Baby's Breath Treatments
While there are many ways to successfully treat invasive baby’s breath, large-scale populations require large-scale solutions.
- Herbicide: ISN and our contractors treat with 2% glyphosate (in an aquatic-approved formulation, such as AquaNeat) with 0.6% of an aquatic-approved, non-ionic surfactant (such as CygnetPlus).
- Timing: Treatments take place in June through early August; research indicates herbicides must be applied before the flowers go to seed to be effective.
- Methods: Baby’s breath is sprayed either from a backpack sprayer (on foot) or hand-sprayer. In delicate areas, such as near Pitcher’s thistles, baby’s breath may be dug out instead of sprayed.
- Other: The most effective treatment for baby’s breath is prevention! Don’t plant baby’s breath in gardens; it is still legal to do so in Michigan, but the tiny seeds travel far from your landscape. When baby’s breath is used in floral arrangements, put the baby’s breath in a plastic bag and send it to the landfill instead of composting it.
