Mass. gardening expert names invasive plants that are cause for concern

Massachusetts gardening expert names invasive plants that are cause for concern

WELL, NEW THIS MORNING, IF YOU HAVE BEEN CLEANING UP YOUR YARD, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED SOME PLANTS ARE TAKING OVER JUST ZANDER OF YOU CAN DO IT GARDENING JOINS US NOW AND JESS YOU HAVE BEEN FINDING MANY INVASIVE PLANTS ON PROPERTIES YOU’VE BEEN VISITING AS A GARDEN COACH. YOU’VE BEEN TO A LOT OF BACKYARDS. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AND WHY DOES IT CONCERN YOU? YES, I HAVE BEEN SEEING SO MANY. THANKS, JEN. GOOD MORNING. EVEN YOU AND I TALKING ABOUT WHAT MAY BE IN YOUR OWN YARD. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WHEN I GO ON SITE AND VISIT PEOPLE AND AND, YOU KNOW, START MY SESSIONS, I’M IMMEDIATELY ZONING IN ON WHAT THEY MAY HAVE IN THEIR YARD THAT’S INVASIVE. AND IT’S ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE AND YARDS THAT DON’T HAVE SOMETHING INVASIVE RANGING FROM SOMETHING THAT’S JUST A NUISANCE TO A PLANT THAT MAY BE HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE AND WREAKING HAVOC ACTUALLY ACROSS THE STATE. AND MANY PEOPLE JUST HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR YARDS. SO I KNOW THERE’S ONE THAT REALLY CONCERNS YOU IN PARTICULAR. WHAT IS THAT AND WHY DO YOU FIND IT CONCERNING? YEAH, THE BIG ONE FOR ME IS JAPANESE KNOTWEED AND THAT’S RECENTLY COME ONTO MY RADAR RECENTLY BECAUSE CAUSE IT’S I LEARNED THAT BANKS IN ENGLAND DON’T FINANCE LOANS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO BUY PROPERTY. YOU KNOW WITH THAT ON THE PREMISES AND THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE DISCLOSURE AS PART OF THE THE SALE PROCESS. SO THAT’S SOMETHING WHERE IF YOU HAVE THAT ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU SHOULD REALLY LOOK INTO HOW TO CONTAIN THAT AND ERADICATE IT, IDEALLY BECAUSE IT CAN BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN. IT SPREADS VERY QUICKLY AND IT’S JUST BASICALLY A DISASTER. ALSO BITTERSWEET. I KNOW WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE TOO. A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THAT THAT TO EVEN MAYBE DECORATE BECAUSE IT KIND OF TURNS INTO LITTLE BERRIES. WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? I MEAN, IF IT’S PRETTY IN YOUR YARD, WHY DO YOU NOT LIKE SEEING IT? YEAH. SO THAT ONE SEEMS INNOCUOUS ENOUGH, RIGHT? SO ON THE LEFT, THAT’S LITTLE. THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, EARLY FORM OF IT. THEN ON THE TOP YOU SEE IT SORT OF HAVE THAT CURLICUE AND IT WINDS ITSELF AROUND PLANTS, INCLUDING TREES AND SUFFOCATES THEM AND THEN KILLS THEM. SO IF YOU SEE THAT IN YOUR YARD, YOU SHOULD REALLY TRY TO GET RID OF IT. IT’S GOT THE TELLTALE ORANGE ROOTS SO EASY TO PULL OUT WHEN THEY’RE SMALL, NOT SO MUCH WHEN THEY GET REALLY BIG. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN’T ACTUALLY CUT THEM OFF TREES OR, YOU KNOW, DIG THEM OUT, YOU’VE GOT TO ACTUALLY SEVER THEM AT THE ROOTS WHEN THEY’RE CLIMBING UP THE TREES. JUST GO OUT THERE AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THAT. ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, WE DO WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU SAY THERE IS STILL SOME TIME TO PLANT SOME THINGS RIGHT NOW, MAYBE HARD TO BELIEVE FOR SOME PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY’RE THINKING IT’S OCTOBER, WE’RE MOVING TOWARD THE WINTER. BUT WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST PEOPLE DO THERE? YEAH, SO THAT’S ON A MUCH MORE FUN NOTE. YOU KNOW, GARDEN CENTERS ARE STILL OPEN AND THEY MAY BE RUNNING OUT OF STUFF, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT STOP YOU FROM PLANTING THINGS IN YOUR YARD, THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. SO, YOU KNOW, PERENNIALS, WHICH ARE THE PLANTS THAT COME BACK EVERY YEAR, THEY CAN BE DIVIDED EASILY AND THEN YOU MOVE THEM AROUND YOUR YARD AND YOU HAVE THEN CONTINUITY WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE. YOU ALSO SAVE MONEY. YOU’RE NOT BUYING NEW PLANTS AND IT’S ALL AROUND A REALLY GOOD BET. AND IT’S EASY TO DIVIDE. YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, DIG THEM OUT, TURN THEM ON THEIR SIDE, DRIVE YOUR SHOVEL RIGHT IN THERE, AND THEN REPLANT LIKE YOU’RE TAKING. IT OUT OF A POT AND PUTTING IT IN YOUR YARD. OKAY. AND YOU CAN DO THAT RIGHT UP TO WHEN THE GROUND IS FROZEN. ANY ADVICE TO PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY THINKING, I HAVE TO CLEAN UP MY YARD RIGHT NOW. WHAT DO PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO KNOW? YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SAVE SOME PEOPLE TIME. YEAH, AND JUST LET ME EMPHASIZE, I MEAN, I WAS OUT THERE ON NOVEMBER 30TH LAST YEAR CREATING A WHOLE NEW BED. SO PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT, IS IT TOO LATE? YOU KNOW, IS IT TOO COLD? JUST GET OUT. GET ON OUT THERE. YEAH. SO CLEAN UP. I MEAN, I THINK THE TYPICAL OR HISTORIC WISDOM HAS BEEN, OH, DO A FALL CLEANUP. YOU ACTUALLY DON’T NEED TO DO THAT. SPRING IS THE REALLY THE BEST TIME. UM, BECAUSE THEN INSECTS THAT HANG OUT IN THE LEAF LITTER OVER THE WINTER AYER, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CHANCE TO BE THERE BENEFICIAL INSECTS ARE GOOD FOR FOR THE ECOLOGY AND OUR LOCAL GARDENS AND THEN IN THE SPRING, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE. BUT WAIT A LITTLE BIT YOU KNOW, WE WANT FIVE DAYS OF 50 DEGREE WEATHER TO LET THOSE INSECTS LAY THEIR EGGS AND GET ON OUT OF THERE. AND THEN YOU CAN GET, YOU KNOW, INTO YOUR GARDEN AND DO ALL YOUR CLEANUP. IT’S A NICE EXCUSE TO BE A LITTLE LAZY. YOU KNOW, THAT’S HOW I LIKE TO FRAME IT FOR PEOPLE. AND WE HAVE A GOOD FORECAST. SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO ENJOY LIKE A PRETTY NICE WEEK COMING UP GARDEN COACH JEFF ZANDER, YOU CAN FOLLOW HER ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK AT YOU CAN DO IT GARDENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YO

Massachusetts gardening expert names invasive plants that are cause for concern

Jess Zander, of You Can Do It Gardening, also offers tips for planting in the fall and garden cleanup.

BOSTON —

Jess Zander, of You Can Do It Gardening, also offers tips for planting in the fall and garden cleanup.

Source: wcvb.com