Master Gardener – Page 2

How to Protect Pollinators in the Fall

August 23, 2024August 19, 2024Maryland Grows2 Comments

Did you know that how and when you cut back your perennials and tidy your landscape matters to pollinators?

I just read a fact sheet from the Xerces Society that opened my eyes to more ways to help pollinators year-round, especially in the fall.

I already make sure I have something blooming from April to frost, so pollen and nectar are always available. And I emphasize native plants that coevolved with pollinators to support them best.

But beyond flowers, there are many things we can do to provide shelter for nesting and overwintering pollinators. And we can start some of them in the fall.

Pollinators and other insects shelter in stems and branches of trees, shrubs, and flowers. They also shelter in leaf litter, undisturbed or bare ground, dead wood, brush piles, and rock piles.

Incorporating these features in your landscape – rather than cleaning them away – supports bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

So how can you make your garden more welcoming to pollinators this fall?

Start with the stems. Don’t cut back your perennials until late spring. Bees and other pollinators hibernate in the stems in winter. Only remove unhealthy plant stems to manage disease.

But doesn’t that look a little unkempt? Yes, but messy is beautiful – and necessary for pollinators to survive and thrive.

*Master Gardener sign explaining why a messy garden is good for pollinators*. *Source: A. Cormany*

The Master Gardeners and I believe this so strongly that signs in our teaching gardens say, “Excuse our mess, pollinators at rest,” to explain why we don’t cut back plants in the fall.

Next, leave some leaves. Most butterflies and moths use leaf litter to protect eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, or adults over the winter.

Wooly bear caterpillars tuck into leaf piles. Luna moths wrap their cocoons in leaves. Some butterflies lay eggs on fallen leaves. Queen bumble bees burrow into soil under leaves.

A luna moth cocoon wrapped in leaves to wait out the winter.
Photo: M. Raupp

So pile some leaves around trees, shrubs, and perennials as a natural mulch. They will suppress weeds, hold moisture, and feed the soil. I chip some leaves but leave some whole.

I often use leaf mulch in my vegetable garden, too. And when I had a larger landscape, I kept a 3-foot border of leaves against a stone wall to provide more shelter.

Leaves aren’t litter: they’re habitat. Ideally, some leaves will become a permanent part of your landscape. Pick a corner, an edge, or a garden. I let leaves lie in a small woodland garden.

But if you need to remove some of the leaves, try to leave them in place until mid-spring to give overwintering pollinators a chance to emerge.

This is really a glimpse of the many ways you can invite and support pollinators year-round. Learn more about Pollinator Gardens on the Home and Garden Information Center website.

Thanks for all you are doing to protect pollinators. It matters.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Smart Watering Helps Plants Beat the Heat

July 26, 2024March 7, 2025Maryland Grows4 Comments

Cole Porter was right. It’s too darn hot.

As we watch the high temps stubbornly refuse to budge, it’s tempting to hunker down indoors and let our gardens go. Don’t. Those plants really need us now.

The best thing you can do to help is to water well. That means watering deeply less often.

a show of water from a hose - watering a garde plant — Water at the base of plants to soak the roots.
Photo: Miri Talabac, UME

Daily sprinkles do more harm than good, stimulating shallow roots, which have a harder time drawing up the water plants need.

Light watering also encourages tomatoes and peppers to develop black, leathery blossom end rot.

So water vegetable plants deeply twice a week. Dial it back to once a week when things cool down.

Watering in the morning is best as is directing water to the base of plants.

If you planted new trees or shrubs this year, water them slowly and deeply at least once a week to soak the root ball. Use a soaker hose, a 5-gallon bucket with a few nail holes, or a hose on a slow trickle.

a green tree bag placed around the trunk of a tree — Tree bags help to keep trees and shrubs well watered.
Photo: Joe Murray, Bugwood.org

And no, rain is not enough. Here are a few more tips on watering trees and shrubs.

If you’re growing anything in containers, check those pots daily. Most need to be watered every day. And do some supplemental watering in your perennial beds. Everything is dry, dry, dry.

Smart tools make watering easier and use less water.

Soaker hoses – made from recycled tires – water plants slowly at the base of plants so you don’t lose water to evaporation.

