You may have heard of kudzu as “the vine that ate the south”– but it’s not just a problem in the south anymore. Kudzu was planted for erosion control, and though Long Island’s winters prevent kudzu seeds from germinating (for now), the plant’s vines are still prolific. For several years, the NYSDEC has sent crews to Long Island to manage this species, and now LIISMA is lending a hand.
On September 15th, the LIISMA Team met up with Naja Kraus, Forest Health Scientist with NYSDEC, who trained us in methods of kudzu root removal and vertical vine cutting. Following our cutting, and with landowner permission, NYSDEC’s trained professionals will apply herbicide to control kudzu on some of these sites.
With vines that completely obscure trees and shrubs, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. But with persistent work over many years, we can look forward to success. In fact, we picked up several sites designated for monitoring, some which have not had kudzu in two years– and we hope to see that pattern continue.
We’re thankful to Naja Kraus and the NYSDEC kudzu team for welcoming us to this new project. And thanks to those of you who report observations of kudzu– we couldn’t do it without you!
