need through Clean Cut Outdoor. Although you may believe it is possible to handle the problem on your own, you will be better off hiring a professional due to the species’ invasiveness and difficulty in management.
Why Choose Our Buckthorn Removal Services?
- Several of the plants cannot be pulled easily, so they need to be removed by a professional. Controlling foliage and seedlings may involve using an herbicide. Actively growing vegetation will be destroyed.
- The best method of controlling buckthorn over two inches in diameter is to remove the majority of the plant and then treat or cover the stump to prevent it from sprouting again. Several hand tools are usually required for this task.
- In cases where chemical treatments are needed, hiring a professional is always the best option. Our specialists will be able to assess the situation at each plant and will then be able to tell you how to proceed.
What is a Buckthorn?
Buckthorn plants come in two varieties: common and glossy. American buckthorn is the most common variety found here. Growing into a shrub, it typically has multiple stems that originate from one trunk anchored to the ground. Its leaves are ovular in shape, with a dull, dark green color and a fine edge. In the spring, they are usually the first plants to produce leaves, and in the winter, they are the last to lose their leaves. They can grow up to 25 feet tall. They also possess a thorn at the end of their twigs and produce a small cluster of black fruit with a green tint.
Species that are invasive are not native to their new environment, so they have no natural predators. One such plant is the Buckthorn in the United States, which is taking over woodlands and hedgerows across the country.
Buckthorn became popular because of its ability to create low, robust hedges. However, many gardeners dislike this plant and uproot it whenever they get the chance. Local governments in some parts of the country may assist in the removal and hauling away of any buckthorn plants that have been cut down by local residents. Although buckthorn removal is labor intensive, residents can once again see forests full of native plants.
Why is Buckthorn Removal Important?
Invasive species should be reduced for a number of reasons. Buckthorn may have been removed from your lawn for aesthetic reasons, but there are many other legitimate reasons to do it.
Buckthorn competes with native plants for water, light, and nutrients. In the absence of natural predators, buckthorn grows unchecked, using up an increasing percentage of a forest’s resources, leaving no room for native species. Native plants begin to die as buckthorn consumes more resources. They absorb huge amounts of nutrients from the soil before other plants can benefit from them. Unlike other native plants, they produce leaves earlier, which allows them to absorb light before other plants can.
Buckthorn is a threat to habitats. Buckthorns deprive plants of their nutrient sources, so few are able to survive in their presence. The buckthorn abundance disrupts the food chain of an area because other animals rely on native plants for survival.
There is no organic control to prevent the growth of buckthorn in our environment. As a result, it is able to spread quickly across large areas. The plant grows well in poor soils and produces many seeds, which makes it ideal for invasive seed spread in many environments and for pushing out native species of plants. As plants are reduced, seeds are ready to germinate, providing replacements when adult plants are removed.
Grass erosion can be accelerated by Buckthorn. In an area with a high concentration of buckthorn, soil begins to erode very quickly without a diversity of root systems. When soil nutrients are washed away, an area becomes inhospitable for native plants, resulting in an area that is only suitable for buckthorn.
Buckthorn has no value in terms of property value or water management. You have no reason to keep it in your yard. Other shrubs will look better and even require less maintenance. When you start a landscaping project, keep this in mind.
