This is to remind everybody that it is the time to go after the hawkweed, an extremely invasive plant which has been targeting Haines the last few years. It is low-growing and has an orange flower and seed heads like a dandelion. Unfortunately, it doesn’t die after going to seed like a dandelion does; it goes on to smother all the plants around it. It also isn’t killed by repeated mowing as most broadleafed plants are.
When you see it you should cut off the flowers and bag them up tightly. Then go after the plant. You can weed it out being careful to get the roots. Mowing won’t slow it down but will make it easier to spray with Round-Up (this is the only time I’ll use the stuff) or a mixture of salt and vinegar.
You can dig up the whole infestation and burn or compost it if your compost heap is completely covered and dark. Or you can cover the entire infested area with heavy black plastic which is securely held down all around and leave it on for a year. This kills everything else too, but the hawkweed would have killed it anyway. And if anybody has other ideas of how to kill it, I’d be glad to hear them.
Note, don’t burn seedheads as the seeds will fly. And if you weed or poison, be sure to go back at intervals and get the ones that creep back. You should win eventually. Please, most of all, pull those flowers immediately and bag them tightly. Don’t say “but they’re pretty.” Think of them as so many cancer cells. This stuff is awful. Thank you.
Sally McGuire