Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions?

[dirttoys]

Thanks! I think im going to try the flail and see how it goes. Will probably get a grapple first though. Wish me luck!

Good luck, and please do keep us updated

 

[VoyagernOK]

Woody brush can be hard to control with 2,4-D and round-up can kill everything and leave the banks to erode into the pond. Garlon is what the road crews use around here. You can paint it on the stumps or spray it on. It won't kill grass but it will stay in the ground and can be taken up by the roots of other trees and kill them too. So if you have desirable trees nearby bee careful about spraying it. Painting the cut stump is safest. Read the label closely to avoid problems. It is triclopyr and there are generics available. Always read the label thoroughly. The advantage is that it will kill the shrub or tree and you won't have to worry about cutting it down next year.

Thanks for this post. We'd cut about 400 willow clumps (multiple stumps) off at the ground last summer and this year they are all sprouting like crazy. We have other trees around and didn't want to kill the grass so have been hesitant to spray round-up. Just ordered the triclopyr.

 

[broadsword6]

I hope one of your trees die.

...maybe an invasive species that you've been having trouble getting rid of.
Dang brother, what kind of forums are you used to? Death threats? geez.

Those are good points to bring up that haven't been yet. Except for maybe that one reply about the copper sulphate (?) in the now forever deadly crystal clear pond.
Sometimes we get pretty frustrated and just want the thing magically gone, and if not used smartly, chemicals are an easy quick fix with some bad consequences we don't find out about.

 

[broadsword6]

Fair comment. Irony often does no communicate well in writing. It lacks the verbal and body language cues for it to work. I'll have a stern word with myself about it over a gin. My point was that the use, or abhorrence of chemical control agents in land management can stir emotions which, in the current political climate, can lead to strident reactions. I was playing on that "schadenfreude" a little. Sorry if it did not come off very well.
About snakes. We really don't have any to speak of here, but water moccasins are certainly a good reason to manage riparian habitat.

Kind Regards