Garlic Mustard:A How-To Guide for Removal

Vicki Simkovic, Ontario Invasive Plant Council

Linda McDougall, City of London

Rebecca Smythe, Kilally Meadows Adopt-an-ESA Hike and Bust Program

Nousheen Ahmed, City of Toronto

May 19, 4-5:PM

Welcome to the Webinar!

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

• Mustard (Brassicaceae) family

• Introduced by European settlers in the late 1860s as a culinary & medicinal herb

• Widespread in Southern Ontario, as far north as Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury & North Bay

Why is Garlic Mustard a threat?

• Invades mature deciduous forests, threat to spring wildflowers

• Prolific seed production & extensive seed bank• Allelopathy: releases chemicals in the soil that

inhibit fungi and other plants

Mycorrhizal fungi – beneficial fungi that help trees and plants absorb nutrients and water into their roots.

Why is Garlic Mustard a threat?

Mustard White(Pieris oleraceae)

West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis)

FIRST YEAR

Seed capsules develop in June

2ndYear dies back by late June

Seedlings in April

First YearBasal Rosette

Flowers in M

ay -June

Two Year Life-Cycle

Basal Rosettes remain green during winter

SECONDYEAR

Seedlings in April

1.

2.

3.4.

5.

6.7.

Best time tocontrol

FIRST YEAR: Basal Rosette

Basal Rosettes remain green during winter

Leaves heart or kidney-

shaped

*Garlic smell when crushed

SECOND YEAR: Flowers & Seeds

Flowers are 4-petalled

Seeds in narrow capsules

Leaves have jagged edges

Second year die back in summer - fall

Seeds can be dropped into early

November

Extensive Seed Bank

10-20 small black

seeds/capsule

Flowering stalk up to 1m height

• Spreads by satellite populations

CORE

SatelliteSatellite

Advance – Retreat Pattern

Hand Pulling Garlic Mustard: When to pull:• Remove plants before they set seed• Second year plants before or during

flower (April – May)

How to pull:• Grasp the plant at the base and pull out

the entire root to prevent re-sprouting• Pulling is easier when the soil is soft after

some rainfall• A trowel/similar tools can assist in

removing the entire root

Slender taproot is “J” or “S” shaped

Other control methods: • Clipping flower heads• Mowing/cutting• Chemical• Controlled burns

Access OIPC Best Management Practices, Technical Bulletins and other resources online: https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/resources/best-management-practices/

Hand Pulling Garlic Mustard: Things to keep in mind:

• Minimize soil disturbance (can stimulate germination of seeds in the seed bank)

• Continue control measures at the same site more than once in a season and for at least five years to deplete the seed bank.

• Prioritize: remove outlying (isolated or satellite) plants first to prevent further spread

• Consider replanting area with native species

Disposal of Garlic Mustard:

https://www.pinterest.ca/forijthrills/garlic-mustard-alliaria-offocinalis/

https://bit.ly/3cMZ5xd(link to youtube video: How to Identify, Remove and Cook the Invasive Species)

• Use a black plastic bag or yard waste bag. Do not put them in compost or discard them in natural areas. Discarded flowers may produce seeds.

I’m still alive!

• Eat it! There are many great ways to use garlic mustard in recipes

Don’t confuse Garlic Mustard for these Look-alikes:

Garlic Mustard Violet speciesCreeping Charlie or Ground Ivy

Don’t confuse Garlic Mustard for these Look-alikes:

Dame’s Rocket

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

• City of London initiated invasive species management in 2006 and the London Invasive Plant Management Strategy in 2017.

• London is the first city in Ontario to adopt a municipal invasive plant management strategy.

• Dedicated “Adopt-a…” and “Friends of” volunteers help to leverage work by licensed professionals.

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

• Garlic Mustard is on the LIPMS “watch list” controlled as time and funds permit.

• Hand pulling is effective and can be done by volunteers – great fit!

• Densely infested areas are not the first priority to focus on using a EDRR approach under the LIPMS

• Priority is protecting the ecological integrity of areas of least invasion, and most sensitive habitats first.

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

Habitat protection in London’s ESAs includes control and monitoring of garlic mustard to protect Species at Risk.

http://sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_false_rue_anemone_e_final.pdf

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

• Adopt an ESA groups help implement ESA Conservation Master Plans and Ecological Restoration Plans.

• Garlic Mustard maps are available. • Volunteers can “Adopt a Patch” and City will

provide access to this webinar, a kit with tools and a “How to Guide”.

• Once it is safe to gather, City will host Garlic Mustard volunteer events in spring.

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

Garlic Mustard is remarkably absent from Kilally Meadows ESA…The largest populations of Garlic Mustard were documented in Polygons #1, 33, 46, and 47.

