Removing Eastern Red Cedars From Your Property

Eastern Red Cedars (ERC) can devastate your pasture and completely take over beautiful hillsides that were once covered with native prairie grasses and forbes.  If you own an acreage or land in the Loess Hills you know clearning the invasive Eastern Red Cedar from your property can be a laborious job but a necessity.  The tree is listed as an invasive species in the Loess Hillsand a danger to the hills themselves.    Eastern Red Cedars can grow as tall as 50 feet tall.  It is rare to see tall mature ERC's in the Loess Hills as they have been generally controlled over the years, but never exterminated.  ERC's are not actually a cedar tree but a Juniper with small berries.  These berries when eaten by birds are spread across a wide range and take hold fairly easily.   There are 3 recommended methods of removing the trees from your property.

#1 Mechanical Removal-this is the best method of removal and most effective.  Cutting by some mechanical method including chainsaws, brush hog, or handsaws.  You should cut the tree below the lowest branch.  The trees will not resprout if you cut them below the green growth and you will not have to apply cut surfact treatment herbicide. 

#2  Prescribed Burning- Burning is a natural method of removing invasive species and Eastern Red Cedars are no exception.  Small trees less than 2 feet tall should be removed by burning, however larger trees likely will not be affected by burning.  A large amount of fuel (grass and brush) are required to burn the larger trees so this is not the most effective method.  Burning will also destroy additional seeds that may exist on the surface of the soil.  Burning can be used in conjunction with cutting as well.  Cutting your ERC's and leaving them lay for the next year will make them dry and ready to burn in the following fall so you do not have to haul them out.

#3 Chemical Treatment-  The ISU University Extension recommends a few herbicides that are registered for controlling Eastern red cedar in CRP and similar areas.  Trees larger than two feet in height generally will be controlled better with spot treatments rather than broadcast applications.  Some of the restrictions for use of these products are listed in Table 1.  Carefully read the label before purchasing and using any herbicide.  The two treatments include

1.  Basal soil treatments  Tordon 22K or Velpar can be applied undiluted directly to the soil under the dripline of trees.  Tordon 22K should be applied at 3 to 4 ml per 3 ft of plant height, whereas Velpar is applied at 2 to 4 ml per inch stem diameter at chest height.  Herbicides can be applied with a syringe or with specialized spot-gun applicators.  Apply the chemical to several spots around the tree.  Treatments should be made in the spring or fall.  Tordon 22K is a Restricted Use Product.

2.  Foliar application  The effectiveness of foliar treatments for red cedar decreases rapidly with increasing tree size.  For example, researchers at University of Nebraska found that 8 pt Grazon P&D provided 95% control of cedars less than 1 ft tall, whereas less than 80%  control was obtained of trees between 1 and 2 ft.  Products containing picloram (Tordon 22K, Grazon P&D, Surmount) have provided the most consistent control of red cedar.  Tordon 22K is labeled for use as a 1% solution for spot treatment of larger trees.

Removing ERC from your property can take many years and often requires a good plan ahead of time.  Viewing aerial photos of your property can help you identify locations of the most dense growth of ERC and give you an idea of where to start and work your way across the property.  You may also want to contact your District Forester with the Iowa DNR, your local NRCS office or your county ISU Extension office for additional information on ERC removal.  At times there are funds available for removal of the trees.

                       Loess Hills Acreages and Farms | Southwest Iowa Homes | NP Dodge Real Estate

                                                   Jason Smith, REALTOR®   Sales Associate - NP Dodge Real Estate

                                  Homes, Acreages, Farms, Hunting Land, Hunting Leases and Auctions

                                                 Cell Phone 402.250.1006 Email Jason@gowithjason.com

                     Offices in three Iowa locations. Council Bluffs, Glenwood and Missouri Valley, Iowa

                                   1032 Woodbury Ave Council Bluffs, IA 51503 712.328.5008
                                         201 S. Locust Glenwood, IA 51534 712.527.3164
                                      421 East Erie Missouri Valley, IA 51555 712.642.3287