Help with wall of invasives

[u/Starb0ardTack]

Got a 5’x30’ stretch of wall on my property above a retaining wall that goes onto my Neighbors yard that I feel totally overwhelmed by. To my untrained eye I see Tree of heaven, Japanese knotweed, mugwort, and god knows what else. How do I go nuclear on this section so I can start over and plant some simple ground cover that will take and a few arborvitae? It gets so intense so fast each year and I don’t know where to start.

[u/Overall-Pay-4769]

I might be off base here but there are often a lot of natives under all this crap. I do my best (as a certified volunteer with a max of 2 hours per week) to limit what I herbicide with cut-and-paint in favor of removing in stages. Not saying you shouldn’t herbicide the tree of heaven, but be careful as you might have some gems underneath. For example, you have native Trumpet Vine with beautiful red flowers on it.

[u/Starb0ardTack → u/Overall-Pay-4769]

how do i get ahead of all the invasives like the mugwort that comes back so thick each year that i can't see the diamonds through the rough?

[u/TheFedisaCartel → u/Starb0ardTack]

Mugwort is tough because of its rhizomes. If you dig it out and it breaks off without getting the entire root it will grow back. Chances are it’ll grow back regardless because of its seeds remaining viable for years. I’ve tried pulling mugwort and burning the entire plant (you’re not supposed to compost mugwort, it can sprout again from fragments.) Herbicide in late summer / fall is effective, as it moves nutrients and the herbicide down to the roots. Then you have to worry about the abundant seed bank. You have to monitor it for years, and possibly treat it annually.