Weekend Gardening: Garlic mustard and wood-snacking squirrels

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CHICAGO — After diving into viewer emails, we have two new topics to cover on this week’s edition of Weekend Gardening — Garlic Mustard and backyard squirrels!

Garlic Mustard

We’ve had several emails this season asking about garlic mustard.

Forest preserve district programs have an entire eradication program about these invaders.

It is another invasive to keep your eyes open for garlic mustard. It’s a biennial flowering plant– which means means their life cycle lasts two seasons. In the first year, the low to the ground roundish leaves take on a rosette formation — It’s in the mustard family but the leaves and plant tissue smell like garlic — which is how it gets it’s name.

The second year is when you’ll really notice it since the plant can get up to three feet tall with tiny white flowers.

The university of Illinois extension office says fast spreading plants threaten wildflowers, tree seedlings, insects, wildlife, and future forests.

Large concentrations reduce nutrients and even release chemicals that slow the growth of other plants.

As soon as you spot the invader — You’ll want to take the plant out, especially before the second year plants start to seed this month. You’ll want to pull them, including the entire taproot, which can usually require a garden knife or weeding tool. You’ve got to get at least half of the root to keep it from coming back.

Do not compost pulled plants. The seeds can remain viable and regenerate when the compost is applied to your landscape. These go in the trash, or in your kitchen, believe it or not.

According to the website mashed.com, the entire plant in it’s second year is edible — Especially the stem, which tastes like a garlicy mustard.

And four Season Foraging says garlic-y mustard and can be cut up and used much like a green onion — Sautéed, served raw, or cooked with butter.

The website Nature Up North from St. Lawrence University in Canada — garlic mustard is among the most nutritious greens ever studied but that’s when it’s in it’s second year of growth.

An important note: in the first year plant when it’s low to the ground is actually quite toxic for most vertebrates with high concentrations of cyanide.

Wood-snacking squirrel problems

Sara sends in an email that squirrels are eating their cedar fence and if I can help.

I must admit, I didn’t know that squirrels ate cedar and other wood. And also, that this isn’t really a gardening question — But since my curiosity had me doing some research anyhow, I thought I’d share the results.

Squirrels chew on cedar fences for several reasons. First, it helps them keep their teeth sharp and healthy. Cedar contains nutrients like calcium and phosphorus that they need for their well-being.

And experts say they also might gnaw on wood to mark their territory or out of boredom.

If you are dealing with squirrel damage, considering using squirrel repellent, installing some physical barrier, or trimming overhanging branches to deter them.

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Tim Joyce

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