SLAY THE MONSTERS

We can never say enough about trying to rid our lake of Purple Loosestrife.  It grows mostly in the shallow areas of the lake from July through September and re-seeds itself, multiplying tenfold if it’s not removed. It’s a yearly battle and we hope it can be controlled through our efforts.  It changes the shoreland plant and animal life when it gains a foothold.

In July, Judy King, pontoon captain Ed Hinkley and George Kelley did a second boat survey of this invasive plant.  In addition, Linda Laskey hired a couple of high schoolers, Devon and Jeremy Case of Mechanic Falls, to remove it. For three days, they made their way from the western shore of the Tripp Lake Camp to the boat ramp, then to the Public Beach. They also did some removal on the eastern shore, off Garland Swamp Road. We thank them for their efforts and hope we’ll find more young people to help out next year.  (Michelle Garcia, Science teacher at Poland Regional High School, has entered this problem in her Spring, 2005, project.)

We encourage all property owners to remove this hardy and prolific plant from their properties, and this year,  many folks did just that.  We hope the message spreads and we won’t have to print reminders forever. However, if you need help identifying it next summer, please call me (Babs Shapiro) at 998-4597, and I’ll be happy to help.

The following is an excerpt from a Boston Globe article.  The weed is growing out of control in many states and we must not allow it to happen here.

“They’re the gypsy moths of the plant world, foreign introductions that have no natural enemies to control them.  Call them the monster weeds.  They attack with surprising speed, muscle out almost everything else, and are a nightmare to get rid of.  The best defense is to eradicate them before they get a foothold.  While most weeds are puny, short-lived annuals, monster weeds live longer: some are even trees and shrubs.  Fall is a good time to attack them, while they are weakened by preparing for winter and sap is flowing back to their roots, which are your true targets.  Many can regenerate from a single piece of root, so bag the entire plant and send it to an incinerator.  Do not compost.”

We recommend cutting the florets off first, holding them over a plastic bag.  If the roots don’t come out easily, cut the plant at the base and dispose of it as well.  When removing vegetation from a large wetland area, consult your local conservation commission because permits may be required, says Chris Mattrick of the NE Wild Flower Society in Framingham.