Expert fights back against aggressive plant growth using surprising method: 'Nearly 100% eliminated'

If you're having trouble with garlic mustard in your yard, a popular naturalist and wild-plant expert has some hot advice.

In a video about the invasive plant, TikToker Samuel Thayer (@wellfedwild) shows a wooded area that had been taken over by garlic mustard. To eradicate it, he safely burned it — a method he recommends as more effective than toxic herbicides.

@wellfedwild Fire is more effective than herbicide for eliminating garlic mustard.#foraging #fireecology #garlicmustard ♬ original sound - Samuel Thayer

"This area right here has gone through multiple burns, and the garlic mustard is nearly 100% eliminated," he says.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists garlic mustard as a highly destructive invasive plant. Thayer, a Wisconsin native, says it likely grew in these woods because of a lack of biodiversity on the forest floor, which became clear when more trees started growing in the area.

"When those things shaded out the prairie plants, there were no forest plants underneath," Thayer says. "So the garlic mustard could invade very easily."

Whether they are plants or animals, invasive species can do major damage once introduced to a new ecosystem. They tend to outcompete native plants and wildlife for valuable resources, such as water, food, and sunlight, and can spread quickly.

Garlic mustard is native to cool, mild European climates, Thayer says, allowing it to persist during winter. That makes it more susceptible to winter fires, as opposed to many North American plants that go dormant during the winter and can not be effectively burned during that season.

With the garlic mustard gone, native plants started to reveal themselves, such as violet wood sorrel and common blue violets.

"But most of the forest floor plants have not yet colonized," Thayer says. "That's why it's especially important to get the garlic mustard out, so the native plants come in."

Thayer's video underscores the importance of eradicating invasive species. Home gardeners can accomplish this by planting a natural lawn, one that focuses on native plants that promote healthier ecosystems and provide better homes for local pollinators.

What is your least favorite lawn chore? Mowing the grass 🌱 Blowing leaves 🍁 Blowing snow ☃️ Something else 🤔 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This is really interesting," one comment said. "... Solutions that don't remove all the plants (like pulling) aren't as effective, so this is great."

Other commenters provided another solution for getting rid of the invasive garlic mustard — one that could yield delicious results.

"Garlic mustard is so good pickled," one commenter wrote.

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