Fall yard clean-up: What to do with those invasive plants?
By Trail Champion
With winter on its way, it is that time of year again when we begin cleaning up our yards and disposing of unwanted plant material.
So what to do with those invasive plants? Invasive plant disposal can pose a problem. If not properly done, some invasive plants will continue to grow and set seed despite being pulled out of the ground.
Some can even survive composting and potentially form a new infestation through dumped material. In fact, several invasive plant infestations that impact our rivers and other native ecosystems were introduced from dumped garden waste.
For example, invasive knotweeds (Fallopia spp.) can form a whole plant from just a tiny fragment of the rhizome (underground stem).
The plant can spread by sending underground stems up to 20 m away, grow 10 cm per day, and form large, dense infestations that prevent other plants from growing.
On the edge of rivers and lakes, knotweed can cause streambank erosion and collapse, affecting water quality and fish habitat. In other native ecosystems, this plant can reduce biodiversity and impact critical wildlife habitat.
On road edges and in towns, knotweed can grow through concrete, cracking walls, roads, foundations and other infrastructure. In your garden, this species can “take over” and be extremely difficult to control.
Generally, invasive plant waste should be taken to the local landfill to be disposed of since burning or composting does not always kill invasive plants or their seeds.
However, if you are certain of the identification of the species and know that it reproduces only by seed, then other disposal methods can be used – seed heads can be clipped and bagged while the rest of the plant is composted or burned.
In the RDCK and RDKB areas, the tipping fee is waived for noxious/invasive plant species. Ensure that you let the attendant know that you have invasive plant species to ensure they don’t end up in the compost pile.
- You can help stop the spread of aggressive invasive plants. For more information on how to identify, control and dispose of invasive plants please go to www.kootenayweeds.com or call 250-352-1160.
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