GARLIC MUSTARD SEMINAR IN EDEN PRAIRIE, MN

Posted on April 16, 2012 by admin

If you have been following my blog and want to join me in person and learn more about garlic mustard and various control options, please pre-register to attend this upcoming event on April 28, 2012 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota:

 
                        Garlic Mustard Control Boot Camp Seminar
                                 Sponsored by the City of Eden Prairie
 
How to get rid of this “Bad Boy” in your gardens and woods
DATE: Saturday April 28, 2012
TIME: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
LOCATION:  
Camp Edenwood Center, 6350 Indian Chief Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 
The City of Eden Prairie and Cheryl Jirik of Landscape Restoration, Inc. will be holding a “hands on” classroom training and field session to learn how to identify and control garlic mustard. This session will begin at the Camp Edenwood Center, 6350 Indian Chief Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 for a power point presentation and discussion and then move outdoors for  a “hands on” field training session.

There is no charge for this event, but attendees are requested to RSVP to:
Jeff Cordes, Eden Prairie Forestry Technician
email: jcordes@edenprairie.org
phone: 952 949 8463 

Questions maybe emailed to Cheryl Jirik, Landscape Restoration, Inc. at cheryl@landscape-restoration.com.
 
 

 

 

 

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GARLIC MUSTARD CONTROL WITH SEED PODS PRESENT

Posted on April 16, 2012 by admin

Sometimes I feel like the little Dutch boy who kept his finger in a dike hole to hold back flood waters until help arrived. In my case I want to educate the public about garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) until a greater media power (USDA?) takes on the task. Widespread community awareness and action is the only way to combat the spread of this seriously damaging terrestrial invader. 

The previous blog segment, Garlic Mustard – Part 3, discussed control of garlic mustard once it starts blossoming. Due to an unseasonably warm spring, garlic mustard is beginning to bloom NOW in mid-April. Ideally, it is easier to remove your garlic mustard before the seed pods, known as “siliques”, develop from the blossoms. When garlic mustard moves beyond just blossoms and siliques began to develop, proceed as follows:

PULLING GARLIC MUSTARD WITH SILIQUES APPEARING

Once siliques begin to develop from the blossom area, garlic mustard plants contain enough energy to produce seedeven if they have been uprooted. Therefore, it is critical  to dispose of garlic mustard in one of the following manners:  

garlic mustard silique forming

siliques forming from garlic mustard blossom

 1. Bag the garlic mustard and label, “Garlic Mustard – Prohibited Noxious Weed – DO NOT COMPOST”. Place a courtesy call to your garbage hauler advising them this bag must be placed in a landfill and NOT composted.  Should your hauler refuse to accept garlic mustard, consider option 2 or 3 below.

 2. Pile, dry and burn garlic mustard plants if you have access to a fire pit or other safe burning location. You may need a burn permit depending on the restrictions in your area.

3. Store garlic mustard in black plastic bags or securely between dark-colored plastic tarps to allow it to compost in the sun over time. Heat should destroy seed viability so the plant matter can be dumped into a regular composting pile. On this option, proceed with caution until you are certain that the composting heat was sufficient to destroy seed viability.

Here are two distressing updates I heard on 4/11/2012 during a garlic mustard webinar presented by The  Stewardship Network:

– Garlic mustard may produce up to 8000 seeds per plant
– Garlic mustard seeds may persist and remain viable in the soil for up to 12 years

Yikes! More fingers in the dike please! Spread the word and educate others about the importance of garlic mustard control. 

Cheryl Jirik
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

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GARLIC MUSTARD – BANE OF MY EXISTANCE/PART 3

Posted on April 8, 2012 by admin
My last blog segment covered first-year garlic mustard seedlings and rosettes. Now for the main event:  How to stop seed production and disbursement of second year garlic mustard plants. Once dispersed, garlic mustard seeds remain viable in the soil for up to 7 years or longer. Each garlic mustard plant can produce up to 3000-plus seeds! Therefore, prevention of seed production is critical to control of this prohibited noxious (obnoxious?) weed.

