| Now is the time to be on the lookout for, and remove, one of our most aggressive (and potentially tasty) invasive species: garlic mustard (ππππͺπ’π³πͺπ’ π±π¦π΅πͺπ°ππ’π΅π’). Garlic mustard was brought from Europe and Asia for its use as an herb and for erosion control.Β Like so many other introduced plants, garlic mustard spreads like wildfire without its natural environmental pressures. Β Itis shade tolerant, and has the ability to dominate a forest understory, crowding out native competitors. It also secretes chemicals from its roots that change the mycorrhizae in the soil, which then effects the trees it lives beneath. This plant is biennial, spending its first year growing low to the ground with heart-shaped leaves. It flowers the following year, sending up stalks 1-4′ tall and producing small white flowers. Β These flowers will produce thousands of seeds held in long, narrow capsules. Seeds can remain viable for many years and can finish developing after the plant has been removed from the soil. |
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| Many different methods have been used to try and control garlic mustard, but hand pulling is probably still the best way to control both small and large populations, even though it is labor intensive. Mowing can harm intermingled native species and spread the seeds, and clipping or root slicing might be even more laborious than pulling. Chemical treatment or weed torches can be used in combination with hand pulling but requires careful application. Hand pulling should be done before the plants go to seed in their second year. Pulling first-year plants is generally less cost/labor effective. Mature plants are easier to pull, and should only be pulled when all of the root can be removed from the ground, since remaining roots can resprout. Removed plants should then be bagged and taken to a landfill, or dried and burned, since they may still finish developing their seeds even after being pulled. You can also cook with garlic mustard, but as always please be cautious and do proper research before ingesting any new plants! |
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