All those interested in helping to put a dent in the enormous garlic mustard problem at the Celery Farm should meet at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Green Way entrance to the Celery Farm.
We'll pull and bag as much as we can, then declare victory for the year. we are nearing the point where pulling it will spread the seeds.
What's so bad about such a pretty flowering plant? The bottom line is that it is an invasive species that, if left alone, soon dominates the forest understory and sides of paths. It replaces native, beneficial plants that provide habitat for butterflies and other nifty critters.
This stuff is so nasty that even deer won't eat it. Thus, as the garlic mustard proliferates, native plants are fewer and more likely to be eaten by the deer, compounding the problem.
Garlic mustard also changes the chemistry of the soil by releasing phytotoxic chemicals, making it harder for many native plants to thrive.
You can read more here or here or here.
E-mail me if you need more info on Sunday's work detail.