Polygon #1 Kilally Meadows ESA

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

Many City programs empower communitygroups to enhance local habitat:NeighbourGood London programs: TreeMe

and Neighbourhood Decision Making fundedover half a million dollars in habitatenhancement since 2015.The Adopt a Park, Adopt a Street Adopt a

Pond Program and Adopt an ESA programsoffer more opportunities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8-0YD4w1XI

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

Ontario Invasive Plant Council: “The City of London is a provincial leader in municipal action against invasive plants. They're doing great work prioritizing invasive plant species and populations to help safeguard urban biodiversity hubs. London's strategic approach to invasive plant planning has helped provide a model for other municipalities to build from.”

LIPMS adopted by City Council September 2017

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

In 2019 the national Invasive Species Centre commended the City for excellent work completed under the Strategy: • “London is the first municipality in

Ontario to create, approve and implement an invasive species strategy.”

• “Beyond the tremendous ecological benefits of this strategy, London is enabling community-led engagement around invasive species control.”

City of London – Leaders in Invasive Species Management

Thank you to all our dedicated Adopt an ESA volunteers and TD FEF for all you do! • Contact City Ecologists about the Adopt a

Patch garlic mustard program.

Two hour “Eco-Tuesday Hikes” include invasive plant removal via Adopt-an-ESA; Adopt-a-Patch City of London programs. Eleven Hikes were led in 2019.

We began organizing busts in 2015 - 2016. These efforts would not be possible without the

very kind and expert support ofLinda McDougall,MES, OALA, RPP, Ecologist, City

Planning, City of London.24

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The City of London is located within the Carolinian Life Zone, which although only totals < 1% of Canada’s land mass, is home to over 2,200 species of herbaceous plants. This species diverse life zone is also Ontario’s most ecologically threatened region (Carolinian Canada, 2016). Unfortunately, Ontario is home to the largest number of invasive species compared to any other province or territory. This is due to many factors including favourable environmental conditions, the nature of our industrial and urbanized society, population density, large quantity of imports, the geographical location in close proximity to multiple access points to the American border, and the degraded habitat and ecosystems in the ecological regions. London Invasive Plant Strategy, 2017

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Seventeen vegetation communities exist in Kilally Meadows ESA as follows: mineral cultural meadow, mineral cultural savannah, mineral cultural thicket, fresh moist lowland deciduous forest, fresh-moist willow lowland deciduous forest, fresh-moist black maple lowland, fresh-moist poplar deciduous forest, reed canary grass mineral meadow marsh, forb mineral meadow marsh, rice cutgrass mineral shallow marsh, mineral deciduous swamp, willow mineral deciduous swamp, mineral thicket swamp, willow mineral thicket swamp, red-osier mineral thicket swamp, fresh-moist tallgrass prairie, fresh-moist tallgrass savanna/mineral cultural thicket complex.

“Common tree species in these communities are typical of Carolinian floodplain forests: Eastern Cottonwood, Manitoba Maple, Northern Hackberry, American Sycamore, Black Maple, Bur Oak etc..”

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The following Special Concern species were observed in Kilally during the inventory:

Soft Hairy False Gromwell (tallgrass prairie)

Great Plains Ladies’-tresses (tallgrass prairie)

Striped Cream Violet (low-land deciduous)

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Wood Thrush (forest communities re nesting)

Hackberry Emperor Butterfly (northern hackberry)

Monarch Butterfly (habitats contain milkweed)

Spiny Softshell Turtle (apalone spinifera)

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Kilally’s Diversity The Ecological Restoration Plan for Kilally Meadows Environmentally Significant Area Prepared for: The Corporation of the City of London 2019 identified

over 700 species including plants, birds, reptiles/amphibians, and

other wildlife in Kilally Meadows ESA . In addition 94 species of fish have been recorded in the Thames River Watershed.

“Four Special Concern and Four provincially rare plant and wildlife species were identified in Kilally Meadows.”

“Kilally provides habitat to at least seven species that are listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern..”

Kilally Meadows ESA

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2002 2003

Overview of Urban Forestry – Renewal

2002 2003

Overview of Urban Forestry – Renewal

2002 2005 2008

20132015

We hope you enjoyed the webinar!

Contact info:

Vicki Simkovic, Ontario Invasive Plant Council (vicki@oninvasives.ca)

Linda McDougall, City of London (lmcdouga@london.ca)

Rebecca Smythe, Kilally Meadows Adopt-an-ESA Hike and Bust Program (rsmythegilbert@gmail.com)

Nousheen Ahmed, City of Toronto (nousheen.ahmed@toronto.ca)

Thank you to our supporters!

Native plants which may out-compete Garlic Mustard when planted densely include:

• Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

• Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

• Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)

• Canada Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum canadensis)

• White Aven (Geum canadensis)

• Ostrich Fern (Matteucia struthiopteris)

• Woolly Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

• Woodland Sedge (Carex blandia)

• Starry False-Solomon’s Seal (Mianthemumstellatum)

• American Current (Ribes americanum)

• Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)