Buckthorn is an extremely invasive plant. It grows not only from seed (which can last in the ground for up to five years!) but also from the stumps you’ve left upon clear-cutting a stand. You’ll need great buckthorn removal equipment to handle the job.
Ron’s Tree Service has removed buckthorn across the Twin Cities area and Minnesota - if you don’t have the right equipment, trust us to get the job done.
Buckthorn Removal Equipment Options In Minnesota
Hand Removal
The best way to ensure buckthorn doesn’t return is to remove the roots. Pulling buckthorn by hand allows you to get those roots out of the ground and prevent resprouting. You can use a brush-grabber to prevent bending and kneeling, which can be repetitive.
Some buckthorn may be small enough to remove by hand, but you may need to consider other equipment options for bigger buckthorn.
Herbicide
If you’re leaving the plant stand, herbicide can be sprayed on the foliage. A glyphosate herbicide is usually used in a very low concentration. This spray will be absorbed into the plant, killing it.
Use glyphosate and any other herbicides with extreme caution - they can be harmful and deadly to other plants, animals and children. Take all safety precautions on the product if doing this without a professional on-hand, and beware of wind.
Cut + Herbicide
Another herbicide you can use is triclopyrester. This herbicide is used after the trunk of the buckthorn has been cut. Depending on the type of triclopyrester you buy, it may or may not need to be diluted.
You can also use glyphosate after a cut, but the dilution level is closer to 1:1 in that case.
Use glyphosate, triclopyrester, and any other herbicides with extreme caution - they can be harmful and deadly to other plants, animals and children. Take all safety precautions on the product if doing this without a professional on-hand, and beware of wind.
Buckthorn Prevention Strategies
Reduce Bare Ground | Restore With Desirable Trees & Shrubs
Once you have some buckthorn removed with equipment, it’s time to prevent it coming back. Mowing helps - this starves the leftover roots and seeds by ensuring they can photosyntheze.
The other option is to restore the area with trees and shrubs to shade out the buckthorn and out-compete for ground resources. This is a great way to reduce buckthorn - then just monitor the areas for buckthorn that may pop up, and trim it back until the roots die out and no seeds remain.
Buckthorn seeds may be brought in again and again by birds, so the job is truly never done, but control can be maintained.