Weekly Green Tip: Understanding Invasives❗

http://eepurl.com/jkvnVwView this email in your browser (*|ARCHIVE|*) Understanding Invasives August 12th, 2025 Invasive species… Unfortunately you’ll find them gripping our plant nurseries tight and our local ecosystems tighter. And if we want to restore balance in our landscapes, the first step is understanding how invasives operate. Firstly, keep in mind that invasives thrive in disturbed environments. Think compacted soil, cleared land, open edges, and erosion-prone areas. When these conditions are about, they favor fast, shallow-rooted plants that spread quickly. In a freshly disturbed site, native plants struggle to reestablish but invasives are built for it. They are opportunists. In their home ecosystems, many invasive species are kept in check by natural predators, diseases, soil conditions, and competition. It’s when those checks are absent (as in a new environment) that they become aggressively dominant. Kudzu vine can grow up to a foot per day during the peak of summer. Once established, invasives often form dense monocultures. The end result is less biodiversity, fewer pollinators, and a landscape that needs recurring correction. There’s no better example than the horrific feedback loop of kudzu. The vine that ate the south. If you zoom out far enough, controlling invasive species can be looked at as just another form of gardening… curating a space to match the goals or standards of the human. We won’t be rid of invasives for the rest of time; it’s about intentional care now. So, let’s get to gardening! Or as we call it in the day-to-day at CoFo: invasive species management. Our Maintenance & Restoration team tells us avoid saying “invasive species removal” because the reality is that you will never eradicate them for good. And the term removal can give folks the impression that it’s a one-and-done service. So if eradication isn’t the goal… what is? Restoration. All landscapes have untapped ecological potential waiting to be nurtured. Restoration is nurturing potential and unlocking plant communities that are resilient and can hold their ground against invasives. Every patch of land, no matter how small, can move in this direction. It involves identifying and nurturing existing native seed banks, planting when necessary, and the removal of invasives. This is a tree that our M&R team freed of english ivy. Simply girdling the ivy all around the circumference will ensure all ivy up above perishes. Removing an invasive species from your space starts with choosing the right technique for the plant and the site. In many cases, simple hand-pulling is enough. For your woody invasives, yanking them can be a great way to throw out your back. Consider a weed wrench/puller (https://www.pullerbear.com/purchase.html) ; they are insanely efficient and effective. Irregardless, up-rooting is a necessity; never cut and leave. But you can cut and treat! Simply cutting the plant at the base and immediately treating the stump with herbicide to prevent regrowth. We recommend getting in touch with our M&R team for this though as it is high-risk dealing with herbicides. While we always prioritize non-chemical methods, selective herbicide use can be appropriate for large trees/shrubs and grandiose infestations. All in all, invasive species management takes persistence, strategy, and timing. Just like gardening! If you're feeling overwhelmed or lacking the time and energy, we’re ready to step in and support your site’s recovery. BOOK WITH US FOR RECURRING INVASIVE MANAGEMENT! (https://communityfoodscapes.org/pages/consultation) Plant of the Month: Woodland Phlox For the month of august, we’re highlighting one of our all-time favorite shade-tolerant flowers. And with the summer heat at its peak, planting can be tough on most plants… but if you must plant, shade-loving perennials in shady spots have the best chance of success. Today’s star is Phlox divaricata, or woodland phlox. Unlike its creeping cousin that hugs rocky slopes, woodland phlox prefers a shadier, more tranquil scene. It thrives in part shade and moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter. It’s ideal for naturalized plantings under trees, along woodland edges, or in dappled garden beds. Once settled, it forms graceful, loose patches that spread gently and bring early pollinator action to shaded spots. GET 15% OFF! (https://communityfoodscapes.org/products/woodland-phlox) https://facebook.com/communityfoodscapes/ https://instagram.com/communityfoodscapes https://communityfoodscapes.org mailto: Copyright (C) *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*. All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|**|LIST:DESCRIPTION|**|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences (*|UPDATE_PROFILE|*) or unsubscribe (*|UNSUB|*) Community Foodscapes · 848 Oglethorpe Ave SW · Suite 115512 · Atlanta, GA 30310 470-600-2636 · cofo.info@gmail.com · www.communityfoodscapes.org https://www.communityfoodscapes.org/