Cultural control suggests using a suite of horticultural approaches to revegetate, irrigate, and fertilize a site to cultivate the growing conditions and plant communities that outcompete invasive species. This method is highly site specific and can include altering the pH of your soil, increasing light conditions, draining man-made ponds, and increasing the water flow in lake systems.
A common case comes when patches of invasive terrestrial plants are removed, leaving behind bare ground. In these cases, cultural control in the form of re-vegetating exposed areas can help fill that niche with fast growing natives.
Benefits of cultural control:
- Encourages long-term site maintenance to exclude invasive species
- Can be used in environmentally sensitive sites
- Can creatively utilize native plants and other best management practices
Limitations of cultural control:
- Site can be favorable to invasives regardless of efforts
- Labor intensive and potentially expensive
