Weed W at ch
Brush
Control in Urban Landscapes
Greg Breeden, Extension Assistant; Greg Armel, Assistant Professor; and James T. Brosnan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee
B
rush is defined as woody shrubs, vines or trees that are undesirable in a specific location. Controlling brush species can be a daunting task for most landscape managers because removal and disposal of unwanted brush species can be difficult, costly and very time consuming. If proper steps are not taken in the appropriate order, you may spend more time and money to remove the woody brush species than necessary.
So, what to do with woody brush? Removal by hand is time consuming and labor intensive. Unfortunately, many species will simply re-grow to their original size a few years after hand removal. Broadcast applications of herbicides over the top of woody vegetation offer another potential control strategy; however, this type of application leaves behind woody stems that require hand removal. In addition, control with broadcast-herbicide applications is often erratic due to the fact that adequate herbicide 18
coverage is often difficult to achieve. Additionally, brush species are often found in areas where mowing or spraying equipment cannot be used due to excessive slopes or perpetually wet soils that cannot be traversed. Other options for control of brush are cut-stump, basalbark and foliar spray-to-wet applications, which will be discussed in further detail below. Effective control of woody vegetation requires strategic planning. Following the outline below will save time and money
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS october/november 2011 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
and will prevent problems associated with controlling brush species.
1. Identify the brush species requiring control. It is impossible to know how to control a weed without first properly identifying it. Some brush species are harder to control than others. Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and Chinese privet (Ligustrum japonicum), for instance, are two species that are particularly difficult to eradicate because they often re-sprout after mechanical removal. Additionally, some unwanted brush species cause allergic reactions. For example, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) can cause dermatitis in susceptible individuals. Upon contact-