WHAT'S NEW:
-- Next Invasive Action day: Saturday February 10, 9 to noon
-- Climate Crisis -- Invasives, Gardeners, Zones, Nurseries, Choices - Feb. 2024
-- Jumping Worms Cut Through My Heart, October 2023
-- Comments, Q&A, Suggestions Page
Sign-up and info form: scroll to the bottom of this page.
Site last revised: February 5, 2024
-- Next Invasive Action day: Saturday February 10, 9 to noon
-- Climate Crisis -- Invasives, Gardeners, Zones, Nurseries, Choices - Feb. 2024
-- Jumping Worms Cut Through My Heart, October 2023
-- Comments, Q&A, Suggestions Page
Sign-up and info form: scroll to the bottom of this page.
Site last revised: February 5, 2024
Granby Invasive Plants
Invasive plants plague Granby CT's farms, fields, forests and yards. Humans created the problem, and we can fix it, one step at a time.
Sponsored by Granby's Conservation Commission
Sponsored by Granby's Conservation Commission
Upcoming Invasive Action Days (second Saturdays):
Saturday February 10, 9-12 Saturday March 9, 9-12 Winter is a great time to take action on invasive plants. We sometimes meet during the week. Drop a note on the form below if you're interested. January 13 Invasive Action CANCELLED - bad weather Fall 2023 Invasive Action! All fall we've been working hard. A great crew of volunteers returned to a couple areas previously cleared and, in just a few hours, took care of the invasive re-growth that had taken several days to clear initially. Check out Hickory Row, on the west side of Day St. South before it meets Simsbury Rd for new open views. Mature Shagbark Hickory trees remain free of strangling vines, and a diverse community of young native trees (Red Oak, Pin Oak, Basswood, Cherry, Crapple and Red Maple) and shrubs (Red Osier Dogwood, Grey Dogwood, and Blueberry) now have breathing room there. June/July/August Invasive Action! Responding to the call to thwart the progress of the Spotted Lanternfly, a dynamite team of volunteers cleared access to and girdled dozens of Trees of Heaven at Holcomb Farm. The tree is a prime host for adult Spotted Lanternfly, and a serious invasive plant as well. April and May Invasive Action A small and spirited crew liberated giant Black Locust and Black Cherry trees on the south side of the hedgerow between the main Holcomb Farm buildings and the horse corral. We did away with the usual marauders and preserved young cherry trees, dogwoods and other native species to fill in over time. In May we pulled a strong crop of Garlic Mustard and other non-woody invasives that flourished in the increased sun. On non-2nd Saturday action days, volunteers weeded areas we cleared last year and continued removing the terrible 3 -- Olives, Roses and Bittersweet -- from the mostly Hickory row along Day St. South. March Invasive Action cancelled - very yukky weather February Invasive Action Report A determined band braved the cold and warmed up clearing ever upwards along Day Rd S. We wiped out Autumn Olive, MF Rose and Bittersweet. We preserved and tagged clusters of Grey Dogwood, a couple Black Cherries, and a young Red Oak. January 2023 Invasive Action cancelled - bad weather December 2022 Invasive Action Report We continued November's progress at the corner of Simsbury Rd and Day Rd South. We dismembered, cut to the ground, and readied for mowing and mulching several massive MF Roses and Olives that had taken over and were shading to death natives like dogwood and red maple. November 2022 Invasive Action Report The picture tells it all -- go team! =====> September & October 2022 Invasive Action Report On both sides of the Salmon Brook at Holcomb Farm, a dynamite team cut and flattened Japanese Knotweed and covered with 2000 square feet of black plastic, where it will remain for at least a year, denying this very aggressive invasive plant light, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. August 2022 Invasive Action Report A creative and energetic group of volunteers planted hundreds of generously and anonymously donated native alternatives in two areas at Holcomb Farm previously cleared of invasives. Plants included Echinacea, Catnip, Coreopsis, Sedums, Lilies, a couple Redbud trees, and more. The 2 sites are under the cleared Sycamore tree near the riding corral, and downhill from the main Holcomb Farm buildings. 3 teams of waterers helped the new plantings flourish through August's extreme drought. See pictures on the September 2022 page. July 2022 Invasive Action Report A dynamite crew cleared a year's worth of rapidly growing invasive weeds in sites we initially cleared a year ago. We planted and mulched more Joe Pye, Milkweed and Goldenrod. Two volunteers agreed to water regularly and that has made all the difference, with all plants looking healthy despite the serious drought. June 2022 Invasive Action Report An energetic and knowledgeable crew weeded the native alternative plantings we planted last fall in the hickory row along Day St. South, detecting, uncovering and freeing our young plantings from the clutches of Garlic Mustard, Dame's Rocket, Russian and Autumn Olive, MF Rose, Bittersweet and the like, avoiding the native Poison Ivy (for safety reasons, not out of respect or admiration). In the process we collectively noted, named, and in some cases looked up a surprising variety of native plants and wildflowers; appreciated the recovery of the small cherry tree we liberated last year; stripped this year's vine growth off hickory trunks; and observed the gratifying vitality of the mature plants, some donated by McLean Refuge staff, that we had also transplanted last fall. April 2022 Invasive Action Report Great crew cleared vines and invasive shrubs from the area between the horse corral and Simsbury Rd at Holcomb Farm, and started pulling vines off 2 massive, ancient trees - a sugar maple and a sycamore - across from the white Holcomb farmhouse. March 2022 Invasive Action cancelled - bad weather |
February 2022 Invasive Action Report
The picture below shows the hardy attack crew with their chosen tools after a morning of freeing up native trees and shrubs from the clutches of viney, thorny invaders. (photo Lee Barba, Jim Watso)
The picture below shows the hardy attack crew with their chosen tools after a morning of freeing up native trees and shrubs from the clutches of viney, thorny invaders. (photo Lee Barba, Jim Watso)
Photos: Nicole Cloutier and Jim Watso
December 2021 and January 2022 Invasive Action cancelled - bad weather
November 2021 Invasive Action Report
A super-dynamic crew of IPAs* liberated a majestic mature Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) near the riding corral at Holcomb Farm from a gallimaufry of Bittersweet, MF Rose and Russian Olive. The group was so pumped it decided to continue progress on the highly visible row of stately sycamores and native lower trees and shrubs at future Invasive Action Days. Pictures by Jim Watso.
