Honeysuckle Bushes

[Fulkrum78]

Two year ago my wife and I bought a home. The previous owners were avid Gardner's (English gardens) that let things go to seed as they got into their twilight years. The property has a LOT of honeysuckle bushes on the property. Some pretty huge ones.

Thoughts on burning it in a stove after some seasoning?

Thoughts on controlling this crap? Lol

 

[billb3]

Much honeysuckle was imported from Japan/Asia and is now considered an invasive species.
I have one bush here that is older than me. ( Morrow's honeysuckle )
Nothing is bigger than my wrist so never thought of burning it.

The bark is stringy and I've watched squirrels pull long pieces of it off, apparently to build their nest with.

I've read that if you cut it down it will grow right back like forsythia, black cherry and wisteria, that salt and/or glyphosate might help kill the root.

 

[NordicSplitter]

If controlled, they make a beautiful hedge or wind break. Do a complete reset.....Cut them to about 2-3 inches above the ground. They will get very thick and bushy much like privet hedges. They also suck up alot of water if you have wet spots in the yard.

 

[Fulkrum78]

If controlled, they make a beautiful hedge or wind break. Do a complete reset.....Cut them to about 2-3 inches above the ground. They will get very thick and bushy much like privet hedges.

They attract mosquitos and some kind of biting fly here. In the summer my toddlers get eaten alive...

 

[NordicSplitter]

They attract mosquitos and some kind of biting fly here. In the summer my toddlers get eaten alive...

Thats why a reset is in order. First 2 seasons...no bugs...

 

[Fulkrum78]

Interesting....

 

[Bushfire]

A highly invasive non-native shrub that will choke out native, more beneficial plants. Cut and treat the stumps with Glyphosate to rid yourself of that nasty shrub.

 

[trguitar]

I had about 12 of these that lined the driveway at the old house. They produced nice fruit that the birds liked, but I thought they were a pain to take care of, so I ripped them all out. It wasn't difficult with a shovel and pick mattock. No more problems.

I never attempted to burn any in the stove.

 

[ElmBurner]

Yeah, dig 'em out. I'm not a big fan of chemicals. I have honeysuckle on my property too...easy to spot, as they keep their green leaves for a long time in the fall.

In my experience, it dries fairly fast and burns ok but kinda smoky. You don't get much heat out of it because it doesn't get big like a tree. I just use it for "campfire" wood and to grill on. Never sees the fireplace.

My (bigger) problem is multiflora rose though. Everywhere and full of thorns.

 

[Oldman47]

If you run a mower over that rose a few times it will give up. When I first bought my wood lot it was hard to get into because of that stuff but I mowed it as low as the belly mower on my tractor would go and in about 2 years it quit trying to come back.

 

[ElmBurner]

If you run a mower over that rose a few times it will give up. When I first bought my wood lot it was hard to get into because of that stuff but I mowed it as low as the belly mower on my tractor would go and in about 2 years it quit trying to come back.

Good to know, but my mower is of the "push" variety. Not sure it is up to tackling multiflora rose.

Right now, I dig them out by hand. Pruners to cut away the canes, then a mattock to get the rootball. I can kill them faster than they reproduce, so I'll win eventually. It's just a matter of time, as my grandpa used to say.