Know of a farmer who sprayed for multi flower rose by plane on his rented land and killed every oak on it, left just the elms and other worthless trees. Don'
t know what he used. If it will kill honeysuckle think it would damage trees. He did it during the summer when the trees had leaves ouit.
t know what he used. If it will kill honeysuckle think it would damage trees. He did it during the summer when the trees had leaves ouit.
DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
What chemical? Garlon is pretty ineffective, FYI. Imazapyr or glyphosate foliar sprayed kill it well but I'd sure be nervous. I'd only go that route if there was absolutely nothing valuable that would get killed as a by-product. Honeysuckle is finally starting to turn here in central Iowa, so your window is shrinking by the day.
IMO, we need to look at the root of the problem that's causing honeysuckle, which often is too much shade and a lack of fire. You might kill it for awhile using many methods but if you're not going to open up the canopy and introduce fire, you're pissin in the wind. It will just come right back.
Curious to hear others thoughts as well.
IMO, we need to look at the root of the problem that's causing honeysuckle, which often is too much shade and a lack of fire. You might kill it for awhile using many methods but if you're not going to open up the canopy and introduce fire, you're pissin in the wind. It will just come right back.
Curious to hear others thoughts as well.
abell3
Well-Known Member
I would be very Cautious spraying by plane. Even if trees are in their dormant stage their outer cambion layer is still active and the roots will absorb any leeched on the Forrest floor. I agree with the above statement in that the best way to kill and attack honeysuckle is fire. If you don't mind doing hard work I used to work for he county conservation and we would go cut out all the honeysuckle brush and tordon the roots. Tordon is a very tough an active chemical. If you use it be careful if will kill any and all trees. Best way I my opinion is to be active and get out there and take it out
Forestryguy
Member
Foliar spraying should be done starting in the late fall, when the native plants are dormant. In the spring before the sap is running go with basal bark or cut stump application. Those work in the fall as well. Thing to remember is that their is more than likely a huge seed bed there, so this will be a multi year project. Personally I am not a fan of foliar spraying anything that is over 2-3 feet tall, unless I am equipment that has a cab. I have seen really large patches cut off with a Forestry Mower (Fecon), let it re-grow till about a foot tall and foliar spray it in the fall.
Burning would probably be the most cost effective, if you can find someone to do it and get a fire to carry through it. If you have enough fuel to carry a fire you would want a very hot and slow fire to make sure you cook it. You will have to re-burn or spray the new plants that come up out of the seed bed. If you open the canopy up, you will most defiantly need to control it, it will sit in the shade getting by and then really explode when it gets sunlight.
Hopefully you can get the neighbors on board also. You can clean it out just to have it come back from a bird that is feeding on the neighbors property and crapping on yours.
Burning would probably be the most cost effective, if you can find someone to do it and get a fire to carry through it. If you have enough fuel to carry a fire you would want a very hot and slow fire to make sure you cook it. You will have to re-burn or spray the new plants that come up out of the seed bed. If you open the canopy up, you will most defiantly need to control it, it will sit in the shade getting by and then really explode when it gets sunlight.
Hopefully you can get the neighbors on board also. You can clean it out just to have it come back from a bird that is feeding on the neighbors property and crapping on yours.
I had a guy from Indiana email me that he had good success killing with with and aerial application of glyphosate in November. There is a period of time when the bush honeysuckle will be green and almost everything else in the woods will be dormant. This would be the time to do it. Looking into doing it on my farm. Would probably require retreating in 2-3 years after all the new honeysuckle bushes germinate though. I wish someone would come up with a magic solution for this stuff but that doesn't seem likely. I have cut them down and used tordon in the spring and this works well as long as you apply the tordon immediately. One year we went back a day or two later and applied the tordon and it didn't kill them. This is extremely labor intensive though and almost impossible to do in an area with a high concentration of honeysuckle or in a large area.