Weed Management and Revegetation

Paradise Valley, MT

In the early spring of 2025, a landowner reached out to us with revegetation concerns on their property that was heavily burned in the 2012 Pine Creek Fire in beautiful Paradise Valley, MT. Amongst several concerns, they stated weeds (primarily Mullein) had taken over the 16 acre property, and that they had counted more than 300 mature trees that had burned and been removed—leaving charred stumps—by the previous owner but never regenerated naturally. Their preference was to avoid using herbicides due to the proximity to a valuable waterway, the potential residual impacts in the soil on native flora and fauna, and the scale at which chemical application would have been necessary across most of their property.

We began by taking soil samples to identify any limiting factors that could have caused the suppression of desirable native species and promoted weed growth, and then created a weed management and revegetation plan that the owners were pleased with. We manually and mechanically removed thousands of Mullein stalks and live plants, planted 117 native seedlings—72 Pines and 45 Aspens, laid and tested over a quarter mile of drip irrigation reaching nearly every tree, spot seeded native wheatgrass and wildflower mixes across the disturbed areas of the property to reestablish desirable species and increase biodiversity, pruned noticeable Black Knot Fungus from the thick stands of Chokecherries, and brush hogged several acres of the landscape to ease accessibility at the owner’s request.

In less than two months time, most of the seedlings had grown nearly a foot in height and had developed noticeably thicker stems. Periodic weed management efforts will continue to suppress any new growth and prevent Mullein juveniles from growing to seed, and the potential to plant more native trees in the future remains strong. Overall, the landowners stated that the property looked completely different than when they purchased it 3 years prior, it was significantly more accessible, and they could not be happier with the hard work, dedication, and outcome!