The Red Planet

As autumn progresses and turns our world to shades of red, look for buckthorn to standout as a summer hold out. Buckthorn can keep it's gree leaves late into the fall making it the perfect time to spray the foliage. Wait until surrounding leaves have fallen to prevent damaging other plants then use a herbicide like triclopyr 4 mixed with water. Spay onto leaves. Look for berry producing trees first. These should be cut and burned to prevent the spreading of seeds. Basil bark and cut stump methods also work during the fall as the plants pull nutrients and the herbicides deep into the roots for winter.

Bringing Mars to Earth... Day

Closer Than Mars will be part of St. Croix County's Earth Day Celebration on May 1st! Join us at Camp St. Croix from 12:00 to 4:00 for a fun filled day of family, and earth, friendly activities. Closer Than Mars will be spreading the word about the threat of buckthorn and providing information to visitors. There will be activities and programs throughout the day. This will be a great chance for us to reach more people in St. Croix County. The theme for this year's Earth Day Celebration is "BE THE CHANGE!"

Use the Force

The warmer temperatures mean that herbicides will no longer be as effective, but spring time is a great time for using force. Digging out smaller buckthorn will be easier as the ground thaws. There will be one major root that jets out to the side. This is called the hockey stick. By digging along this root and cutting it, you can use it as leverage to pull the buckthorn out. Removing a good portion of this root will keep the plant from growing back.

Buckthorn Hockey Stick

UFO - United Fighting Overgrowth

Saturday, March 19th we will be hosting a project day for area residents. This opportunity is designed to give landowners first hand information and real life experience on buckthorn removal. More information can be provided upon request. Please email us at closerthanmars@gmail.com if you are interested in attending.

Area 51 - Highlights from our talk with an expert

Recently, we were able to interview Jack Rasmussen, a woodland activist, about some of the dangers in ignoring the spread of buckthorn.

Landowners need to know that buckthorn is a serious threat. Buckthorn stops native trees and plants from developing new growth and chokes out smaller plants.  If landowners do not stop buckthorn, the woodlands in St. Croix County will eventually die off. We need to stop the shift from native to exotic by removing buckthorn and restoring native plants.

Some people think that the female buckthorn berries are good for the birds who eat them. However, the berries contain a toxin that acts as a laxative. Not only does this help spread the seeds, it is damaging to the birds and sometimes kills them. Once the seeds have been excreted, they can remain viable for up to five years in the soil.

"Buckthorn is the Eurasian milfoil of our woodlands." - Jack Rasmussen

Set Phasers to Stun - Winter Removal

Before you treat, make sure you have correctly identified the buckthorn. Chemical treatments work best during dormant periods like fall and winter. Start with removing larger buckthorn trees now.  

The two best ways to kill larger buckthorns during the winter are the cut-stump and basal bark methods. The cut stump method is fairly simple. Using a saw cut the buckthorn as close to the ground as you can then spray or paint the cut completely with Garlon 4. Garlon 4 is an oil based herbicide containing Triclopyr. It uses the vascular system to move through the plant and causes cells to rupture which kills the plant. Garlon 4 has a half-life of 30 to 46 days. The second method is the basal bark method. This works best for buckthorns under 2" in diameter. Spray the Garlon 4 directly to the bark at the base of the tree around the entire circumference about six to nine inches high.

Winter Buckthorn Identification

Alien Identification - Winter

Buckthorn is a highly invasive species with twigs that are positioned on opposite sides of the branches. The bark is silvery brown with reddish tones on the smaller twigs. Twigs often end in sharp thorny tips.

Buckthorn can be found in the winter by using the description above. To make sure that what you have found is really buckthorn, all you have to do is go outside to the shrub or tree and use a kitchen knife to cut a little piece of the bark. If the heartwood is an orange color when you look at the cut, you have found Buckthorn. See the included pictures to help you with identification.

Buckthorn - An Alien Invader

European or common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is an invasive species that is crowding out many native plants in our woodlands. This fast growing treelike shrub not only blocks out light and produces enzymes that destroy native plants, it also can be a host for crown rust spot which destroys soy bean crops and helps the growth of Asian lady beetles. Working together we can help exterminate this infectious plant.