Drip irrigation does the same and lets you customize water zones. I can’t say enough good things about the drip irrigation system on a timer in my vegetable beds.

a drip irrigation system set up in a raised bed garden — Drip irrigation saves time and money.
Photo: Robert Cook

Rain barrels are a godsend. An eighth of an inch of rain on the average roof fills a 50-gallon barrel. That’s free water, folks. I have four rain barrels and plan to add two more.

a rain barrel next to a garden — Rain barrels capture rain from roofs to reduce water bills.
Photo: Rutgers University

Avoid watering with sprinklers. Overhead watering can promote disease and cause the loss of up to 80 percent of water to evaporation.

Here are some more tips on conserving water and using smart tools.

In addition to boosting plants’ water needs, heat zaps plants in other ways.

Have you noticed flowers falling off your tomato plants? Sustained high temps prevent pollination, causing plants to jettison their blooms. Don’t worry. Flowering and fruiting will restart when it cools.

Trees react to high heat, too. Many are raining down leaves. This is a natural stress reaction. In fact, trees don’t need all their leaves. They’re just shedding some to cut down on maintenance.

Unless the leaf loss is dramatic, those trees will be just fine.

Lawns are feeling the heat as well, browning here, there, and everywhere. They are not – I repeat not – dead. Lawns naturally go dormant in high heat and will spring back with rains. Only new lawns need to be watered.

If you’d like to boost your landscape’s resistance to heat and drought – and the need for supplemental watering – add some water-wise plants.

Deep-rooted, well-adapted native plants are a great choice. So are plants with fleshy leaves or roots, blue leaves, skinny or fuzzy leaves – all natural adaptations that mean these plants need less water. Think sedum, iris, lavender, threadleaf coreopsis, and lamb’s ear.

Here are some tips for creating a more climate-resilient landscape.

Watering wisely and picking the right plants will help you build a more heat-resilient landscape that can not only beat the heat but look good doing it.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Scary Bugs (And Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid)

June 28, 2024June 27, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Eek! It’s a bug!

I know most folks don’t like creepy-crawlies. Bugs aren’t their thing. Mine, yes, but this is what I do – help people deal with garden pests and protect good bugs.

Some good guys do look scary, like something out of a sci-fi movie with spikes and fangs and ridges and crazy colors.

But looks aren’t everything. In most cases, these are good bugs – what we call beneficial insects – that help to control the few bad dudes in your garden.

Let me introduce you to a few bug friends that aren’t beauties but do a beautiful job of controlling harmful pests.

Assassin bugs get a bad rap simply because of their name. We’re talking James Bond, right?

an assassin bug is a cloudy-gray color with a hump on its back — *Scary-looking assassin bugs are efficient predators. Photo: Photo: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org*

That’s a good thing. Assassin bugs are efficient predators, but boy, do they look scary. Battleship grey with spikes down their backs, they look like they’re wearing armor.

But the battle is mostly one-sided. Insects that cross an assassin bug’s path likely will get skewered by its lance-like mouthpart and slurped dry.

Stop shuddering. There’s an upside.

Assassin bugs eat almost any bug, making them ecological balancers that keep insect populations in check. Plus, they enjoy snacking on Japanese beetles, the scourge of many a garden.

Cute and beneficial, the ladybug lies at the other end of the beauty spectrum. But as youngsters, ladybugs resemble tiny orange and black alligators which often get squished because they look like they are Up To No Good.

a lady bug larva is black and organge and resembles a miniature alligator — *Spiky ladybug larvae control aphids and other pests. Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org*

Not true. These are good guys who consume even more aphids, spider mites, scales, and other baddies than adult ladybugs. In fact, one ladybug can eat over 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

Many juvenile insects look nothing like their more familiar adult counterparts. So stop before you squish or spray. Snap a photo or bring a sample to your local Extension office. Most likely it’s an ally you want to protect.

You can find your Maryland Extension office on our website. Or reach out to the certified horticulturists at our Home & Garden Information Center for help. Send a photo or question to them at Ask Extension.

Wasps get a bad rap, too, with much swatting and shrieking and fear of The Stinger. Only females have those – they’re modified egg-laying organs – and they aren’t likely to use them unless threatened.

