Effective Strategies for Clearing Phragmites and Enhancing Forest Ecosystems

We see it everywhere in Lasalle. It's beside Turkey Creek, River Canard, and most any creekside properties. It is on farms, along ditches, and even climbing the heights of Malden Park.

Phragmites australis, or Phrag, is an invasive reed that has choked off streams and creeks, destroyed habitat, displaced natural vegetation like cattails, and put serious pressure on many native plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.

It grows as an impassable mat of vegetation- up to 15 feet high. It is fast growing, aggressive, with a complex and dense root system that is nearly indestructible. Clearing phragmites takes planning, resolute execution, and conscientious follow up. It is not for the feint of heart.

Impact of Phragmites

Phragmites australis is native to many parts of the world but has become invasive in North America and other regions. Its rapid growth forms dense stands that:

• Block sunlight from reaching native plants

• Alter soil chemistry and hydrology

• Reduce habitat diversity for birds, amphibians, and insects

• Increase fire risk due to dry, dead biomass buildup

  
  

These changes weaken forest ecosystems, making it harder for native species to survive and thrive. The loss of plant diversity also affects food chains and ecosystem services like water filtration and carbon storage.

Man (and Machine) vs Phrag

Phrag removal involves initially physically cutting what are often tall, dense stands. I tried using a brush mower, a mini-skid steer, a self-propelled mower, and even a scythe. For large scale cutting, especially to remove often decades old 'thick, tall growth', I use a combination of tractor/ loader and bush hog. The tractor drives through the phragmites stands, with the loader snapping and pushing over the stands. Then, the bush hog pulverizes and flattens the dead stalks. This is best done in the winter, when the ground is frozen and the stalks are completely dead.

HOWEVER, when using this method it is critical to be constantly cleaning your tractor air intakes. The seed heads can pack onto the air intake of your tractor and form a little fur coat around the engine. We overheated an engine, and blew the radiator on our tractor doing this, and it is now SOP that the air intake and radiator screen are cleaned every five minutes (no exceptions) when initially mowing the stalks.

While mechanical removal removes the biomass, and immediately improves your land for access, it is not a complete solution for the phragmites invader. While constant cutting (before leaf out) does serve to deplete the plant reserves, a chemical control method is still needed.

Chemical Control

Herbicides remain one of the most effective tools for controlling Phragmites when applied correctly. Glyphosate and imazapyr are commonly used herbicides approved for wetland and forest environments.

• Apply herbicides during late summer or early fall when Phragmites translocates nutrients to roots. This timing increases herbicide effectiveness.

• Use foliar sprays for dense stands or cut-stem treatments where stems are cut and herbicide applied directly to the cut surface. Remember to use aquatic safe herbicides with stickifiers, otherwise the waxy phragmites leaves will not uptake the chemical.

  
  

Combining herbicide treatment with mechanical cutting can improve control success by exposing new growth to chemicals. While it is ideal to apply herbicide to a full growth phragmites stalk, it takes very specialized equipment to properly reach and douse the plant. An early season cut, and then late season spray after leaf out and where the stalks are only 3-4 feet high allow herbicides to be applied with a standard boom sprayer.

Restoring Forest Ecosystems After Phragmites Removal

The last step in our wetland / forest remediation efforts are the planting and follow up. I've planted 500,000 trees in my day (as an ex-treeplanter) and while it can be a tough job- mowing, scything, and spraying to control phragmites is a WAY, WAY more anxiety-ridden task. You are driving blind into thick growth with hidden wet spots, bogs and streams, hoping that you don't incur another multi-thousand dollar repair on your machine. However, mowing and chemical control is not enough, and the whole point is to replace a dense stand of phragmites with a beautiful riparian forest.

The final step then is the re-plant. We select trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants adapted to local conditions. Native plants stabilize soil, provide habitat, and compete with invasive species. Species such as larger hardwood trees and dogwood are excellent at stopping phragmites. Installing bird boxes, or even small log and brush piles can encourage mammals and birds in the newly reclaimed area. Once the phragmites has been knocked back, the really fun, rewarding and awesome task of returning an otherwise ecological dead zone into a thriving forest or wetland ecosystem can begin.