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February 18, 2006
Many people believe that glyphosate based herbicides are harmless, but the world is a complex system and it is arrogant to believe that we can understand every detail.
I like to avoid spreading man-made chemicals into the environment if I can. Before anyone points out the obvious, I do drive a car, wear synthetic clothing and take medicinal drugs. I do not claim to be perfect, but when it comes to killing invasive plants in my yard, I am quite capable of accomplishing it without herbicides. I would like to encourage everyone to consider the alternatives. Plants can be controlled by taking away their ability to nourish themselves and reproduce. In Native Suburbia we killed the lawn by depriving it of light. We chopped down the buckthorn. No branches with leaves means no photosynthesis. Any unwanted seedlings that sprout from the remaining roots are pulled and added to our compost pile. Other invasives such as garlic mustard and bitter nightshade are also controlled by hand pulling. These techniques may be a little more work, but they also give us an excuse to have a close relationship with our environment. Our weeding excursions give us the opportunity to become familiar with every part of Native Suburbia.
So if you are trying to control 10 acres of buckthorn, then pull out the big guns, but if you are restoring less than a quarter of a acre in your suburban yard, then please try the hands-on approach.
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