Once garlic mustard is bolting and flowering, herbicides are a waste of time and money. Plants will rally back, even after several rounds of herbicide application. Provided siliques (seed pods that look like a miniature green bean pod) have NOT started to develop, options for control at this stage include:

garlic mustard blossom
Garlic Mustard in Blossom

1. HAND-PULL GARLIC MUSTARD


Be sure to remove the entire S-shaped tap root to avoid re-sprouting. Gently shake all soil loose from the roots. Excess soil on the roots or any ground contact will allow garlic mustard to re-sprout even though it has been uprooted. Place small bundles of pulled plants where the roots will have NO soil contact. Ideal placement may be the crotch of a tree or shrub, roots facing upward for maximum sun contact. A large fallen log or metal culvert would also be appropriate locations to leave the plants to dry out, decompose and return nutrients to the soil.

2. MOW OR WEED WHIP GARLIC MUSTARD (temporary fix)

As in the option above, do NOT consider this option if siliques have started to develop. Note that this option is not a permanent solution but will buy you time if you have not been able to complete the task of hand-pulling blossoming garlic mustard plants before seed pod/silique formation starts.

GM with silique forming

Siliques (seed pods) just beginning to develop

Next blog: What to Do with Garlic Mustard after Seed Pods Start to Develop.

Spread the word, not garlic mustard. Educate others about the importance of garlic mustard control.

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

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GARLIC MUSTARD – BANE OF MY EXISTANCE/PART 2

Posted on March 28, 2012 by admin

My dreams nightmares are filled with garlic mustard rosettes popping up here, there and everywhere. I frantically try to control the spreading garlic mustard deciding which plants to pull and which to spray with a low concentration of glyphosate (2-3%). The battle is exhausting . . . and then I awake, at 3:00 AM, to the realization that my garlic mustard nightmare is reality. 

Garlic mustard is to our woodlands and natural terrestrial areas what zebra mussels, Asian carp, etc., etc., are to aquatic resources. The National Park Service says “garlic mustard is poised to dominate the plant life of the United States”.  Hmmm – the National Park Service seems like a credible group, not prone to exaggeration. Just to be sure we understand that garlic mustard is a serious threat to our natural environment, check out this quote from CABI, “Garlic mustard is considered one of the most serious invaders in the northeastern and Midwestern USA and southeastern Canada”. 

CABI is an international, not-for-profit, science-based development and information organization. CABI is working in partnership with the University of MN and others to research biological control options for invasive plants, including garlic mustard. Biological control options exist but need further testing to rule out a hazard to native species that could be attacked along with garlic mustard.
 
In spite of the lack of publicity, it’s obvious that garlic mustard is a very real and significant threat. How can we control the spread of garlic mustard? In early spring, typically March, seeds that were previously dispersed germinate.  Throughout the remainder of year one, these seedlings develop into small rosettes. Two control options exist at this stage of growth and development:  

  1. Garlic mustard at this stage of growth may be sprayed with a low concentration of glyphosate (2-3% active ingredient strength). Spraying should be completed by a trained individual or licensed applicator in early spring or late fall when risk of damage to native plants is minimal. ALWAYS follow the label instructions provided by the herbicide manufacturer.
  2.  Do nothing at this stage. Fifty percent or more of the seedlings will out-compete each other. If you are battling a large infestation of garlic mustard, your priority is to focus on removing the second year, seed-producing garlic mustard plants. 

GM rosette - year one

Garlic mustard rosette - Year 1

In my next blog segment, the main focus of control will be to stop seed production from occurring when second year garlic mustard plants prepare to blossom. Your assignment today and forever more, is to spread the word (not garlic mustard) to others about the importance of garlic mustard control.

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

garlic mustard seedlings
Germinating garlic mustard seedlings
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GARLIC MUSTARD – BANE OF MY EXISTANCE

Posted on March 18, 2012 by admin

What you don’t know can hurt you. In the case of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) it can hurt your woodland too – badly. My awareness of more and larger infestations of garlic mustard every spring hurts my ability to sleep well for several nights. Doctor, doctor – please increase my meds!

