[harleynit]

I have a handful of Multiflora Rose bushes growing in 15 acres of weed and grass fields. I know they are considered invasive, but should I really be concerned at this point and try to kill them?

On one hand I like the native growth in the fields, but I also want to creat cover for deer, Do deer use Multiflora thickets?

 

[jlh42581]

i could be wrong but i think QDMA actually used to recommend it

 

[thecatskinner]

Years ago my father was very active in the Soil Conservation District which I believe was a queasy government organization.

They had a program which promoted multiflora rose as a natural fence and wildlife cover. They gave plants to farmers to encourage their use. My father would convince other farmers to plant them.

Obviously--we planted a lot of them----and they lived up to their billing. The problem is that they spread (birds love to help) and they are miserable things to share space with

It wasn't too far down the road that they were "reclassified"!

As for deer using them for cover--I wouldn't think so without some extreme pressure.

When we bought the place where we live there were a lot apparently seeded by birds. I dug some big holes---backed up with a backhoe with a full cab--closed up---dug em up and curled em up---and deposited them in the holes

That might sound extreme but if you have ever tried eradication by more conventional methods you would understand that is an excellent alternative.

 

[tundragriz]

Trust me, kill every last bit of it or you will lose your land to it. I have been fighting about 50 acres of it for about 12 years. It will become VERY expensive to remove later.

When I started hogging it there were hundreds probably more than a 1000 bushes 15 feet high and more than 30 feet across. The stems were in clumps of maybe 20 shoots made up of about 2" diameter wood. It took me months of daily work to bushhog it out and tore up my tractor, bushog(totally destroyed), and me. Now I still have 50 acres covered with it but if I let it go 3 years it only gets to about 8 feet with 1/2" stems. I rotate through it trying to hit all of it at least every 2 years, this year I didn't do it so now I have 3 year growth on maybe 20 acres. That area is now inpenetrable and unusable by human.

Yes deer do take cover in it. They seem to survive on the red berries in winter. If deer are in my fields in winter, that is what they are eating. But ya gotta save what land you have. To remove it permanently takes a few years of treatment with roundup or bulldoze it, very expensive either way. It spreads like widfire.

The wild birds just fill them with nests, of course a good thing. But a problem for me because to do the most damage to them they should be mowed during the growing and blooming season, also the nesting season, I hate chopping up the young birds. To do it in winter is a waste of time because all the energy is in the roots then, no serious damage to the future potential of the plant. If you do it in the fall it is in seed and all you are doing is spreading seeds everywhere again with minimal damage to the root development. In spring and summer the energy is in the tops, roots are at their weakest, so that is the best time to cut and hope the roots are stressed enough to not recover. I find maybe 50% die from a cutting at this time. My cutting has made a tremendous improvement but it is a constant major battle.

This year I'm going to cut the 3 year stuff early and then spend several hundreds of dollars on roundup and nail the tops when they are small and in bloom mid summer.

 

[CJBS2003]

We have patches of them on our land. They are no doubt invasive but the deer do browse them and the birds love them. I don't go insane trying to kill them all, but I do keep up with them at a minimum. They do have value, but they also are a pain...

 

[Pa-Guy]

Are they multiflora rose or autumn olive? Both are similar, but I believe the multiflora rose has more stickers on it.
Over the years, I've planted about 100 autumn olive and keep it trimmed where necessary. The deer browse on it and the birds love the berries too, just as CJBS said. Also, the bear think those ripe red berries are candy.
In the winter, the rabbits will eat the bark too.

 

[harleynit]

I think it is Multiflora, but there isn't that much at this point.

Pa Guy, I love to see what you have done with your property. I just don't have enough thick cover yet to really hold the deer on my land.

 

[tundragriz]

Are they multiflora rose or autumn olive? Both are similar, but I believe the multiflora rose has more stickers on it.

Multi-flora and autumn olive are not at all similar. One is a wild rose bush and the other is a shrubby tree. It would be impossible to confuse them unless you also confuse domestic roses and maple trees.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/Multiflora_rose.htm

ECOLOGICAL THREAT: Multiflora rose is extremely prolific and can form impenetrable thickets that exclude native plant species. This exotic rose readily invades open woodlands, forest edges, successional fields, savannas and prairies that have been subjected to land disturbance.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/russian_autumn_olive.htm

 

[turkey4life]

its awesome for rabbit hunting. other than that its useless.
I walk around kicking the seprate bushes and it seems like a rabbit pops out of every one.

 

[tundragriz]

From USDA Forest Service:

"Ecological damage. Multiflora rose has invaded a large number of habitats, from hillside pastures, fence rows, right-of-ways, and roadsides to forest edges and the margins of swamps and marshes (Scott, 1965). A single, vigorous, mature plant can produce up to half a million achenes (seeds) annually. Where plants have become well established, a huge seed bank develops that can continue to produce seedlings for at least twenty years after removal of mature plants. Severe multiflora rose infestations have lowered land values for agriculture, forestry, and recreation (Underwood et al., 1996). Since the 1960s, multiflora rose has become one of the most noxious weeds in the eastern United States. It is especially troublesome in regions with steep slopes, which prevent access by tractors or mowers for cutting this weed. Multiflora rose forms dense, impenetrable thickets in many regions of the eastern United States. At least ten states have passed noxious weed laws against it, and it is illegal to plant it in many areas (Amrine and Stasny, 1993; Fawcett, 1980; Klimstra, 1956; Kriebel, 1987; Williams and Hacker, 1982; Underwood et al., 1996). Many state publications and web sites list cultural and chemical methods for controlling multiflora rose, but biological control has been a neglected management option (Lingenfelter and Curran, 1995; Underwood and Stroube, 1986; Underwood et al, 1996)."

