Phragmites Control Plan

Phragmites (common reed) is an invasive plant that can dominate wetlands and outcompete native plants. Large sections of Lake Appert at the Celery Farm are completely overgrown with Phragmites.

You may have seen the volunteers cutting back the Phragmites and thought, "That is a fool's errand! Cutting grass stimulates it to grow back." But there is a method to their madness.

Options for controlling Phragmites include spraying with herbicides, bringing in heavy machinery to dig up the rhizomes, cutting back the shoots regularly/persistently, or doing nothing.

Using chemicals will pollute the water and wildlife. Using heavy machinery will damage wildlife and cost a lot. Cutting back is very labor intensive. Doing nothing is giving in that nothing can be done. The clear choice for us is cutting back. We have a large volunteer team to provide the labor, but can cutting back be effective?

Here's why this approach be effective:

• Cutting back regularly: By cutting Phragmites at the base and removing the new shoots, you are forcing it to use stored energy and keeping it from generating new energy from photosynthesis. This gradual depletion weakens the plant over time, though it requires persistence since the roots can store energy for regrowth.
  
  
• Timing of cuts: It's crucial to cut at the right times. Typically, you'll want to cut the Phragmites before it seeds, to prevent spreading, and also remove new growth as it appears to reduce its vigor.
  
  
• Planting native species: Introducing native plants into the areas where Phragmites has been removed will help prevent the invasive plant from regrowing. Native plants often outcompete Phragmites over time, especially if the soil conditions are suited to the natives. These plants can help stabilize the soil and maintain the ecosystem.
  
  
• Persistence and monitoring: Phragmites control is often a long-term effort. Continued management over three to five years, along with monitoring, is key to ensuring that the Phragmites doesn’t return or re-establish itself. During this period, any new shoots or rhizomes should be removed to prevent regrowth.

This approach can be effective, but it's important to understand that the process can take time and requires consistent effort.

The scope of this effort is limited. Only selected areas of Phragmites are being removed and will have natives replace them.