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please help me kill this plant-garlic mustard

perennialfan273

15 years ago

Oh no, it's the dreaded garlic mustard. But guess what, it's here, and it's here to stay. A lot of our native wildflowers are being outcompeted by it. So, what are we going to do about it?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if you're wondering why I posted here, it's because the wildflowers are perennials, so I thought this would be a good spot. If not, please don't harass me about posting on the "wrong forum".

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Comments (9)

schoolhouse_gw
15 years ago
I meant to say the Weed forum. Sorry.
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ontnative
15 years ago
I believe that they are biennial, so TRY, TRY, TRY to prevent them flowering and going to seed. We now have them in a small city park opposite our house. I pulled off all the flowers last year, before they formed seedheads, hoping that does some good, at least. It is something I will have to do every year, though.
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Thanks MeMo, I took a break when it started to pour rain and did some online reading; then went out afterward and pulled some more until I got too tired. So far I have 7 bags full of it. One place said to put the bags out on the curb for trash pickup, but I'd think the stuff would start growing in the landfill, unless incinerated like another site mentioned. Maybe I'll the bags sit around too and then burn them later when I think the stuff is dry. Sounds like Round-Up helps control it when the plants are small, but I have Jewel Weed, Dame's Rocket (I call it wild phlox) and violets just to mention a few down among the Garlic Mustard right now. Sure would hate to kill all that too. Plus it'll come back every year. Reminds me of Curly Charlie sedum I fought for 20yrs!! I also read that in England there is a type of beetle and a weevil that keep Garlic Must. in check, but the insects don't live here. And that after a certain date, a person is not suppose to pull the weed anymore because it has gone to seed and it will be futile, you'll only spread the seed more. What fun.
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
15 years ago
I deal with them in one section of the yard every year. I have never let them seed but pull them up whenever I am over there. Still they come back every year, so maybe they come back too from any fragment of root left behind, as so many other weeds do.
0
dirtdiver
15 years ago
Get your revenge. Make it into pesto.
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duluthinbloomz4
15 years ago
It'll be a life's work, but I'm digging them up, taproot and all. You've got to get the whole root system. I seem to have it only in one of the gardens so I temporarily lift the perennials to be able to dig easily. I've never seen GM in flower, so I must be getting them at their first year rosette stage. With the amount of deep digging I did last year, I expect (hope springs eternal) to see very few of them this season.
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terrene
15 years ago
Continuously mowing or weed-wacking Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) will eventually exhaust the plant. You can also smother using cardboard and organic layers, especially if you'd like to make a new garden bed at the same time. Burning is a successful control, although I don't know how many people are able to do burns like that on their property.

Also, although I am an organic gardener in every other respect, there are rare cases where pesticides are warranted (IMO and of course used according to instructions). I use herbicides judiciously to control some of the worst non-native invasives such as Garlic mustard, Buckthorn, Oriental Bittersweet, etc. Round-up can be used on Garlic mustard.

Here's a good article by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
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vera_eastern_wa
15 years ago
Here's a good article regarding the plant and control. If you choose to just cut them back to ground level, pay particular attention to the details regarding the best time to do so. It's all the difference between coming back and not coming back :)

Best luck,

Vera

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic Mustard
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lovetogarden
15 years ago
I'm having the same problem. In 20 years I never saw this plant then suddenly it showed up two years ago all over the place. Where the heck did it come from? I've been pulling it out but it's still popping up. I'm trying something new. I'm still pulling what's showing up in the beds and burying what's growing on the outskirts of my property with the winter'd over perennial debris. Hopefully it will choke it out.

I once saw an episode of The Garden Journal on HGTV and the guest she had on specialized in invasive species. According to him he said that no plant can survive constant cultivation. You have to be ruthless. Hoe, bury, dig, and pull - anything to get rid of the thugs.
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grandmachris
15 years ago
I agree with dirt driver! Get even with garlic mustard,
stinging nettles, chickweed, dandelions by eating them!!
Get at it early when they are tender. Mixed greens cooked.
Stinging nettles make a great sub for spinach in lasagna, etc. (pull with gloves, wash wearing rubber gloves, as soon
as they cook they lose their sting--but not their Vitamins)
Chickweed and dandelions young can be eaten in salads, or
cooked later. These weeds taste good and they make you
feel virtuous also, if you dig the roots out. Ah, spring!

Chris
0

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