But most wasps are beneficial, preying on bad bugs or laying their eggs on them to feed their young. Plus, they are pollinators, protecting 1 in 3 bites of food we eat.

a wasp visiting a white-flowering plant — *Scoliid wasps lay their eggs on Japanese beetle larva. Photo: Shanon Wolf*

Spiders aren’t insects – they have 8 legs, not 6 – but they give many people the willies. But spiders also are beneficial, quietly and efficiently consuming many harmful insects.

a black and yellow garden spider in its web — *Argiope spiders provide free pest control in the garden. Photo: Heather Lawhead*

Beauty isn’t everything. An army of not-so-lovely-but-useful insects are your allies in the garden, protecting your plants from the 1 in 10 bugs that are actually harmful.

So think before you squish or spray. Get us a photo or sample. We’ll identify it and give you management tips that deal swiftly with bad bugs while protecting beneficial insects.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Lilac Rejuvenation by Pruning

June 26, 2024June 25, 2024Maryland Grows2 Comments

Each year, the spring and summer seasons seem to go faster and faster, and 2024 is no exception. If you have a lilac shrub, you can probably still imagine the sweet fragrance and beautiful flowers from a few months ago. I get several questions each year about lilacs, so the blog today is going to answer some of those inquiries!

A few years ago, we decided to begin excavating for our new garage in late summer, and unfortunately, had to move a lilac shrub. The transplanting was not as high of a priority as it should have been, and the shrub suffered tremendously the following year. We gave it a season to see if it would recover, but ultimately, it was too damaged. At that point, we decided to try rejuvenation pruning and cut everything back to 6” above the soil line in hopes that the shrub would come back and have a better overall shape and appearance. We had nothing to lose as the plant was suffering, not growing, and not flowering.

*A lilac that was transplanted at the wrong time of the year and damaged. Photo: A. Bodkins, UME*

Question: What is rejuvenation pruning?

Answer: Lilac rejuvenation pruning involves cutting the entire woody shrub back to a few inches above the soil surface. This can be done if a shrub is really scraggly or if you want to change its shape entirely. Last summer, my parents had to do a construction project behind their very large, 20+-year-old white lilac, and they had to cut it back to the ground. It seems to be rebounding just fine, though!

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension guidance recommends doing rejuvenation pruning in late winter or very early in the spring.

*March 8th: First sign of life on the rejuvenation pruning. Photo: A. Bodkins, UME*

a lilac bush that was pruned severely now has new green leaves — *June 4th: Regrowth progress. Photo: A. Bodkins, UME*

Question: My lilac has not bloomed for the last several years. What could be wrong? It used to be beautiful each spring!

Answer: Lilacs need full sun to bloom. Often in people’s landscapes, as trees mature, lilacs get less sun than they once did, leading shrubs that once produced abundant, full blooms to have limited to no blooms.

Question: Why did my lilac bloom in the fall?

Answer: Environmental stress can cause out of season blooming. Some examples include drought, excessive heat, defoliation from pests, heavy pruning, insects, or diseases.

Question: What time of year should I prune my lilac?

Answer: Many spring-blooming, woody shrubs will set the flower buds for the next season’s growth in late spring or early summer, so be sure to prune for shaping and maintenance purposes as soon as the shrub is finished blooming for the current growing season.

For more information on lilacs, see the Home and Garden Information Center’s page, Lilac: Identify and Manage Problems — particularly the sections on diseases, insect pests, and heat-tolerant and powdery mildew-resistant varieties.

Remember, you can always contact your local University of Maryland Extension office or use Ask Extension to get answers to all your gardening questions.

By Ashley Bodkins, Senior Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Garrett County, Maryland. Read more posts by Ashley.

Mulch Volcanoes Kill Trees

May 24, 2024May 24, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

*Mulch piled high around trees is harmful. Photo: D. Clement, University of Maryland Extension*

I’ve been a bit twitchy lately. I keep seeing mulch piled high around trees and it makes me more than a little crazy. Those mulch volcanoes are so very bad for trees.

Why? They hold moisture against the bark, inviting rot, pests, rodents, and disease.

With mulch, less is more. One to three inches is all you need.

Done right, mulch can be a good thing. It suppresses weeds, holds moisture, prevents soil compaction, moderates temperature, and improves soil structure when it breaks down.

