Bad News/Good News

It's spring (in the northern hemisphere)--so that means about a billion different things. One thing it means to me is garlic mustard is sprouting again; soon to stretch to adult heights. So, on Thursday, 4 April, we trekked off to the Martin Hollow to survey that damned plant. The bad news? It's still around. The good news is, thanks to two years of intensive pulling there is a heck of a lot less on our property this year. In fact, we weren't very diligent, but we only pulled about a half pound or so of that stinking weed. One of my areas of concern only had about 20 plants in it--that's good considering each adult can contain about 900-3,000 seeds depending on whom you consult.
Now, we make forays on to the neighbor's land--the person is absentee, so you can grumble about trespassing all you want, but he or she is NOT stewarding the property, and if I don't do it, it'll only be back on my land soon enough.


public domain photo

This summer, we're going to try to make a serious dent in the spotted knapweed population. Here's to just a bag or two filled with garlic mustard. Check your yards--identify and destroy!

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