Invasive plants thrive in the sunlight. Cutting vines that threaten to kill your trees will help keep your woodlands shaded and slow the spread of invasive plants.

Pull it by hand? Mow it? Spray it? Different invasive plants require different control techniques. Before you put in a ton of work, figure out the best techniques for the plant you’re dealing with.

If you just finished your invasive inventory, you may feel overwhelmed with the number of invasive plants on your land. Rather than try to deal with them all at once, focus your efforts to get the best chance of success.

When dealing with small infestations, mechanical control techniques like hand-pulling, cutting, or brush hogging can be effective. These techniques require more work, especially for long-term control, but they can reduce or eliminate the need for herbicide.

For areas overrun with invasive plants, a strange but surprisingly effective technique is to rent goats. The goat farmer sets up portable fencing around the treatment area, and you pay by the day to let goats chomp through the invasives.

Sometimes there’s no other way to control an invasive plant than to apply herbicide. Used in low quantities and with proper application techniques, herbicide can address many invasive plant problems with minimal side effects on the surrounding environment.