*Proper mulch is 1 to 3 inches deep. Photo: UME-HGIC*

Mulch can be attractive and create a protective barrier between lawns and plantings. It creates a no-go zone, keeping mowers and weed whackers from damaging tree bark.

A ring of mulch around trees also keeps thirsty grass from robbing tree roots of much-needed water. Water passes more easily through mulch than turf.

But too much of a good thing is bad. Very bad. So many plants die an early death due to excessive applications of mulch.

One client had lost three trees in one spot and called me for help. I nearly drove off the road as I approached her home. There were 17 inches of mulch, the bark was black and mushy, and the tree was dead as a doornail.

Once you start looking for them, you’ll notice mulch volcanoes everywhere. My phone is full of photos of these dastardly cones.

leave mulched piled too high at the base of a tree trunk — *Chipped leaves applied too deeply around a tree as mulch. Photo: Jennifer Foltz*

I can’t save all the trees, so I’m enlisting your help. Don’t let mulch volcanoes happen on your watch.

Know that the type of mulch you choose is important, too.

Shredded bark mulch is the most popular choice for flower, tree, and shrub beds. It resists compaction, looks good, and is readily available.

Avoid using chunkier nugget mulches where water flows regularly. Those nuggets float, so they tend to move – sometimes quite dramatically – in heavy rains.

Consider stone mulches carefully. Leaves, debris, and weeds are difficult to remove, and stones can dry plants with the heat they reflect. Baked Alberta spruce, anyone?

Also, avoid mulch made from recycled tires. It blocks the flow of air and water to plant roots and can leach harmful chemicals. Plus, it doesn’t break down to feed the soil.

Regardless of the type of mulch you use, keep it an inch or two away from trunks. This avoids moisture buildup that can cause rot and invite insects and disease.

Learn more about mulching from the Home and Garden Information Center: Mulching Trees and Shrubs.

I also encourage you to look at mulch alternatives. Not only are they more sustainable, they can save the cost and effort of applying and reapplying traditional mulch.

Plant groundcovers or a mix of perennials and groundcovers around trees to create a plant community that supports pollinators, beneficial insects, and wildlife.

Try using groundcovers instead of mulch in your flower beds. Newspapers and straw or untreated grass clippings work well in vegetable beds as does an inch or two of compost.

*Untreated grass clippings can be used to mulch vegetables.*

So join in the mulch mania. Toss it forth with glee but not too deeply. Or explore some mulch alternatives that not only block weeds, hold moisture, and feed the soil, but provide vital habitat.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Grow Peas, Please!

April 5, 2024April 4, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

*Peas growing at the Derwood Demo Garden in 2015 in a very appropriate container! (We must have cut out the bottom, since you need a soil depth of more like 8-10 inches to grow peas.)*

Spring is the time to plant peas! We are nearing the end of our pea-planting window, so if you want to grow them this year, get them in the ground soon. Sowing peas is very weather- and temperature-dependent. There’s a tradition of planting them on St. Patrick’s Day, which is not a bad guide, but obviously if there’s snow on the ground that day, or it’s pouring rain or freezing cold, you might want to hold off. Peas are very hardy, and since we’ve had a recent trend of warm late winters (followed by chilly springs), planting them as early as February might actually work, but be ready to throw a protective row cover over the plants when there’s a freeze. But early April is not too late, since it’s often on the cool side well into May. If the weather gets too warm, peas will not bear well, and the vines will dry up.

Soil temperature is also important. Peas can germinate at as low as 40°F, but warmer temperatures (up to 75°F) will aid germination. If the soil is both cold and muddy, pea seeds will likely rot before germinating. Peas grow easily in containers and raised beds, and using these will provide more drainage.

You can also pre-germinate pea seed (see instruction on the HGIC “Growing Peas” page). This pretty much guarantees that pea seeds will at least start growing, and once they get going they’ll likely mature. If you don’t have time for pre-germination, just soaking the seeds for a few hours in a container of water immediately before planting will help them get a good start.

*Pea seeds soaking in water prior to planting*

Pay attention to the “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet. You can find varieties of peas that mature in as little as 30 days, or as long as 80 days, but most of them will be in the 50-70 day range. Giving them a good head start with the techniques above will help you harvest a crop in time. Shelling peas, snap peas and snow peas can all be grown easily here in Maryland. Pick your favorite! You can also find types that emphasize the growth of tendrils, used most frequently in Asian cooking.

