As inevitable as seasons roll round it’s balsam picking time. One of my favourite tasks destroying Himalayan balsam. Delicately plucking a bunch of flowers then ringing their necks to stop them growing back. All done in lovely surroundings, with good company.
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| Sue getting ready to to break the roots off the Balsam! |
On the 27th June 2021, 8 of us gathered in the carpark at Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge. We met up with Ranger Alice again, who was with us on our last trip to Hardcastle. The task was a simple seek and destroy mission. Himalayan Balsam is an invasive non-native species that likes part shade and damp ground. But we didn’t want to destroy the native plants it was growing amongst, so we had to wade through them including bramble and nettles and contend with mozzies to hand pick it.
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| Socially distancing at break time |
As you can see from the photo, in the foreground is the picked Balsam surrounded by other plants. Picking by hand rather than slashing the whole area leaves a much better result.
Text from Jenny. Photo's from Jenny and Sue.
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