Containing the burning bush

And now for an update:  On November 17th, a hardy group of seven of the AVIS Weed Warriors worked all along the path at Indian Ridge to begin to reign in the burning bush that is encroaching. One team member removed and bagged berries on branches that were cut so that they would not start a new crop of this invasive plant. The team removed a few smaller bushes with the weed wrenches.  

Team leader Lynn Landry showed the group how to cut large shrubs at the base, and wrap the stumps with black plastic and duct tape to block sunlight from stimulating the stumps to regrow.  This approach is something that homeowners may find useful to control invasive plants without using herbicide.  Hikers may see the black plastic-wrapped stumps near the trail.  The team tried to make them less visible by piling branches to obscure the stumps. In the future, AVIS plans to have labels with a QR code that describes what is being done so that people passing by do not think it is trash in the woods. The Weed Warriors did not tackle all of the bushes that were identified before quitting time, but we’re sure that they will be there waiting for the next work party!  If you’re interested in joining the AVIS Weed Warriors, please go to the “Volunteer” tab on the AVIS website.  For more information on controlling invasive plants on your property, Connecticut has recently updated their excellent guide: here.