For those in the Northerly and Easterly areas of this Country, who have shade, with disturbed soil, Garlic Mustard is a real threat to your garden or woodlot. A good description of this plant is here:
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offered by the Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin. Once it starts, it is extremely difficult to control. It takes over an area fast, smothering native plants. hedgerows, or garden beds, and it takes years to eradicate. The little 4 petaled white flowers look cute, and you think that, good, I got a free plant here. Just beware. Molly Zone 5a A very infrequent poster to Rec.gardens
The way it reseeds is absolutely incredible. I've got a small invasion going on in my side yard, they were behind a pile and I didn't notice them. Thousands per square foot! They're tiny little buggers, too, when they first get going. I'm going to keep pulling and stop it from spreading, hopefully I'll be able to get it under control. Wish me luck!
Oh, and then I can start on the damned bishop's weed my wonderful neighbor planted in her yard - right next to my property line....grrrrrrrr!
Uh, what were we talking about? I think you had a massive weed infestation and were trying to find a way to clear it without sweating too much. Laying down cardboard will work as a barrier to the weeds until they die from lack of sun light. I think it comes under the heading of "lasagna" gardening. It looks like hell, if you don't put compost on it, but it is effective.
That's all for now. Gotta' get some coffee, then I'll be back to my ol' blathering self.
Ah, yes, I could do that, but it'd be difficult. These things are growing in the woods around the woodpile. I'm just going to keep pulling them (and tossing them in the trash, not composting them, that's fer sher!) until I win. It'd doable. I have read, however, that the seeds will continue to sprout every year for around five years, so I'll have to be vigilant!
Yes, do that. I'm munching on an oddly huge (about 1.5" in diameter) asparagus sprout for lunch. Delish!
Let me get this right. The garlic mustard is highly invasive and is only in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Oregon, and thrives in central Ohio but, it isn't everywhere. That's good to know.
Lest we forget, every state and region has a number of invasive, noxious weeds that need to be attended to by every ecology-concerned person. This garlic mustard looks like one of the worst, for sure, because of its accelerating damage.
There is a list of invasive weeds officially published for every state and region in the US and Canada, too. Although most of the damage from these misplaced plants is done to agriculture, we all are affected by higher costs of food or risks stemming from chemical treatments to control these and other weeds.
In my area of southern California, the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is threatening the hillsides and freeway embankments throughout the area. This immigrant from the Orient can obscure the cityscape and damage sidewalks and retaining walls, foundations, etc. Yet most of my neighbors are oblivious to its imminent threat.
If you wish to get involved in helping to control invasive weeds in your area, your univsersity extension can direct your volunteer hours to needed cleanup projects. Many garden clubs are also involved in neighborhood efforts, as well. Springtime is a good time to refresh your knowledge of invasive weeds since every year a new threat may be spreading to your area from a neighboring region. You can search for 'weed watchers needed' or 'garden clubs' in your favorite search engine to look up volunteer opportunities in your area.
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