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Got Invasives? Tips for Management and Disposal

Buckthorn, photo credit: MN DNR

WLSSD’s Yard Waste Compost Site provides a place for the community to drop off yard waste that is otherwise banned from the landfill. The yard waste is then ground up and mixed with food scraps from the community to make a high-quality compost. Because invasive plant species can also be considered yard waste, WLSSD has partnered with Duluth’s Collaborative Invasive Species Management Area and other local experts to educate residents about proper management and disposal of invasives species.

What are the best practices for managing invasives?

Residents are strongly encouraged to manage all invasive species onsite, letting them dry and decompose where they are found. Moving invasive materials risks the dispersal of seeds and propagative plant parts that could lead to new growth. The best time of year for management is in the spring or early summer before plants flower and produce seeds and fruit. Check with invasives experts (and pertinent ordinances and state statutes) for advice on treatment for different species:

• Minnesota Department of Agriculture: Guide to Removal and Disposal of Noxious Weeds in Minnesota
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Terrestrial Invasive Species | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)

How does WLSSD “dispose” of invasive species?

Transporting invasive species is prohibited by the state of Minnesota, with limited exceptions— bringing the invasives to a disposal site is one of them. WLSSD’s Yard Waste Compost Site is a disposal site for invasive plant species and trees infected with invasive pests like Emerald Ash Borer.  Along with other yard waste materials, invasive debris is shredded and added to our composting system that can reach temperatures of 131-165° F for months at a time, even during the winter. Achieving the appropriate temperatures for predetermined periods of time is required by WLSSD’s permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to kill seeds and pathogens, as well as by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to destroy Emerald Ash Borer.  Knotweed is too fibrous to be composted and can propagate from just a small portion of its stem finding fertile ground.  WLSSD requests that these species stay where they have been treated to dry out; consider using a tarp as a ground barrier to prevent re-rooting.

Non-Native Knotweed, photo credit: MN DNR

If residents can’t keep invasive debris onsite and decide to bring it to the Yard Waste Compost Site, first let the materials dry out as much as possible and remove and destroy berries or seed-bearing parts.  Be sure the load is securely enclosed with a tarp and protected from wind inside a truck bed, trailer, or vehicle. Upon arrival, notify the attendant and follow instructions for placing the load based on the type of invasive material. WLSSD charges $10/yard for brush and logs, but other plant materials are free to drop off. Check our yard waste webpage for seasonal opening and closure announcements.