Three events this May and June will help you get rid of your non-native invasive plants easily and affordably.
The Invasive plant drop-off on Saturday, May 13, at the Community Gospel Hall is your first opportunity to dispose of broom, Gorse, blackberry, holly, spurge laurel, ivy and other woody non-native invasives. Two more drop-offs will take place at Fulford Hall on Sunday, May 28 and Sunday, June 4. All three events run from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Scotch Broom is just going into bloom and can be cut now. Gorse, with its sharp thorns, has been blooming for months, and cutting it now will stop it from seeding. These highly flammable, introduced plants are covered in volatile oils, making fire control difficult once ignited. (See broombusters.org for a great video on cutting broom so it does not return). Firefighters will be on hand at the drop-offs to help unload. Last year over seven tons of broom were collected.
Introduced non-native plants damage and can eliminate native plants and their habitat. A recent CBC article about the spread of blackberry in Stanley Park describes how Himalayan blackberry bushes overrun the native plants, such as salmonberry, thimbleberry and snowberry, that provide year-long sources of food for wildlife, offering a short smorgasbord of fruit instead.
Plants collected this year will all be chipped, and local farmers will pick up the chips. Because plants removed at this time of year do not contain seeds, the chips do not resprout and offer a rich nitrogen source. Please ensure no rocks or dirt on the roots to protect the chipper blades. Giant hogweed and knotweed are not accepted.
These drop-off events started in 2010, are organized by the Native Plant Stewardship Group, with the support of the Fire Department, Transition Salt Spring, the Salt Spring Conservancy, and Salt Spring residents. Donations are collected to cover the cost of the chippers. For more information or to volunteer to help make Salt Spring a safer and more biodiverse community, go to Transition Salt Spring or call Jane at 250-537-0880.