Peas should be planted thickly, 1 to 3 inches apart. The growing plants will tangle together and can support each other, but they’re helped out by using a trellis or fence to climb on. You can also create a trellis out of sticks—just take some small fallen branches and shove them into the ground, overlapping to make a rough structure. Be creative! Place your trellis when you plant your peas, not after they have sprouted, to prevent damage to roots. Read the variety description to find out how long the vines will grow; there are dwarf varieties that top out at less than two feet or long vines that can reach six feet.

Some notes on nomenclature:

The edible peas you grow in your garden are Pisum sativum. They are often called “sweet peas” because they are sweeter than field peas (see below).
“Sweet peas” are also a flowering vining plant you may grow as an ornamental, Lathyrus odoratus. Don’t confuse the two when you’re buying seeds! Sweet pea is a lovely plant but not edible, and the seeds may be toxic.
“Field pea” can refer to Lathyrus hirsutus, also known as Austrian winter pea, which you can buy as cover crop seed. Also not recommended as an edible crop.
“Field pea” can also refer to the plant known as cowpea, Southern pea, or black-eyed pea (though only some varieties are white with black spots). The scientific name for these is Vigna unguiculata subspecies unguiculata. (Subspecies sesquipedalis is known as yardlong bean or asparagus bean.) Cowpeas are grown more like beans than peas, in summer weather, and they are a great edible crop as well as a forage crop or cover crop.

So the moral of this is, as usual in gardening: know what you’re buying, and pay attention to scientific names. Also, if you want pretty flowers, Pisum sativum is not bad.

*Flower colors vary, but purple is especially nice!*

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Getting Rid of Invasive Plants: Solarization, Smothering, Repeated Cutting, Herbicides?

March 27, 2024March 26, 2024Maryland Grows1 Comment

Asian honeysuckle has white flowers — Invasive Asian honeysuckle *(Lonicera sp.).* Photo: Rachel J. Rhodes, UME

Eliminating unwanted plants is often one of the most challenging chores that gardeners face. Not introducing invasive plants is the fastest and most economical way to make a positive impact, as once invasive plants are introduced to your garden, it can take many years to eliminate these invaders from your landscape.

Invasive plants propagate and spread by many different methods, which makes controlling them difficult and different for each species. Please learn feasible control tactics provided by land-grant universities or Extension factsheets/webpages before starting. Fact-based research is the absolute first step in getting ahead of plant invaders. Often invasive plants cannot be controlled 100% in just one growing season, but preventing the plant from making seeds or spreading is better than doing nothing at all.

Questions to guide your research:

Get proper plant identification! Use Ask Extension, Local Extension Professionals, and Master Gardener Plant Clinics. Smartphone plant ID apps can give you some idea, but you should follow up and confirm the correct identification. Apps may be limited by photo quality and geographic area.
1. Is the plant a woody perennial, herbaceous perennial, or annual?
2. Has the plant been a problem for several years in your landscape, or is it a relatively new concern?
You must know how it is reproducing/spreading in your particular situation. For example, if the plant reproduces from stem/root cuttings, the last action you want to take is to mow/weed-eat/till the roots, which would cause the plant to produce hundreds of new plants.
If controlling 100% is not a feasible option, determine how you can prevent the plants from spreading or allowing them to get stronger.
If you have an invasive plant in your landscape and you really enjoy it, learn how to prevent it from spreading. For example, the spread of some plants can be prevented by removing flowers/viable seeds so that wildlife does not consume and spread them, or so that wind/rain does not blow away the seeds.
Always include “MD Extension” with internet search engines to be sure that identification and control tactics specific to Maryland are being filtered to the top of your results.

purple and blue berries of invasive porcelainberry vines — Invasive porcelain-berry vines (Ampelopsis *glandulosa* var. brevipedunculata). Photo: Rachel J. Rhodes, UME

Three basic control options are categorized below.

