Garlic Mustard Removal at the Fen

In the first three garlic mustard workdays this year we have cleared the scattered small patches of garlic mustard and Dame's Rocket in Trillium Management Area north of the rookery and are now into the big thick patch in the corner.

When removing invasives you are supposed to do the scattered patches first and the thickest, worst areas last. This is because the areas that are solid with invasives will only expand slowly, at the edges, but many small patches will each expand at their perimeters and can quickly infest a large area.

There are many small patches of garlic mustard and Dame's Rocket between the pitcher plants and the rookery. Next week we will start at the edge of the woods by the pitcher plants and work our way in. When we get to the thick patch in the corner, we will then spend the rest of May reducing it. There isn't much garlic mustard in here and the Dame's Rocket that is left will be further reduced by cold weather herbiciding this fall and winter, when the natives are dormant.

Since next year's garlic mustard flowers come from this year's seedlings, and we aren't pulling seedlings since most of them die by themselves during the summer, there will be just as much garlic mustard in Trillium next year as there was this year. There will be much less Dame's Rocket and Honeysuckle because these aren't as prolific so we might be able to finish Trillium before the end of the season next year.

After Trillium is complete the next priority is a small area of floodplain forest that Russell has found near Sutton Road and near an old tractor and near a bog. It has many wildflowers and not too much garlic mustard. Only Russell has seen it but it sounds interesting. Priority for future areas will go to places with many wildflowers, less severe garlic mustard infestation, and places that are adjacent to areas already cleared or where we have cleared the woody invasives but not the garlic mustard.