The herbicides that you would MOST COMMONLY use work in such a way that they are absorbed through the live, green foliage of the plant and translocated internally throughout the plant tissues in order to kill it. It will not do any good for you to spray bark, dead tissues or soil around a plant. So at this time of year, the only thing you can do (and it will be worthwhile) is to manually cut and get rid of the plants that you don't want. In the spring, these plants will all put out a flush of growth that, at some point will slow down. Don't let any of them re-grow higher than your shoulders or they'll be too difficult to spray. Most weeds will be in the 2 to 4'-range when the flush of growth simmers down. This is when you should spray them with herbicide. The slowing growth is the clue that the above-ground foliage is in balance with the below-ground roots (growth energy.) There's sufficient foliage to absorb a lot of spray and do a lot of damage to the plant. After one week you can cut all the dead plants and remove them. You will see that many, or even most woody plants after a time (some weeks or a few months) will begin to re-grow new foliage. Again, let this foliage grow until there is enough of it to absorb a lot of spray. It's like the "spring flush of growth" but not as much. Then zap it again with the herbicide. Wait one week and cut and remove. There will probably be three of these "spray and cut" sessions during the first growing season. But you will see that by the end of summer you will be well on the way to controlling and eliminating all the undesired growth. There will be a few plants that will continue to battle you into the second growing season, but keep after them and you will win. When things begin to get under control, you can heavy mulch the ground to keep weed seeds from sprouting. The best source of free mulch (if you can get it) is tree trimming companies who need a place to dump shredded wood. To cut the unwanted, dead plants you'll need some stout loppers and a little folding pruning saw. Light duty loppers are worthless. Here, I'll go against the overwhelming preponderance of advice in print as I've used these tools for decades for my personal pleasure and professionally for many years and purchased them for maintenance crews. When I say I FAR PREFER I don't mean a little, but A LOT, the ANVIL type cutting heads (on the loppers and hand pruners) as opposed to the "bypass" type. Everything you read will say the opposite, but I can't believe these people are really using these tools all that much. Why? After a few cuts with the "bypass" type cutters, they begin to dull a little. As soon as this happens, the wood of the plant being cut has a tendency to pry and spread the cutting blades apart from each other. The wood (that's half cut) then jams and sticks tight in between the two blades. You have to stop working and clean out the wood. But it will happen on many of the following cuts, too. This can happen with a new tool in heavy use in less than a day. The ANVIL type just don't have this tendency. They cut and keep on cutting. They can be taken apart and the blades can be sharpened, too. It's easier as they're more or less straight. The "bypass" type are curved and more difficult to sharpen. However, the "bypass" type will be really great the day they're brand spanking new! I would suggest that if you don't already have a 4-gallon back-pack type sprayer, that you get one. The sprayers that you hold in your hand will rip your arm out of your shoulder socket before you get much work done. The back-packs can go all day... as long as YOUR back will hold up. People have the mistaken idea that Round-up kills everything. It doesn't. The most effective, readily available and cost effective weed killer is a combination of Glysophate (commonly sold as Round-up)... and one of the 2,4-d products (commonly sold as Weed-b-gone.) Either of these chemicals can be sold under various non-brand trade names and are usually cheaper that way. Mixed together at their full, regular strength, they will work well for general killing of most weeds. I use them in combo because otherwise, you find that you have to go back and spray a lot of things over when one herbicide didn't kill or maim it well enough. So it saves much time and effort. A few tips... don't spray when it's windy, but there will almost always be some slow breeze. Spray a swath while you walk backwards so that you're not walking in the spray and it's not blowing back on you. You can spray anything up to about the height of your shoulders (keep the pressure low when doing so) but not higher or you will eat it. So any weed or sapling that's higher must be cut down to that height or lower, first. In doing this type of work it's a good idea to know what poison ivy looks like. Even in the winter, ALL leafless parts of the plant are just as toxic as the leaves are in summer. (Unfortunately, I know this from personal experience having gotten a horrible case of it in the face in February once.) If you accidentally discover that you've run into it, there's no need to freak out. It takes some time for the offending oil to work its way into the skin. If you take a shower within a half-hour or so, you'll not suffer any ill effects. Of course, I can't say what the outer limit is on this window of time. Keep in mind that the toxic oil can spread from clothing to skin, so don't take a shower and then handle tainted clothing or tools.

