Here we go again, year 3 of the War on Garlic Mustard! Starting behind the berm. But I won’t complain. Pulling Garlic Mustard is both easier (due to the height of the plant, and the shallow roots,) and more rewarding than most tasks! Each year the blossoms dwindle; requiring less pulling as time goes on. Hang in there!
Pulling Garlic Mustard is preferable to spraying, if possible. The amount of herbicide required to bring down a Garlic Mustard, while trying to capture enough on the leaves, isn’t worth the risk. Pull if you can!
I did notice several Trillium peeking out from under the Garlic Mustard (GM). That was interesting, as many Trillium in that area have already been nibbled by Deer. As a test, I removed the GM flowers and left a few around a Trillium in a highly-trafficked Deer area. I am interested to see if the GM damages the Trillium, and also to learn if the pungent plant impedes deer from munching on the 3-leafed beauties.
Before
After
Within 2 hours: 3 Compost bags of Garlic Mustard and a huge Rose Bush.
Rose Bush Removal Tip: Use long-handled pruning shears to cut the branches, rolling them onto a tarp. Clip the base down. Carefully bend the tip into a jar of herbicide for full coverage without risking brush spray. A recommended methos is to Hand wipe the leaved branches with a cotton glove outside Nitril Glove. More on that below…
PRECAUTIONS: Herbicide
I was a lifelong anti-RoundUp-er until this project. Understanding a bit more, I still fully disagree with spraying large crops. But used judiciously, it is a real asset in projects like this. WITH PRECAUTIONS, and avoiding it when you can.
*Per a major safety equipment manufacturer: RoundUp/Glysophate does not offer glove type recommendation on their MSDS (Safety Data Sheet.) Go over-the-top with precautions (and don’t be embarrassed about doing so! ) I tried the cotton/Nitrile glove option, being careful not to soak the glove so much that the Nitrile glove felt wet, but still was a little anxious. In the end, I preferred using a cotton cloth instead of the outside glove, so I didn’t have a soaked glove around my hand. I am super sensitive to chemicals, and leaves do bounce around, often causing drops to bounce off the plant. Which inevitably means “in your face.” Droplets of ooey goo also have a remarkable sense of direction. If there is an eye nearby, it will land in it square-on…something you NEVER want to do. And if it misses, you can bet it will find your favorite neighboring plants. The cloth was easier to control, just buy a stack of cheap washcloths and toss then when done.
I also wear protective clothing
- (hazmat pants left behind by a family member, and a dedicated “herbicide” sweatshirt,)
- protective eyewear (well-sealed) and
- N-95 mask (we have plenty left after Covid! )
and pay close attention to wind speed! Even over 8mph can spread quite a bit.
If I were spraying a wide area, I would opt for a respirator, but I really don’t want to use that much chemical if I can avoid it. Thus far, it hasn’t been necessary. I haven’t smelled it at all–which is when I worry–using either the brush, hand or target sprayer methods. The targeted RoundUp sprayer pushes a strong stream directly at the target plant and I’ve seen no over-spray damage to others.
