Maple Ridge – 2024 | Prairie Haven

[To see photos and stories about Maple Ridge in other years go to the links on the main Maple Ridge page.]

The only projects we did here this year were related to controlling Garlic Mustard. Most of the woods has just scattered patches – not many and not very close together. I walk around to find as many as I can and spray them with herbicide. The top area to the east of our main path has much bigger Garlic Mustard areas, so I recruit Mike to help. He uses the weed whacker to cut the plants after they’ve started flowering but before they’ve gone to seed. It’s difficult to figure out exactly the right timing, but we hope it will at least help with control.

I discovered a new invasive – Galeopsis tetrahit – Brittlestem Hemp-nettle. It growing in a few small circles on top of the ridge. I need to get up there and pull all the plants I can find – maybe I can stop it from spreading.

The highway department did their every 20 year clearing of the edges of the road this spring. I worked with them to decide which trees to cut and which places to protect. They were great to work with – very willing to help. They didn’t cut anything on the north side of the road – it’s mostly bushes and small trees, and there’s a steep drop so nothing hangs over the road. On the north side they cut most of the trees and shrubs back, but they were careful to disturb the ground layer as little as possible.

3/21/2024 After the highway folks had done their cutting. The orange flags are my markers – warning them not to burn in that spot. (A pond with frogs and unusual dragonflies forms here in the spring.)

3/21/2024 One of the burn scars. Later in the summer this grew up with Canada Thistle. I walked through and sprayed all the ones I could see.

3/21/2024 The Sugar Maple grove, with marked trees. I marked the trees I wanted to protect.

3/21/2024

5/1/2024

5/10/2024 An odd shaped tree

5/10/2024 There are quite a few old trails across the hillside. We don’t want to use them or allow other people to use them, so we like it when trees fall across and block them.