Alliaria petiolata - Garlic Mustard

Extremely invasive.

They do pull out easily by hand when they are still young... but i have found that when they are bigger, when tugged upon, the stem will snap at ground level, leaving the roots behind.

I have found that aside from spreading by seeds, they also send out "runners" and keep multiplying.

At my old house, i sorta found out how bad they were, only to learn my mother thought they "were pretty" and actually planted them.

If i can find a larger clump, i'll add an additional photo.

**edit to add the link to plant files

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2431/index.html


This message was edited May 6, 2007 4:07 PM

I happen to have an article from Fine Gardening magazine from a while back about garlic mustard. In brief, it says: Alliaria petiolata is a prolific biennial which spreads by seeds. One plant can produce over 7000 seeds. Getting rid of them may take several years. If the infestation is small try pulling first year rosettes when the soil is moist so you have the best chance of getting the entire root because the plant will regrow if some root is left behind. The same for pulling the second year flowering plants. For a larger infestation it may be more practical to cut down the flowering plants before they produce seed. Be sure to cut the plant right to the ground because if even a pair of leaves is left flowers can form at the base and produce seed. Bag and dispose of all the debris because removed flowers may still disperse seed. The article says you may have to repeat the cutting down of plants during the season but eventually the plants will weaken and die. As the seed can remain viable in the soil for up to five years it may take several years if diligence to wipe out the pest. It also says glyphosate products are effective if you don't have nearby ornamental plants that would be at risk.

I worked as a volunteer gardener at a small college near my home for a couple of years. The whole campus was infested with garlic mustard. I pulled that stuff endlessly and never seemed to make a dent in it. I was actually relieved when they moved the campus to Chicago so I wouldn't have to see that plant again. Thank goodness that's one weed that has not found its way into my yard. Now if only someone could tell me an easy way to get rid of the Ladybells (which I did not plant) that have made their way into every one of my flower beds sun or shade, moist or dry!