WILD Center – Update 2

In the summer of 2011, we learned a lot  from the WILD Center.

Transplant a native plant almost anywhere, and it will grow. In 2010, we (Wild Ones staff and volunteers) tried something new with our fourth rain garden – also known as Nancy’s Garden – named after Nancy Small of the Kalamazoo Area (MI) Chapter. Because all the plants were large transplants from a nearby plant rescue, we dug the entire rain garden deeper than we usually would have, thinking that instead of digging holes to place the plants into, we would replace the excavated soil around them. Well, the rain started before we even finished placing the plants, and it didn’t stop. And when it finally did stop, the piles of excavated soil were too wet to move. When they dried, the piles were too hard to dig into. Between the raindrops, we had managed to throw enough soil around the plants, so at least the roots were covered, but little else was accomplished before the fall rains started. Those plants have done beautifully. We have been amazed at their resilience. They made it through the winter of 2010, and in fact, have come back stronger than the gardens planted the previous year, 2009.

Cutting dame’s rocket does not eliminate the final seeding stage. In 2010, as we removed the buckthorn, dame’s rocket seeds sprouted and caused a new headache. Not wanting to disturb the tree and wild ginger seedlings we had transplanted to the understory, we had cut the dame’s rocket stems, only to find that they had sprouted new growth, necessitating the pulling of the plants again. In spring 2011, we found that our wild ginger is coming up, as well as most of the tree seedlings, so it appears that pulling out the dame’s rocket didn’t disturb them at all. There was still dame’s rocket growing, but most of the growth appeared to be new plants, so we’ll continue to pull.

Note: Dame’s rocket is a spreading invasive species just like garlic mustard. While pulling is effective at any stage, it is easiest to pull just before flowering in early spring. Grabbing the stem firmly just below ground level and pulling the plant up by its roots does the job. The entire taproot must be removed. This is easiest when the soil is moist, and the plants are small in early spring. Pulling or using a dandelion digger is most effective. If flowers are present, bag the material and dispose of it in a landfill to avoid potential for seed spread. (A single dame’s rocket plant can release 20,000 seeds.) That’s why it spreads so rapidly! It will take two to five years of pulling to suppress populations.

Controlling invasives on site is not enough. Even though we have eliminated the invasives on our site, we have come to realize that this is not enough. We must also remove the invasive weed species growing on properties adjacent to our site. Wild parsnip, garlic mustard, teasel, dame’s rocket, honeysuckle, and buckthorn are our main concerns on the upland, with canary reed grass being a big concern at the marsh. So far our neighbors have been more than willing to allow us to do so. And, luckily, we have had the Fox Valley Technical College’s Natural Resources Program available to us as a resource as we try to bring the canary reed under control.

Prairie smoke is tenacious. The deer have continued to keep this early-blooming prairie plant nibbled to the ground, but they surprised us all by producing the loveliest of blossoms anyway. Regardless, we are still fencing the baptisia and orchids just to play it safe.

Adopt an Oak. We encouraged a $200 donation for developing our upland area into an oak savanna. Bur oaks and hickory trees will eventually form the canopy for the savanna and you should see it now!

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