The Official U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac -- 2017 Alamanc_2017

SUGARBUSH MANAGEMENT Declaring war on invasive garlic mustard Don’t be fooled by the pret- ty little white flowers. The Garlic Mustard plant is an aggressive invasive species that is threatening to disrupt ecosystems all across Ameri- ca. 1 The Garlic Mustard plant was originally brought to the United States from Europe in the mid 1800’s for food and medicinal purposes. 2 Since then, it has escaped the boundaries of peoples’ gar- dens and has steadily spread into forests throughout the maple belt and beyond. If left unchecked, this plant eventually overruns native plants and wildflowers and toxifies the soil, resulting in a monoculture. (Monoculture means there is very little plant diversity.) Garlic mustard sets a domino effect of issues into motion. Insects and animals who rely on native plants for food and shelter may die or be forced to relocate. Also, Let us help YOU tell the Maple Story! THIS IS WHAT Garlic Mustard looks like. the toxified soil chemistry will prevent new saplings and other plants from establish- ing themselves. The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflow- er Society has named garlic mustard one of the ten most destructive invasive species in Indiana today. 3 Recently, the crew from Smoky Lake Maple Products teamed up with Naturalist Louie Kolberg to combat the garlic mustard plant at the Brillion Nature Center sugar- bush in Brillion, Wisconsin. “Make sure to grab the plant right at the base so you can pull out the entire root” instructed Kolberg. The plant’s shallow kinked root and the loose Spring soil makes plant removal easy, but the job doesn’t end there. Garlic mustard plants can continue to develop and distribute seeds even after they have been uprooted, so leaving them on the ground would do no good. They must all be gathered and burned. Seeds from this invasive plant can continue to propa- Maple Sugarin’ in Vermont: A Sweet History A 192-page book The Maple Sugaring Story A DVD all about Maple Sugaring The Magical Maple Tree A DVD for Children, Eng. & Fr. Versions Order your copies in Voices from the Sugarwoods print or video today A DVD told by Vermont Sugarmakers. www.perceptionsmaple.com 62 U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2017

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