Bush Honeysuckle management

[Indiana2244]

We have a corner of our property, about 3 acres, that is dominated by large bush honeysuckle. We would like to kill the bush honeysuckle and get native plants growing in its place.

We have thought if we could get a firebreak cut around it we could kill the existing honeysuckle and broadcast native grass seed. If the native grass will grow we could burn it to kill new honeysuckle from growing and taking over again.

We have looked at programs for it but have not found any that seem to match what we are trying to accomplish. If anyone knows of any please let me know. We are located in Indiana.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this plan or a better idea to get rid of the honeysuckle without spend to much money on it.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I have fought battles with bush honeysuckle, and it's actually quite easy to kill, but since it's so prolific in spreading, even under big trees in the shade, and with birds re-seeding it everywhere, managing it can be quite a job. There's several different ways of killing it that I know of, but I'm not familiar with using fire. Here's the ways that I'm familiar with;
#1 The best way is to cut off the bush honeysuckle several inches above the ground with a chainsaw, then spray the exposed cut stump lightly with a mixture of 1/3 Triclopyr and 2/3 diesel fuel. This kills them stone cold dead and they won't come back. A really strong mixture of glyphosate can be substituted for the Triclopyr. (note: don't get a lot of overspray on the soil with the triclopyr, because it kills everything it hits and could percolate into the soil and kill a good tree)
#2 Do a basal bark spray, using the above mixture of 1/3 Triclopyr and 2/3 diesel fuel, spraying all sides of the trunk, from the soil up to 12" high. This kills them but takes more herbicide.
#3 Take a dozer or skid-loader and push them out. (if you can get a machine to them) They pop out of the ground easier than most shrubs, but some volunteers will probably grow back in several years from the root tips left in the soil, but this will definitely put a big hurting on them for a while and the spindly little volunteers might be easier to deal with later.
#4 Bush honeysuckle tend to loose their leaves later in the fall than most plants, so you can wait for the narrow window in late fall when all the leaves are off the other trees and shrubs, but bush honeysuckle are still green and spray the bush honeysuckle with a backpack blower filled with glyphosate. They will all die but the downside is to do the herbicide application right when this narrow window gives opportunity without killing all the good plants.
#5. Cut them off with a chainsaw. This will really knock them back, but with their root system intact they will all re-grow pretty fast in several years time, unless you plant and treat your native grasses with a selective broadleaf herbicide a time or two after it's established, then your bush honeysuckle will all be dead.
Note; this stuff spreads like an invasive species, and timber managers hate it because it keeps seedlings from establishing, but it's not all bad for deer. Although it's not one of their their preferred foods, they will nibble it a bit. But it's hated properties aside, I have observed that deer do like to bed under it, so you might want to preserve some of it for a bedding area...