A Few Winter Tasks

Most people don't spend too much time thinking about the wider landscape during the winter months, but it is absolutely the best time for making a big difference in your yard or on your acreage. Winter is the best time (and usually the only time) for removing woody invasive species like honeysuckle, multiflora rose, privet, etc. Winter is also the best time to work on removing aggressive evergreen vines like English ivy, winter creeper, and vinca.
There are several reasons why winter is such an efficient time for removing unwanted species, large and small. As central Ohio transitions into fall from summer, the soil becomes moist and remains moist until spring. Everything comes out of the ground so much easier when the soil is moist from fall rains and our usually light snowfalls. Everything that is pulled or dug out of the ground, or cut in preparation for an herbicide treatment, is also much lighter in weight. This is due mostly to leaf loss and also that woody plants have drawn down moisture to the root system as storage for the spring. Think of maple syrup production- there is a pretty specific set of conditions for good sap flow. This same concept is applied to a timely schedule of removing unwanted woody plants like honeysuckle. 

This first picture shows a day's haul of woody invasives along an urban waterway (thank you volunteers!) conducted at the correct time. Everything here was either dug or cut by hand. Thankfully, most of the stems were smaller diameter and gas powered equipment was not needed for removing the shrubs. This project is along a recreational paved trail, which is not the most appropriate site for loud tools. People using the trail are more friendly and much easier to talk to without gas powered equipment running in the background. 

photo by P.Harrington

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Especially when working with a group of people, focusing on controlling two or three species simplifies the event for everyone involved and I like to think it creates a safer working environment.

Winter is also peak time for removing vines and evergreen ground cover. It's the usual combination of English ivy, wintercreeper, vinca, etc. that have been aloud to spread into our wild areas that are the main targets. Sometimes it feels like this group of plants is actively trying to cover the planet and I find them randomly in forests and waterways far removed from urban development. Native perennial growth starts to get choked out pretty rapidly. These evergreen invasives are much easier to find and pull during the winter months when the ground is always moist, and also, very important but overlooked, existing native perennials don't suffer as much damage during the removal process as they lay dormant below. These native plants have hopefully been flowering and producing seed which will remain in the ground if the evergreen vines and ground cover are pulled (as opposed to being dug out.). It isn't a stretch to claim that dozens of calico asters will be blooming a year after the invasives are removed.
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photo by P. Harrington

This picture is a very common scene I think everyone can relate to. Getting this mix of evergreen vines out and away from the water is critical to prevent them from further spreading downstream. I would much rather hand pull this isolated patch in the winter primarily to prevent further spread and to protect existing native dormant perennials.

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