Weed-n-Walk in the Ardens

Please join us to weed out the invasive plants which are harming our woods! We schedule Weed-n-Walks week-by-week. If you are interested, click here to send Elaine Schmerling an email, or give her a call at 475-3708.

WEED-N-WALK TASKS

IVY - The Weed-n-Walk crew's first task was to start removing the invasive ivy choking trees in the woods. We hope you will do the same! Click here or the photo for detailed information about why and how to remove ivy.
NORWAY MAPLES - The crew also focuses on removing Norway maples from Ardentown's woods. Click here for details on Norway maples.
OTHER INVASIVES TO BE AWARE OF -- Although the worst problem in the woods is ivy (found to be 60% of the groundcover in Ardentown's Glen, preventing native plants from growing), there are several plants that could be worse threats if unchecked. Please help protect our woods and remove these plants if you find them:
- Five-Leaf Akebia - newly spotted in Arden on THREE LEASEHOLDS in separate locations! It looks like a groundcover with five small leaves. See it on the National Park Service (NPS) website at www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/akqu1.htm. According to NPS, it "grows so quickly that, if left unmanaged, it can kill off existing ground level vegetation, understory shrubs and trees, and even some canopy trees, by overtopping and smothering them. Once established, its dense growth prevents seed germination and seedling establishment of native plants." NPS give directions for manual and chemical removal.
- Kudzu
- Oriental Bittersweet (identify by orange root in seedlings) and 4) Japanese Knotweed, found throughout the Ardens: look them up on www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact.htm if you have a vine (first two) or shrub-like plant with large leaves you're not sure of. These grow much faster than ivy and can spread uncontrollably.
- Look too for these annuals which have already gone to seed: MILE-A-MINUTE is a fast-growing vine with triangle leaves, can be viewed at the above-website. The Plants for Liveable DE program advises us to control it is with pre-emergent herbicides in early spring (corn gluten is organic pre-emergent), and/or to cut and dig up repeatedly through the growing season (starting in the spring). JAPANESE STILT GRASS has already started forming seeds. If you haven't yet removed it … (weedy grass with white line in middle), THROW IT AWAY - don't use pulled grass with seed as mulch! Otherise it will reseed next year wherever you put it. Where it has gone to seed, you may want to consider pre-emergents next spring, or plan to remove diligently.
  
  We are all one community… together let's be good stewards of the land.

List of Arden invasive weeds and trees

CONTACT US
Please contact Elaine with any questions or to report any progress YOU make on your own! Click here to send Elaine Schmerling an email, or give her a call at 475-3708.

LINKS TO RESOURCES

After clicking on a link, you can use your back button to return to this page.
Backyard Habitat Program: http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/bwh.html
National Park Service detailed information and photos on more comprehensive list of invasive plants
Also, some different species (and some common invasives not yet prepared for this site).
Plants for a Liveable Delaware (24-page PDF document)
National native plants directory (information AND photo gallery)
Ivy eradication tips from Porland, Oregon.
www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/

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DIRECTIONS

Arden Secretary: 302 475-3516
Ardentown Secretary: 302 475-7467
Ardencroft Secretary: 302 529-1774