Garlic mustard is worse than buckthorn in terms of its rating as a noxious weed. The Department of Agriculture sets our noxious weed policy in Minnesota. Buckthorn is a restricted noxious weed; garlic mustard is a prohibited noxious weed. Prohibited noxious weeds (garlic mustard) must be controlled or eradicated per state law. Enforcement measures may be limited as some of the largest infestations of garlic mustard are on government-owned property. Hmmm, another law with no teeth? Sorry, I digress.

Garlic mustard is a biennial plant that was brought to the United States by European settlers in the mid-1800s. It was valued in its native region as a flavorful herb high in vitamins A and C, as a medicinal treatment for gangrene and ulcers and as a form of erosion control. Within its native European habitat, over 30 natural controls such as insects and herbivores keep garlic mustard in check. As an alien species in North America garlic mustard has NO natural enemies allowing its uncontrolled and rapid spread. (See why I tell you to plant native plants of local origin!)

What makes garlic mustard so horrible to our natural environment? Well children, gather ‘round and let me tell you a little woodland story. Once upon a time, a garlic mustard seed escaped captivity by clinging to the moist soil on a deer hoof and came to live in my woodland. It wasn’t deterred by the health and diversity of my native plant species. It was almost has happy to set up shop in my healthy woodland as a site with poor and disturbed soil.

The garlic mustard seed secretly germinated one year. The following spring it grew bigger and produced a stalk with blossoming clusters of 4-petaled white flowers. The tiny green pods that followed housed up to 1500+ new seeds. The drying pods burst open and dispersed their seed in a 10’ radius. That single little seed had finished its mission in life leaving behind a bumper crop of new seeds to carry on.

Blossoming garlic mustard in May

Blossoming garlic mustard in May

Try to get some sleep now and stop by later for the next chapter.

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc. Continue reading →

Posted in Garlic Mustard, Invasive Species, MN noxious weed law, Native Plant Species | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NATIVE WOODLAND GROUND COVERS

Posted on March 5, 2012 by admin

Spring is such a happy time. The fear of winter’s death grip fades away. Neighbors emerge from hibernation. The sun shines longer and stronger. Spring brings a clean slate, a “do over” for all the plans that didn’t get completed last year. Planting native ground covers might be on your list this year. If so, these native woodland ground covers should do well and require very little maintenance in a typical woodland area. 

Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) 
Lavender flowers in spring/summer

Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis)
White flowers in spring/summer

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
Maroon flowers at the soil line in spring 

Native violets (Viola canadensis, pubescens and sororia)
White, yellow and blue flowers in spring 

Native ferns (Maidenhair – Adiantum pedatum, Ostrich – Matteuccia struthiopteris, Cinnamon –Osmunda cinnamomea, Lady – Athyrium filix-femina)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) 
Beautiful maroon foliage in fall; berries for wildlife

Pennsylvania sedge  (Carex pensylvanica) 

Trillium (Trillium spp.)
Color varies by species, spring blooming (slow to establish)

When selecting native plants or seeds, it is important to choose those which are of local origin. Plants of local origin are specifically adapted to our local landscape, climate and especially wildlife needs. For example, if I purchase native plants that originated in Missouri versus Minnesota, flowering and fruiting may be out of synch with the timing necessary for the wildlife in my area. Should a monarch butterfly show up looking for milkweed that bloomed two weeks ago because it was not genetically made for my geographic region, the monarch missed out on the needed benefits of this plant. If you are going to go native, go local. 

Native Plant Suppliers– The website at Grinnell College provides the names of reputable native plant suppliers in Minnesota. You may also find native plants suppliers on the MN DNR website though quantity and quality of native plant material varies among suppliers. Closer to home, at least closer to my home, is the City of Minnetonka’s annual Native Plant Market & Eco Fun Fest to be held on Thursday, June 7 at the Minnetonka Civic Center Campus, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN. This is a great place to pick up native plants of local origin directly from the supplier. Check the City of Minnetonka website for more details at eminntonka.com. 

Logo oak at farm
Oak tree in autumn

 

Thought for the day – the mighty oak was once a little nut that held its ground. Hold your ground with native, local origin plants! 

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

 

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EARTHWORMS, DUFF AND OTHER STUFF

Posted on March 1, 2012 by admin
Would you be surprised to learn that earthworms are an invasives species in Minnesota? I learned the nasty truth about earthworms in 2009 during a Master Naturalist course. Earthworms may help aerate the soil in my vegetable garden but are extremely detrimental in my woodland. 