A super-dynamic crew of IPAs* liberated a majestic mature Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) near the riding corral at Holcomb Farm from a gallimaufry of Bittersweet, MF Rose and Russian Olive. The group was so pumped it decided to continue progress on the highly visible row of stately sycamores and native lower trees and shrubs at future Invasive Action Days. Pictures by Jim Watso.
September 2021 Invasive Action Day Report
After pausing to remember 9/11, IPAs transplanted over 4000 seedlings to larger pots so they will grow large enough to plant into the cleared areas in October. IPAs also directly transplanted mature plants donated by McLean and others into those areas. Here are pictures from the September transplanting -- we got dirty!
After pausing to remember 9/11, IPAs transplanted over 4000 seedlings to larger pots so they will grow large enough to plant into the cleared areas in October. IPAs also directly transplanted mature plants donated by McLean and others into those areas. Here are pictures from the September transplanting -- we got dirty!
August 14 2021 Invasive Action Day Report
In August, IPAs planted thousands of seeds of four sturdy native alternatives with the help of the McLean Refuge (which secured and donated the seeds from Ernst Seeds) and the Holcomb Farm CSA (which hosted the planting and took care of the seedlings). They were planted in 128-cell flats and will be transplanted to 4-inch pots in September. |
*IPAs:
Invasive Plant Activists (IPAs) volunteer their time on the second Saturday morning of the month to cut back invasive plants and give natives opportunities to flourish. Since November 2020, several areas at Holcomb Farm have been cleared. |
Invasive Plants in Granby
They are everywhere! Invasive plants are taking over Granby's forests, fields and gardens. Getting to know them can be discouraging -- a few plants are gradually dominating large areas and crowding out other plants. What are invasive plants? Invasives are non-native plants that disrupt the natural balance of plant life and cause economic or environmental harm, often by crowding out other plants. Most grow rapidly, disperse widely and flourish in a wide range of conditions. Their growth is not limited by the natural controls that limit other plants’ growth. Common invasive plants in Granby include: * Asian Bittersweet (a vine that grows rapidly, strangling shrubs and trees – celastrus orbiculatus) * Multiflora Rose (takes over open areas, turning fields into impenetrable thorn mazes – rosa multiflora) * Japanese Knotweed (looks like bamboo, almost impossible to control – reynoutria japonica) * Purple Loosestrife (beautiful color in open wetlands that chokes out other plants – lythrum salicaria). Invasives may seem to have redeeming features, but ... Red/orange Bittersweet berries are beautiful and are often (but should not be) used in holiday wreaths; Multiflora Rose flowers are intoxicatingly (some say sickeningly) sweet in the spring; and some invasives are wildlife habitats (Barberry shelters the white-footed mouse, which spreads the virus that causes Lyme disease). What they have in common is their rapacious growth and dominance over other plants over time. What can we do about invasives? There are lots of ways to control invasive plants, and multiple options for each plant. But it’s not easy -- gaining control requires a lot of human effort, and repeated attention over time. That’s only fair, since humans introduced most of these plants from their native habitats across the globe, and most have been here for a hundred years or more. This website includes: -- detailed information about some of the most harmful invasive plants in our town -- photos to aid identification -- strategies for removing and controlling invasive plants -- non-invasive alternatives to plant in their place -- resources on invasive plants and strategies TOP RESOURCES CIPWG -- CT Invasive Plant Working Group -- the hub of invasive plant information in the state. Plant lists, control methods, links to other resources. Connecticut Native Plant & Sustainable Landscaping Guide -- 44 pages, packed with information about specific plants for specific locations -- UConn Extension, June 2020 -- note: large file. CT Native Perennials List -- 5 pages with scientific and common names, searchable pdf, download |