It's a homeowner's nightmare. You look out at your yard and see a tangled mess of invasive vines and weeds choking out everything in sight. For one Redditor on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, this bad dream was a reality.
The original poster described their 1/8-acre wooded lot as being completely covered in noxious weeds such as English ivy, pokeweed, and poison ivy.
Facing a steep hill and "daunting" removal task, they turned to the online community for advice on how to reclaim their space without spending a fortune on professional services.
Invasive species pose a threat to ecosystems because they grow aggressively and outcompete native plants for resources. This can create a monoculture, an area dominated by a single plant, which reduces biodiversity and disrupts the local food web. For homeowners, they're a massive headache to remove because of their resilient root systems.
Native plants, on the other hand, offer a ton of benefits. You'll save money and time on maintenance and conserve water, which lowers your bills. A native lawn can also create a healthier ecosystem for pollinators, which ultimately benefits humans by protecting our food supply. Rewilding your yard is a great way to support local wildlife.
Even a partial lawn replacement with an eco-friendly option such as clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping can make a big difference. Upgrading to a natural lawn is easier than you might think. A similar story about English ivy highlighted just how destructive the plant can be. In another case, a homeowner in Illinois was celebrated for their beautiful native plant lawn.
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Commenters chimed in with their own experiences.
"It's going to be a long battle with English ivy," one wrote. "The only plus to it is that it's so strong that you can pull out massive strands of it in one pull without it breaking."
Another advised using a different method: "I go at it with a weed whacker first, clear out the displaced vines, then lay tarps over it and let the heat from the sun kill it."
A third user proposed an eco-friendly, four-legged solution: "This type of job is commonly a request we get with the goats. It's a great fit. The goats will clear out all the bulk and make things much more accessible for your next steps."
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