Himalayan Balsam on Turnpike

Himalayan Balsamon Turnpike

Last Wednesday, 7 Audlemites spent an exciting couple of hours or so pulling the balsam along the side of the brook and the boardwalk.

Himalayan Balsam has a very pretty flower and is loved by many insects, particularly bees, due to its huge nectar content that's greater than other native species — but it is an invasive species. It grows and spreads very rapidly and can smother other vegetation. So the objective is to control it's spread, particularly near the Brook so that it's seeds don't travel to neighbouring fields — something it's very good at!

You may see various piles of the pulled plants. Professional advice is to leave it to rot. Disposing of it is unnecessary and also expensive as it must be disposed as controlled waste.

So many thanks to the 3 members of the Turnpike Field Working Group and the 4 local residents who volunteered their time to help with this physically demanding job.

It's great when people respond to these requests to help with tasks aimed at benefiting the whole community. We'd be delighted if more volunteers would step forward for future requests!!