 

Earthworms could be solely responsible for the proliferation of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata – a prohibited noxious weed in many states) and other invasive plant species according to Larry Gillette, Senior Wildlife Manager at Three Rivers Park District. Earthworms expose bare ground when they eat away the duff layer. Duff is the accumulation of leaves and dead plant material on the forest floor. Many understory trees, including sugar maples, struggle to survive and thrive without a duff layer.  Historically, woodland areas had 4 to 6 inches of duff layer to: 

 

duff layer missing

Garlic mustard grows freely where duff layer is lacking

 
 
~ protect woodland plant roots
~ retain soil moisture
~ add nutrients to the soil
~ inhibit germination of alien seeds 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
If fighting the buckthorn battle and controlling other non-native invasive plants isn’t enough, now we have to dig up millions of earthworms? Not likely, so consider these alternatives:

Add mulch or woodchips where bare soil is exposed.
Remember all that buckthorn you cut down? Mulch or chip that buckthorn back into your woodland. Do-it-yourself folks can rent a chipping machine or hire a professional to do the work. Heavy equipment can tear up soil and damage plants so keep equipment at the woodland edge or on a firm path or frozen ground. Avoid placing woodchips near wetland areas where the leached nutrients can result in increased algae growth.  

Use leaves or compost to mulch bare ground.
Blow or rake your leaves into wooded areas (but away from wetlands). Use an old sheet to carry leaves farther into the woods. I shred leaves through a brush hopper on a small chipper which makes great mulch material. Compost also makes a great ground cover. 

Leave dead trunks and large branches flat on the ground.
Trunks and branches should have soil contact and be placed perpendicular to a slope to slow the flow of water and prevent erosion. Logs and branch sections are useful in defining trails in your woods. 

Time to end this blog segment – I’m worn out from all the ground we’ve covered. 

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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ABOUT US – LANDSCAPE RESTORATION, INC.

Posted on February 29, 2012 by admin

“Instill in others a passionate desire to preserve and restore our native plant communities and woodland habitats”                                 Mission Statement – Landscape Restoration, Inc

Landscape Restoration, Inc. promotes native woodland habitat restoration through our landowner services, education and product sales. Wooded natural areas and the vast array of wildlife they support are rapidly degrading due to competition from non-native, invasive plant species. At Landscape Restoration, Inc., we focus on preserving and restoring native woodland habitat and removal and control of buckthorn, garlic mustard and other threatening non-native invasive plant species.

Landscape Restoration, Inc. assists individuals, groups and local government with:

  • Removal and control of non-native invasive plant species
  • Identification and inventory of native plant species
  • Educational workshops on buckthorn and garlic mustard control
  • Field training for groups, employees, volunteers and others
  • Creating & managing volunteer networks
Cheryl Jirik photo
Cheryl Jirik, Landscape Restoration, Inc.

Cheryl Jirik, deeply passionate about protecting and restoring our region’s native woodland habitat, is the owner of Landscape Restoration, Inc. As an experienced contractor, presenter, educator and landowner, Cheryl has worked with city governments, nature centers, schools, neighborhood groups, private clients and non-profit organizations. Cheryl’s organizational and professional affiliations include:

  • MN Dept. of Agriculture, commercially licensed pesticide applicator
  • Forest Pest First Detector
  • MN Master Naturalist volunteer
  • West Metro Chapter of MN Master Naturalists, member and past president
  • MN Women’s Woodland Network
  • MN Forestry Association

To find out how we can meet your needs go to www.landscape-restoration.com or email cheryl@landscape-restoration.com.

Posted in Buckthorn Control, Garlic Mustard, Invasive Species, Native Plant Species, Native Woodland Plants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

BUCKTHORN REPLACEMENT PLANTS

Posted on February 29, 2012 by admin

As I watched one of our rare winter snowfalls today, my mind wandered to thoughts of the upcoming spring season. Sooner or later the ground always thaws bringing about a great time of year to add new plants to the landscape. As writer and poet Margaret Atwood said, “in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt”.   

