[MAIPC] Italian Arum

Tue Mar 2 04:48:16 PST 2021

Johnny

Arum is a beast. Treating early in the year (April works but earlier might
work too) and using metsulfuron and/or imazapyr annually for a few years
seems to work.

The NCR Invasive Plant Team has seen significant cover decline with a
fairly complex mix of 1.5% Element 3A, 45 g/gal Ammonium sulfate, 0.50%
Phase, 0.5 g/gal Escort XP. The Ammoniium sulfate helps increase uptake
under cold conditions. There is a bit more information in a Natural Areas
Journal article here
<https://bioone.org/journals/natural-areas-journal/volume-39/issue-3/043.039.0309/Controlling-Italian-Arum-Arum-italicum/10.3375/043.039.0309.pdf>
.

Whatcom Co. Washington has some information posted too (see here
<https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/27070/Italian-Arum-Management?bidId=>).
They report success with Oust, Escort and Habitat but I have not tested
there methods.

Mark

On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 4:14 PM Randall, Johnny <jrandall at email.unc.edu>
wrote:

> Mark – thank you for pointing this out! Most all of the places we have dug
> Ficaria are in the alluvial benches of streams (where there is no soil
> stratification). Although not generally a ‘nozzle-head,’ chemical control
> seems to be, by far, the best way to control Ficaria. BUT – since chemical
> control is not particularly effective on Arum – digging is probably
> necessary (in stratified soil zones). Can you help with this dilemma?
>
>
>
> Johnny
>
>
>
> *From:* MAIPC <maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> *On Behalf Of *Mark Frey
> *Sent:* Monday, March 1, 2021 4:08 PM
> *To:* Randall, Johnny <jrandall at email.unc.edu>
> *Cc:* MAIPC Listserve <MAIPC at lists.maipc.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [MAIPC] Italian Arum
>
>
>
> Just a caution for the soil sieving method. In areas subject to erosion
> (floodplains and slopes in particular) the major soil disturbance can
> result in significant erosion. And, soil disturbance disrupts the soil
> structure, alters water infiltration, and brings deeply-buried seeds to the
> soil surface. In soils with stratification (such as forest and grassland
> soils) it has been my observation that soil inversion or major soil
> disturbance creates a long-term negative impact to the native flora. I have
> seen the methods you are suggesting work in young sand dunes where the soil
> particles experience regular mixing and there is no obvious stratification.
> These considerations do, of course, need to be weighed against the impacts
> of the invasive plants themselves and the alternate treatment methods.
> Ficarai in particular can create bare ground subject to erosion in the
> summer and the exclusion of ephemerals in the spring. As Johnny recommends,
> herbicide provide a proven method with no soil disturbance.
>
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 3:42 PM Randall, Johnny <jrandall at email.unc.edu>
> wrote:
>
> Judy: Hardware screen mesh is as small as 1/32-in to 0.5-in. For Ficaria,
> I am planning to first use a ½-in screen to reduce the volume of soil (and
> catch some tubers), but then use a ¼-in screen on what gets through. (This
> is really only practical in areas that have only a handful of plants, and
> is particularly useful when using volunteers who are not equipped or
> comfortable using herbicide.)
>
>
>
> Here’s a how-to-dig Ficaria video we put together last year, which is
> useful. BUT – my preferred technique is 2% aquatic-approved glyphosate. See
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecm9jRHnbzU&feature=youtu.be
>
>
>
> Johnny
>
>
>
> *From:* Judy Fulton <jfulton5 at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 1, 2021 1:45 PM
> *To:* Jil Swearingen <jilswearingen at gmail.com>; Randall, Johnny <
> jrandall at email.unc.edu>
> *Cc:* MAIPC Listserve <MAIPC at lists.maipc.org>; Ruth Douglas <
> cvilleruth at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [MAIPC] Italian Arum
>
>
>
> Johnny,
>
> I agree with Jil that the screen frame is a great idea. What size mesh do
> you recommend for Ficaria verna and what size for Arum italicum? You should
> go into business -- I would definitely buy one of each from you.
>
> BTW, I was just trying to convince a neighbor on Saturday to get rid of
> the A. italicum she'd planted on her property, but she didn't want to hear
> what I was saying. She said it was filling a bare slope that was eroding.
> And, she's even helped with a native plant symposium for ~30 years, and
> noted that it was spreading to another person's yard. In addition, I had
> just warned another neighbor in February about the Italian arum that his
> landscaper had planted for him in 2020. I'm wondering whether this
> difficult-to-eradicate invasive is becoming increasingly popular.
>
> Judy
>
> ____________________________________________
>
> Judith P. Fulton
> EcoPlant Consulting: Native and Invasive Plants
> Master Gardener, University of Maryland Extension
> Chair, Maryland Invasive Species Council's Committee on Invasives Lists
> Board, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council
> Voice: 410-337-3701, Text only: 410-404-8201
>
> On 3/1/2021 9:31 AM, Jil Swearingen wrote:
>
> Johnny,
>
>
>
> That's a great idea! Tell us more about the size of the mesh screen you've
> found to work best for filtering out the tubers.
>
>
>
> Jil
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 8:53 AM Randall, Johnny <jrandall at email.unc.edu>
> wrote:
>
> Ruth: Jil is unfortunately correct! We haven’t found a herbicide treatment
> that works very well.
>
>
>
> I recommend building a screening frame with the proper hardware cloth
> dimension for trapping tubers, but allowing soil to sift through. (I’m
> building some of these now for Ficaria verna diggings….) The only thing
> you’re putting in the trash is vegetation and not heavy soil.
>
>
>
> Johnny
>
>
>
> *From:* MAIPC <maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> *On Behalf Of *Jil
> Swearingen
> *Sent:* Monday, March 1, 2021 8:43 AM
> *To:* Ruth Douglas <cvilleruth at gmail.com>
> *Cc:* MAIPC Listserve <MAIPC at lists.maipc.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [MAIPC] Italian Arum
>
>
>
> Ruth,
>
>
>
> That plant is a monster. Italian arum is or was at the national arboretum
> (that's where I first got to know it about a decade ago). It's very hard to
> get rid of. It's best to dig plants up - you have to get ALL the
> underground tubers and bag and dispose of the material in a landfill. You
> could leave it in the bags for a while to let it rot before disposal. It
> would be best to remove most of the soil in the area where the plants are,
> if that's a possibility. That would help ensure removal of all tubers.
>
>
>
> Here's a good fact sheet from the State of Washington.
>
> https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/italian-arum
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jil
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 8:33 AM Ruth Douglas <cvilleruth at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Help! A well-meaning person or persons planted Italian arum (Arum
> italicum) an unknown number of years ago at my church, and it's been
> spreading. I've seen the Maryland info on this plant (
> http://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2015/) and  it's discouraging about how
> to get rid of it.
>
>
>
> However, no mention is made of tarping or laying black plastic on areas
> where it is spreading. Has anyone tried this, and if so, with what success?
> I know its underground structures can be fairly deep, but does that
> preclude use of this technique?
>
>
>
> Any advice is welcome.
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Ruth Douglas
>
> Charlottesville, VA
>
> _______________________________________________
> MAIPC mailing list
> MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
> http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> MAIPC mailing list
>
> MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
>
> http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> MAIPC mailing list
> MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
> http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.maipc.org/pipermail/maipc-maipc.org/attachments/20210302/afb99f19/attachment.html>