Mechanical control

Mechanical control options are often the first step that people take in controlling unwanted plants; however, these are by far the most physically demanding and often lead to a high level of site disturbance. Examples of mechanical control are:

Pulling and digging.
Suffocation or smothering with landscape fabric, mulch, cardboard, multiple layers of newspaper, anything to block the sunlight and prevent the plant from growing.
Solarization: laying plastic over the plants to “cook” live plants and viable seeds with the heat that builds up underneath.
Cutting, repeated cutting, or mowing in hopes of weakening stored nutrients so that the plants can not regenerate. This is also done to remove the flowering/seed structures.

Biological control

Biological control options utilize something else that is alive—insects, fungi, grazing livestock animals, etc. More and more of these options are being explored; however, sometimes the control agent may be 100% specific to the problem plant, or sometimes it may be able to feed on other plants too, which is the case with the Kudzu bug.

Kudzu bug *(Megacopta cribraria)*. Photo: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Chemical control through herbicide application

Foliar Applications
Cut Stem or “Hack and Squirt” Treatments

Herbicides are a management tool that may be considered when other control measures have not been successful. Sometimes this control option provides the least amount of physical labor, low soil disturbance, and is more effective than other options. Pesticides can be overwhelming and intimidating, with misinformation and inaccurate “facts” being shared. If you would like to learn more about “mode of action” and how different herbicides are classified, check out this Herbicide Mode of Action link from Purdue.

A few questions that might help you determine if it’s time to explore herbicides as an option.

Have you tried mechanical or physical control options without success?
Would one application of herbicide save the soil on the site from being excavated, dug, or destroyed?
Always use the most appropriate chemical control option by finding the plant that you want to control on the product label and following the application instructions carefully.
Remember, with any pesticide (herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, rodenticide, etc.), the Label is the LAW! This is true even with organic pesticides.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with approving, analyzing, and standing behind pesticides. Before approval, these herbicides are tested and labeled for use with specific instructions to minimize negative risk to yourself and the environment. Always use in accordance with the label and keep good records.
1. Herbicides that are commercially available to purchase have been tested to know the recommended rates and residual activity in soils and on micro/macro organisms. There are a lot of unknowns with homemade solutions, so homemade “remedies” are not recommended.

Invasive winged burning bush *(Euonymus alatus)*. Photo: Rachel J. Rhodes, UME

Disposal of invasive plants

The last step in controlling invasive plants is proper disposal. Leftover plant materials can lead to potential accidental new infestations.

Proper disposal guidance:

Burn– If your county/city allows the burning of yard debris, be sure to follow all safety regulations and restrictions and do not breathe the smoke.
Pile– Fully dead/dried woody material that does not have seeds/fruits and is not covered in soil (which could allow it to sprout roots) can provide great nesting and shelter sites for wildlife- Read “The Value of a Pile of Sticks in Your Yard or Landscape”.
Dry or expose debris to intense heat– place debris in a black trash bag and let it “cook” for several weeks out in the hot sun, this will ensure that there are no viable seeds in the debris and all moisture is removed so that nothing can sprout. You can then add this to compost piles or dispose of it as you would “normal” landscape trimmings.
Check with your county/city government to find out if invasive plants should go in your yard waste or regular trash.

Let the particular plant that you are trying to control guide your management plan, and research the plant before you begin. Start control strategies on a small scale to see what works best and remember that many of the characteristics that led people to begin planting these invasives are the exact reasons that they are hard to control— some examples: wildlife resistance, good at spreading, breaking dormancy before natives early in the season. Also, keep in mind that many invasive species are a long-term fight and will require perseverance and, for best results, will require the use of different control tactics.

Lastly, once you successfully control the problem species, have a clear plan of what you will do with this space in your landscape. Installing new plants or keeping the area mulched will help prevent soil erosion or new infestations of weeds. Here is a list of recommended native plants for Maryland.

Additional resources:

Removing Invasive Plants and Planting Natives in Maryland – University of Maryland Extension

(PDF) Managing Invasive Plants: Methods of Control – New England Wildflower Society

(PDF) Guidelines for Disposal of Terrestrial Invasive Plants – University of Connecticut

Everyone can help in the fight against invasive plants! Check the University of Maryland Extension website for an Introduction to Invasive Plants in Maryland and more information on how to reduce them. The absolute best way is to just never plant or introduce them into your landscape.

By Ashley Bodkins, Senior Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Garrett County, Maryland. Read more posts by Ashley.