Early June and late August cuttings or mowings applied for 2 or 3 successive years has been shown to reduce stem heights and numbers. Girdling has been shown to be an effective control measure and does not appear to encourage resprouting. A 2 to 3 cm wide cut into the phloem during the winter will effectively kill the above ground portion of the plants. Hand pulling or grubbing of seedlings or small plants may be effective, but the resulting soil disturbance may encourage new seedling establishment. Underplanting with native woody species to prevent invasion by common buckthorn has resulted in limited success.
Chemical control appears to be the best method available for control of common buckthorn.
Many herbicides are not specific to common buckthorn or may not be specifically licensed for this use. It is important to read and follow all label directions. Little work has been done on the biological control of common buckthorn. Some work has been done in Canada on the ability of the insects Scotosia vetulata Schiff. Element stewardship abstracts for Rhamnus cathartica and Rhamnus frangula.