Demonstration Sites

Demonstration Site Map Prairie Pines Lee County Belle Meade Fort Myers site clewiston Holiday Park fort-lauderdale.shtml lake worth The primary function of TAME Melaleuca is to educate the public and resource managers about the most effective and environmentally friendly methods for controlling melaleuca trees. The best way to accomplish this goal is with demonstration sites. We have set up nine sites around South Florida that range from small (less than10 acres) to large (greater than 100 acres). Small sites demonstrate information relevant to owners or managers of small parcels such as homeowners, while large sites apply to large parcels, such as natural areas, commercial developments, and corporate campuses. We will publish on this web site information for all sites, as it becomes available, regarding the economics and effectiveness of each treatment on a per-stem or per-acre basis so that you can make informed choices about which management techniques are appropriate for your site-specific needs.

Demonstration Sites:

Melaleuca Management Options

The type of treatment or combination of treatments that you pick depends on how much you are willing to spend and the results that you wish to obtain. The first decision that you need to make for how to control melaleuca is whether you want to kill the melaleuca trees or just suppress their growth and keep them from spreading. The only treatment option you have if you want to just suppress the trees is to use biological control.

If you decide to kill the trees, your next decision is whether to leave the trees standing or remove them. Some areas, such as remote locations and easements, are well suited for leaving the trees standing. This strategy saves money but the standing trees can be an eyesore. The trees will eventually collapse and rot. Most homeowners would not be satisfied with having dead trees on their property. Their best option is to remove the trees completely.

Note: Homeowners should check with their county's cooperative extension office concerning regulations and permits concerning vegetation removal and disposal of plant matter.

Treatments Used at TAME Melaleuca Demonstration Sites

The treatments used at the various demonstration sites were designed to explain each management option described above. Not every management option or treatment is present at every demonstration site. Should you desire to see a specific kind of treatment, check the table to find out which demonstration sites contain that treatment type.

Each demonstration site consists of multiple treatment plots. Each plot contains a unique melaleuca treatment. We used the following basic types of treatments at each site:

These terms refer to the primary method of treatment. For example, aerial spraying and hack and squirt are chemical treatments, tree leveling and grinding are mechanical.