 

[Pa-Guy]

Pa Guy, I love to see what you have done with your property. I just don't have enough thick cover yet to really hold the deer on my land.

Here is some of what I've done with Autumn Olive with Spruce trees and Pines. The lane is lined on both sides with autumn olive, then pines/spruce behind it. Everything is still young yet.

Also, don't overlook switchgrass for good cover. The deer love to hide in it.

This is two years ago... the pines are young.

2008

Small Bobcat after a rabbit.

More lanes with autumn olive and pines/spruce.

and the switchgrass is great stuff!!

 

[Yogislayer]

I have fought Multiflora rose, Russian (Autumn Olive) Grape Vines, and Tree of Heaven for several years now.
All are invasives that crowd out native species, and destroy existing trees and vegetation.
For Multiflra Rose, the big, thick, and old ones, I saw it off at the base and drag it out and burn it in big piles. It is easiest to do that in the winter. Some of them will climb the trees well over 20 feet, and shade and destroy the natives. I go back a couple times a year with a sprayer of Roundup Poison Ivy and Stubborn Brush Killer and heavily sprya the sprouts. After a couple years it is dead. The roots aren't all that deep or strong, and if the bush is large you could wrap a chain around it at the very base and try to pull it. Do that with a real tractor or a strong truck when the soil is moist.
Smaller plants around 8 feet of so in width can be heavily sprayed with the Roundup PI&SBK, and it will die in place.
Sure deer browsw on Multiflora rose. They also will take sanctuary in heavy thickets of it. Bunnies love to hide under it, and Catbirds pove to nest in it. They aren't dumb. But it is a nasty invasive, and will deny you any use to the ground. It grows 3 or 4 feet a month from may until October, except when in bloom. Just awful stuff.
I also hate the Russian live. It seems to do some kind of Chemical Warfare to, bcause it kills the Cedar and other plants in contact with it as it grows, and takes over anywhere it establishes itself. I will spread all over the property by seed and root, and thrive if it gets light.
Saw it off at the base while it is growing, and pour or spray a full strength, undiluted Brush Killer iall over the stump. It will not come back. You need to treat the stump immediately after cutting. After a few minutes the plant will try to heal itself, and the poison will be less effective.
I walk through the woods with a sprayer and treat any small Multiflora Rose (or other invasives) I find. I do it methodically. 3 weeks or a month later I go back and do what I missed, then do it again a month later.
It is hard work and takes time to combat these things, but the woods and the wildlife will be better for it down the road. They just grow to fast for trees to regenerate or be successful.

 

[CJBS2003]

Grape vines are native to PA and IMO an excellent wildlife plant... I encourage them to grow on our land. The others, not so much.

 

[Yogislayer]

Grape vines are native to PA and IMO an excellent wildlife plant... I encourage them to grow on our land. The others, not so much.

When they are growing 30 or 50 feet high, and the vines are 5 inches thick, I don't think deer are flying up to browse them. they steal all the light from the trees the parasitize, weaken them, and weigh them down to a degree that many fall over when ice comes, or high winds. At best the tree is very weakened by them. Many are killed. None benefit.

 

[bake545]

When they are growing 30 or 50 feet high, and the vines are 5 inches thick, I don't think deer are flying up to browse them. they steal all the light from the trees the parasitize, weaken them, and weigh them down to a degree that many fall over when ice comes, or high winds. At best the tree is very weakened by them. Many are killed. None benefit.

Do you not have turkeys or grouse on your property? I don't think they care if the grapes are 2 feet or 100 ft off the ground, they are a very important food source. A few years back a forester suggested we cut all of our grapevines and we did cut a lot, more than I would like on certain parts of our property. Now unless the vine is growing on a valuable tree I let it go. What do I care if a grapevine kills a red maple or a birch tree for example. That's less I'll have to cut down

 

[bake545]

Also, has anyone else noticed multifloral rose dying off from some disease or fungus. We used to have a lot of it but over the last few years it has died off substantially. A biologist told me one time a name of what is killing it but I can't remember it. It can all die for all I care along with the autumn olive.

 

[mossycamo]

pa-guy... looks like you got a good set up there. i am jealous.

 

[Yogislayer]

Also, has anyone else noticed multifloral rose dying off from some disease or fungus. We used to have a lot of it but over the last few years it has died off substantially. A biologist told me one time a name of what is killing it but I can't remember it. It can all die for all I care along with the autumn olive.

I've seen a kind of "Black Spot", and I think it serves as a intermediate host for some fungus that screws up apple trees. i also think Aphids will chew some of it it up late in the summer.
But it always comes back for me. Whatever it is that killed yours, could you bottle about 100 gallons and send it to me?

 

[CJBS2003]

All I know is after the heavy wind storm we had at the end of rifle season there were grapes clusters laying in the snow all over the place where they had fallen from 20'-100'. And sure enough, the deer had flocked in to feed on all those grape clusters. Plus I don't just manage my property for deer. Grouse, turkeys, pheasants and many other species of birds and mammals benefit greatly from the grapes. I am happy to have them growing on my trees. Most are junk trees anyways. Don't have much issue with the grapes growing on my oaks and other trees of higher value.

 

[dadman1509]

Grape vines are native to PA and IMO an excellent wildlife plant... I encourage them to grow on our land. The others, not so much.

When they are growing 30 or 50 feet high, and the vines are 5 inches thick, I don't think deer are flying up to browse them. they steal all the light from the trees the parasitize, weaken them, and weigh them down to a degree that many fall over when ice comes, or high winds. At best the tree is very weakened by them. Many are killed. None benefit.

very funny and right on man. best you can do sometimes is cut at base and hope you weren't to late.

deer flying up lol

wcos report 5 deer were involved in a fly by browsing today.....