Addition of carbon to the soil promotes microbial immobilization of plant-available nutrients, and is being considered as a method to counter alien plant invasions, particularly in disturbed habitats. In the present study the response of three confamilial alien invasive species, Anthemis cotula, Conyza canadensis, and Galinsoga parviflora, to independent and interactive effects of soil tillage (soil disturbance) and sawdust incorporation into soil (carbon addition) was investigated in terms of plant density, height, number of capitula per plant, and root, shoot and whole-plant dry mass. These attributes were favourably promoted by soil disturbance, particularly in Anthemis cotula and Conyza canadensis, but the magnitude of increase in different traits was highly species specific. Addition of sawdust significantly reduced disturbance-mediated increase in most of the investigated traits. Despite differences in response of alien invasive species to soil manipulations, carbon addition could be used as a countermeasure to effectively combat some alien plant invasions.