When thinking of ‘Garlic Mustard’, a Controlling Non-Native Invasive Plant is probably the last thing coming to mind. Well, this cool-season, biennial herbaceous plant, is now taking over the forests and woodlands of Ohio and its surrounding states.
Garlic Mustard was first observed in the US in the mid 1800s and introduced – either accidentally or intentionally as a cooking herb from Europe. Thriving in cool, shaded conditions, Garlic Mustard starts it’s forest invasion via trails and edges, and is easily spread by animals, people, and can even be carried in streams and rainwater runoff making this plant capable of establishing extensive, dense colonies in a short period of time. While this plant can spread quite quickly, taking over forrest floors, there are effective control methods that can help limit, or event completely prevent the plants from further contributing seed and advancing. The most simple method to implement is hand-pulling the plants and then bagging them to be disposed of either by burning, or burying deeply where they won’t be disturbed.
During the time of this quarantine, our team has been taking steps to further better The Inn however possible – one way has been by taking on this invasive pest that’s spreading among the grounds of our forrest. So far, we’ve been able to pull roughly 360lbs from our hillsides, and then bag using recycled bird seed bags as containers. This will be an on going project, among many others for our team that will help make The Inn a better place for when all of you are able to return.
For more information on Garlic Mustard, and how control it, check out ‘Controlling Non-Native Invasive Plants in Ohio’s Forests: Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)’ written by Kathy Smith, Extension Program Director—Forestry, and Annemarie Smith, Invasive Species Forester, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry at The Ohio State University.
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/F-66
I live in northern Indiana, where my mother used to hand out garage bags as we set off to “weed the woods.” Just yesterday I spent a few hours pulling garlic mustard from the edges of my yard. Good for you!