Archive 2008 - 2019

Aggie Students Battle Invasive

by Diane Crefeld
6/9/2012

 

                                                  (First year growth)

Katherine Collier, Rachel Holland and Megan Roy spent over three hours pulling and bagging the class A invasive on the Friday afternoon following their final day of classes.  Our most experienced volunteer was Miss Roy who has pulled the noxious weed from an Audubon center where she also volunteers her time.   

Other volunteers included members of the Conservation Associates in town and the Holliston Garden Club.  Thanks are due to Holliston Hardware for donating bags to the effort. 

                                                    (Working away)

The plant is no longer sporting pretty white flowers but is now forming the seed pods, called siliques.  The seed pods on the garlic mustard are long and thin.  They dry out and turn brown.  When they are dried the seed pods burst open with contact scattering the seeds.  Seeds are carried along paths and roadways by the wind or animals and people.  The best way to control the spread of seeds is to avoid the area once seeds pods are dry in the hopes that the seeds pods will not burst open.    

                                                    (The crew)

There is still time to pull the weed.  Check your yard and curb front.  Be aware that garlic mustard only blooms in its second year of growth.  First year of growth is a low growing plant with rosette type leaves.  Pulling those in the first year would be ideal.  First year growth often looks like a carpet of green.  The Holliston Garden Club and the Conservation Associates are sponsoring educational sessions about the invasive on Monday, June 11th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the new park on Central Street between Railroad Street and Front Street (next to CVS).  The primary purpose will be to help people learn to identify the plant in its various stages of growth.  Pull it now or pull more later... 

                                             (It's in the bag)

Comments (3)

Does Roundup or other such weed killer work on this stuff?

Lou | 2012-06-11 20:26:45

Here's a tip: be sure to protect yourself against ticks (especially the tiny deer tick) when you go wading into the underbrush -- Voice of Experience.

David Bastille | 2012-06-11 10:50:06

This despised invasive plant is actually one of the best and most nutritious common wild foods-- Check it out on Google for more information.

RITA BAKER | 2012-06-11 09:39:07