A homeowner put the carnage of invasive plants on full display, with a striking image and daunting timeline to match.
The Redditor shared their long-term plans for a portion of their yard overrun by invasive plants to the r/landscaping subreddit as well as a photo.
The Redditor gave the post an apt title: "This is what happens when your yard is taken over by invasive plants." They also acknowledged their key weapon against the yard's invaders, writing, "So much cardboard!"
Cardboard is an effective and eco-friendly ally to gardeners for killing weeds and invasive plants, and the quantity in the photo impressed a commenter.
The homeowner shared in their post that they plan to grow a "large flower garden" while keeping the "established trees/shrubs," including camellias, azaleas, crepe myrtle, and heavenly bamboo.
They then plan to add shrubs such as hydrangeas and lantanas, which they said they had in a "terrible spot" on the other side of the house. They also want to add "lots of bulbs and perennials," a ground cover, and pea gravel in the pathway.
Lest you think they were unaware of this project's scope, they said, "It's gonna take me probably a couple years at least, but I'm excited to get it going!"
The Reddit community was on board with most of the poster's ideas, especially those regarding avoiding invasive species that can cause property damage, harm native plants, and mess with the local habitat.
The poster also appeared to be rewilding their lawn and leaning into native plants, which have a ton of benefits for pollinators vital to our food sources. They can also save time and money.
🗣️ Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?
🔘 Absolutely 💯
🔘 It depends on the species 🤔
🔘 I don't know 🤷
🔘 No — leave nature alone 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
That being said, commenters addressed a couple of pitfalls.
First up was the heavenly bamboo, which a fellow Redditor correctly identified as an invasive species in the United States. They suggested the original poster would be "better off removing it."
The cardboard also drew some discussion and pointers.
"Termites eat cardboard and thrive under it," another Redditor warned. They said they "keep a foot and a half setback off" their foundation as a safety measure.
Meanwhile, another commenter suggested that they "make it a thick layer" of cardboard to protect against heavy rains.
"Grasses are poking holes through our cardboard or are finding the spots that the worms ate through," they admitted.
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