Thanks for the comments this past winter. I didn't see them. Well ... the project looks a lot different now. A 60' pondless water stream is on the hillside with several terraces build with sandstone. It is about 90% complete. Trees went in as the terraces were built. It was the easiest way. The trees are a nice red oak, a couple of green mountain maple, a red maple, 3 serviceberries, and several cloud 9 dogwoods. There are no shrubs, perennials, or groundcover yet. At this point, I need to call the landscaper to come in and finish up. Reinstall the pump, finish the with the sandstone work, and repair the yard. From there on out I'm going to try to do my own plantings, over time. I'll try to post some pics of this work in progress. Right now? I don't know what to think. Dumb idea to do it at all? Maybe I had a brain fart. I cannot quibble with the work the landscaper did. I KNOW that they gave me the best job that they could do. And so, what more can you ask than that? My "job" that I self imposed was to stay out of their way. Ya know? I know that they were very pleased with the result. They said that each pondless stream project takes on a personality of its own. They like this project a LOT. I plan to use local nurseries, rare find nursery (online), saved volunteers, ground layer propogation, and starts from friends going forward. Oh. And the white pine volunteers? turns out they were red pine. Also a native pine. Who knew? We moved it into the woods on the neighbors property. The rest were lost. So, I'll be looking for more red pine volunteers. I thought we had destroyed a very little stand of jack in the pulpits. I couldn't find them in the fall to save them. And low and behold, I saw one a few yards away today. Yeah. I will try to post some pics soon. I've forgotten exactly how to do that now. But I'll figure that out or make a phone call. Re all the hemlock? Yes. There are about 15 in the background planting. To diversify? I could use some more white pine or red pine if more are needed. I'd really like to stick with natives re pines. Re black cherries. Yes. I know that they are not desirable trees. Many have been removed over the years as well as many other junk trees. The black cherry at the top of the hill though? almost has to stay. At least, it's away from the house. And, it's mature with a decent trunk and shape. ML

I just bought 11 acres of all woods. I must admit I see all these leaves everywhere and I too have wondered how to handle the situation. I get that yall love you some leaves but ticks spiders snakes and every other woodland creature love leaves to hide under as well. I will be creating a yard space for the home so I'm definitely not trying to take away the whole Woodlands property beauty but realistically having a nice lawn around your house has its appeal and a good safe buffer zone. I'll put up a fence and include a snake fence along the bottom to keep the kids and pets protected and if they want to go explore the wide open woods its a simple matter to open a gate. So what I am asking is what would be the easiest way to get up all the leaves and pine needles without all the constant raking every year. I don't think a leaf blower would be realistic for this task. Maybe a lawn mower with bag collection? Any other possibilities other than buying a 3-5k machine? Just toss out ideas and ill do my research on them individually lol thanks in advance everyone

Rory, that was my question! ha. My former MIL had a wonderful small one (gas powered, I guess) that she moved around her yard as she cleaned up the leaves. She could adjust the part that shot out the chopped leaves so they went exactly where she wanted them. So wonderful. That was 40 or so years ago and I can't find anything similar now. She is 103 years old now. Maybe I can casually mention it to my son, so when the time comes, his uncle would let him have it. Sigh. Woody and Nicholsworth, your gardens have been my inspiration for years! This is the year I have decided is my year to really get the lowest part of our yard cleaned up and planted. Need to get rid of invasives first. The bamboo is coming back from the neighbor's property and the woods. Ugh.