Fwd: Phragmites.org Newsletter #98 - Why cut my Phragmites, and why soon?
Colin Brooks
Also, don't forget that we have a meeting of the Thurston Nature Center Committee on Thursday, January 12th, 2012, from 7:30 - 8:30 pm, in Thurston Elementary's Teacher Lounge (across from the library).
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| Subject: | Phragmites.org Newsletter #98 - Why cut my Phragmites, and why soon? |
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| Date: | Sun, 1 Jan 2012 14:06:14 -0500 (EST) |
| From: | XHar...@aol.com |
| To: | PHRAGMI...@great-lakes.net |
Why cut Phragmites, and why soon?
We often hear that we should cut our phragmites, but why? Cutting a stand of phragmites which has not been treated yet, removes the years of dead material which is standing in the way of a good chemical treatment. Standing dead material encourages new growth to grow taller because it is forced to compete for sunlight. By cutting the old material prior to the first treatment you will be treating a shorter stand, which should then be easier to reach with the chemicals. In addition, removal of the old material allows easier vehicle access. By removing the old dead material you will not be wasting chemical which otherwise would land on that material and the old material will not be in the way of getting the chemical to the fresh green material, which is the only material which can translocate the chemicals to the root system. Cutting following a chemical treatment -holds the same benefits if you plan a follow-up treatment the following season, which is normally recommended. A cutting after treatment also should encourage native plant growth by allowing more sunlight to reach the soil and short plants.
Why cut soon? Here in Michigan by late January the ground should be frozen. This is the perfect time to cut because there would be minimal disturbance to the native plant root systems and phragmites root systems. A disturbance of the phragmites root system at the wrong time of year could result in breaking the rhizomes, creating more phragmites and possibly disrupting the translocation of treatment chemicals.
Historically Michigan has its coldest temperatures in late January. There should be a couple of weeks when the ground is well frozen and perfect for cutting phragmites. In many cases shallow wetlands will be frozen enough for tractor and brush hog access. Beware of taking heavy equipment across frozen waters more than 12” deep. If you have access problems with the equipment you have at your disposal you might want to check out www.greatlakesphragmitescutter.com .
Watch for a week of continuous below freezing temperatures ending with a period of shallow or no snow on the ground. If you get lucky you might even get a nice sunny day to make conditions perfect.
Good luck.
Don’t forget that cutting phragmites on the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair may require a permit from the DEQ. For information in Michigan go to http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3681_3710-178183--,00.html#Mechanical_Treatment
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