Discussion: Wrangling

Our’s is the same. Hack away. Come back the next day and can’t see any changes.

It is slow work. If I kept at it for a couple of hours a day, in 2 weeks there would be a noticeable improvement. Or at least noticeable to me. Not sure if anyone else would be able to tell.

The problem with our invasives in the Midwest, like Soupbone's bane: buckthorn, is that you can wrangle it out....but it comes back even more lush a year or two later. Does laurel have the same tendency?

And BTW, my smartphone indicates you're turning a year older today: Happy Birthday!! Hope you maintain your positive outlook, good energy, and ability to lead an enviously diverse schedule of activities!

Thanks, Clark. Laurel certainly can come back, but it grows pretty slowly and I've been able to keep it under control in a few areas. It just takes a little maintenance once it is out. Prime season for wrangling is late fall, early winter. Leaves off the trees, bugs gone, not too cold yet. I probably won't be doing much of it after this month until November or so.

I feel your pain. I started two years ago on Garlic Mustard plant. Trying to go through 4 acres, but finding Buckthorn sprouts along the way. I think Laurel might be much more difficult since it’s viney. I say get some help and then you might really see some progress.
Oh I make sure Buckthorn don’t come back by using my stumpgrinder to kill it good or you would never be able to walk in my woods without tripping on the hundreds of stumps.
Good luck in November and nice run at the Billy goat!

Thanks, Soup. I think I might wrangle a small patch today or tomorrow, just to keep in practice. Stumpgrinding doesn't seem to be a necessary part of the job. If I cut it off low, sometimes it re-sprouts, but it grows pretty slowly and after a few times it stops sprouting.

Not really viney, either. Just a smallish woody thing. Not like bittersweet, which is my bane.

Agreed. Not at all viney. But ranges from small to some very old and big ones that may be 3 or 4” in diameter. Very twisty, spreads from the roots, so difficult to cut low, very difficult to stack, and not trivial to chip, either.

It's probably best approached carefully, and plucked up gingerly from the ground using small tweezers.

Have you considered yanny wrangling?

Definitely laurel.

:-D
YLaurel here