If buckthorn removal has left sparse areas in your woodland, consider planting native woodland plants in place of the thickets of buckthorn that were removed. Some wonderful native woodland plants that would make great replacement plants for buckthorn are listed below. Be sure to click on the last bullet to link to a buckthorn PDF on the Department of Natural Resource’s website. Page four of their publication has seven native plant choices in addition to mine along with photos of each plant. Their publication includes one of my favorite buckthorn replacement plants – nannyberry.

    Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
    Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
    Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
    American elderberry/Red-berried elder (Sambucus nigra/Sambucus racemosa)
    American hazelnut (Corylus americana)
    Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) 
    Minnesota DNR website link: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/terrestrialplants/woodyplants/buckthorn_what_you_should_know.pdf.

Bringing Nature Home,written by author Douglas Tallamy, tells of the enormous benefit native plants provide to wildlife species as compared to alien plant species. Plants such as black cherry, choke-cherry and American wild plum are members of a plant genus that support an estimated 456 moths and butterflies! That doesn’t include the additional benefit to birds and mammals. Now consider the gingko tree I planted in my yard two years ago. Perhaps an interesting specimen tree and a nice place for a bird’s nest but no food source for wildlife. Though I correctly planted and cared for the new tree it didn’t survive. Maybe its demise was nature’s way of telling me “you can do better than that – go native”. 

Blossoming Nannyberry
Blossoming Nannyberry

My own observations last summer confirmed Tallamy’s data. Butterflies, insects and birds were abundant in areas that contained a variety of native plant species. This was sharply contrasted by the “dead zone” that existed in areas with little to no native plant species. If you are going to smell like dirt at the end of the day this spring, let it be because you chose to plant native plant species as replacement plants for your buckthorn. Go native!!

Cheryl Jirik
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

 

Posted in Buckthorn Control, Buckthorn Replacement Plants, Invasive Species, Native Plant Species, Native Woodland Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BENEFITS OF BUCKTHORN CONTROL

Posted on February 19, 2012 by admin

Congratulations! If you have read my last two blog segments, you can confidently identify buckthorn in the winter and know how to successfully cut and stump treat non-native invasive buckthorn. Why it is important to remove these non-native invasive plants? Grab a fresh cup of coffee and read on. A little natural history about life before buckthorn will form the basis to understanding how buckthorn removal and control will significantly benefit the environment.
Over many thousands of years, plants adapt and evolve together to form native plant communities. Our native plant communities are designed to tolerate and thrive in this region’s specific climate and environmental conditions. Native wildlife, including insects, birds and mammals rely on their native plant communities for nesting habitat and food
resources.

buckthorn hedge along path
Buckthorn hedge along a Minnetonka park trail

As European immigrants arrived and settled here in the 1800s, they brought and planted buckthorn as a hedge plant. Native to Europe, buckthorn was an alien to our plants and wildlife, offering them no value. The natural enemies, pests and diseases that control buckthorn in Europe are not present here.

buckthorn hedge
A dense thicket of buckthorn

As an alien without control, buckthorn quickly invades our natural areas forming dense thickets that choke out native vegetation. Continued loss of native vegetation directly and negatively affects wildlife. Without nesting habitat and food resources, wildlife becomes displaced or dies off causing a decline in species diversity. Without human intervention, extinction of plant and wildlife species will occur. The ultimate threat is a diminished food supply to the human population if native plant pollinators become extinct.

Time for some good news after that dismal outlook! If you remove and maintain control of buckthorn and other non-native invasive plants, desirable native plants will make a comeback. Our native plant communities in partnership with their wildlife species will return to a state of health and balance if we undo the problem created by human disruption.

Bloodroot blossom
Bloodroot
blue flag iris
Blue flag iris
Columbine
Columbine

Many thanks to those of you who already work at buckthorn control! To those of you who are new to buckthorn control, nature will share rewards as thanks for your efforts. Some of these rewards will be the appearance of birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. You begin to spot native plants, trees and shrubs returning to your woodland, possibly including species like these native Minnesota wildflowers.

Enjoy the natural benefits waiting in your favorite woodland!

Cheryl
Landscape Restoration, Inc.

Posted in Buckthorn Control, Invasive Species, Native Plant Species, Native Woodland Plants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment