Couldn't find the article, just comments on it. Interesting idea, though.

hi cyn427,

The article is in the first post there. It's https://www.humanegardener.com/how-to-fight-plants-with-plants/

I'm able to reach it. If that doesn't work from the post, let me know.

Thanks. -- Lori

Your second link worked Thanks.

It is certainly an interesting idea. I wonder how any will give this a try. Thanks for the new link!

Thanks for letting me know about the problem with the link. The invasives in my yard right now are scattered so I won't try it myself. I hope others do though.

That's an interesting article, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the feedback beesneeds.

It's quite risible that one of the plants used to keep stiltgrass at bay was, in fact, not native.

"Barton changed her approach, manually weeding out the space before planting a combination of native woodferns (in the Dryopteris genus) and Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium x ‘Branford Rambler’). By spring, the fall project had taken hold and the plugs were thriving."

It's a fine idea if it worked. TBH though, as long as idiots allow their shady backyards to basically become monoculture lawns of Microstegium (practically 2/3rd of the shady backyards in my county, I suspect) - stuff like this is barely going to make a dent in its prevalence.

I just came up with that idea of using agressive natives to fight invasives on my own. As my garden evolves the natives are becoming more dominant. I don't have any invasives on my property, but over time the weedy plants like Canada Goldenrod and Portulaca are showing up less often, now that my native plants are getting established. Everybody needs to hear about this, and hopefully more people will start taking action.

Thanks Jay. After I heard this idea it just seemed so obvious that I couldn't believe I didn't think of it. Congratulations on getting rid of the invasives on your property after you thought of this on your on.

Loris, did you want to discuss the efficacy of the plan, or the entire theory of native plants? Native at what point in time?

The plan describes gardening. An ongoing process of removing that which one does not want growing, replacing with that which the gardener prefers.

To do this, I use pulling, scuffling, burying under a patio brick, boiling water, digging, smothering under cardboard, pile of shredded paper, or a compost pile, mangling faster than growth can occur, cooking under an upside-down pot, and for the rare something that can't be dealt with in any other way, like an oak tree one discovers camoflaged in a prized shrub because it has gotten taller than the shrub and can't be manually removed - cutting and painting the stump with brushkiller with a little paintbrush. Whatever seems like it will work for the particular situation.

The efficacy of anyone's efforts would depend entirely on the ratio of rate/timing of removal vs. rates of growth amalgamated with the effectiveness of seed prevention efforts.

This year, my weeds are winning with so much rain. Wish the ref would call a penalty, I need a time out.

Hi purpleinopp,

I posted with the intention of letting people know about an approach I hadn't used before. It sounds like your other approaches all will work well and can be combined with this one if you want by planting aggressive natives after clearing out problem spots.

The 'Humane Gardener' who wrote the article sees things a bit differently than I do. This method both reduces invasives and leaves habitat during the cleanup. IMO getting rid of the invasive plants is a higher good even without replacement. Here's a direct quote from the article at https://www.humanegardener.com/how-to-fight-plants-with-plants/

Sorry it's long. I've put some of it in bold and italic:

Watching a habitat-harming plant succumb to an equally hardy native has opened my eyes to a more creative, life-affirming method of curtailing invasives on my property. Since it’s not in my nature to want to fight nature, I find the process of cutting, digging and pulling plants—no matter their provenance—a little heart-wrenching. And because I don’t want to support products that harm the land and the creatures who survive off it, I avoid herbicides.Besides, I’d rather not remove any vegetation that’s providing even minimal habitat if there are few other alternatives for nesting and food. Even my preferred, seemingly harmless method of laying down cardboard to kill grass has its consequences, potentially smothering the homes of native bees and other creatures nesting in the ground.

This method, should help for those cases where people cleanup a problem area just to have the invasive plants keep reappearing If the natives are as aggressive as the problem plants they will be a challenge. The 'Humane Gardener' says it took about 3 years, but that is better than a constant fight.

That is fine, I was describing some aspects of how I practice organic gardening. Thought I was agreeing and supporting what you wanted to discuss.

I don't believe painting a cut stump once every few years with a drop of brush killer on a tiny paintbrush negates that. Anyone can just let whatever sprouts keep growing. If that is what you want to do, you don't need a method.

My yard is full of wildlife, I am doing nothing to harm them. I have a birdbath, a ground level water dish, a brush pile for chipmunks to shelter, various piles of rocks constructed for toads to feel at home, hundreds of nectar plants for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, thriving populations of anoles and geckos, countless birds, occasional snake, possums, armadillos, squirrels, and other amazing and positive things.

All of this was made possible by removing large sections of mowed, invasive grasses and replacing them with shrubs and cultivated areas where composting occurs, and there are plants of many types that produce nectar-filled blooms and various seeds - and don't require mowing to maintain. Anything is welcome to do what it can in the mowed areas. Not mowing uncultivated areas is not an option for us, our house is in town.

Hi Tiffany, purpleinopp,

What you wrote was definitely related and I think of interest to the same people I was posting this for. Your garden sounds like it surpasses mine for wildlife. I'm not sure if I have a hundred nectar plants, I'm pretty sure not more than that.

All,

Don't get intimidated. If you can take a baby step to help things, that's something. Then do more if you can.

I admire people who are purists about this and do totally organic gardening and/or only use natives and/or have gotten rid of all their purposely planted invasive plants like burning bush. I think my garden functions well for wildlife and overall has a positive impact for plants but some things are going on here which purists would not like.

One of the tricks I've discovered is to identify all the volunteers. Sure, most of them will be non-native invasives, but I've found all sorts of native volunteers in my yard. A viburnum and some sumacs popped up. I have a ton of butternut seedlings, but no room for another butternut.

Blue-eyed grass popped up, as did false solomon seal and plenty of ferns. Golden rods and asters, too. A hedge nettle showed up in my window box. It's reputedly pretty invasive (but native), but in the windowbox, it's pure loveliness and a hummingbird magnet.

Thanks Sigrid. I identifiy some but not all of my volunteers, but seeing what shows up is one of the most enjoyable parts of gardening for me. I've had some of the same volunteers as you mentioned.

I've had some others including Ulmus americana (American elm), Onoclea sensibili (sensitive fern), and Eupatorium serotinum (late thoroughwort).

I really like Eupatorium serotonin partly because of how much pollinators like it.