Last year we decided to take on the prevalent problem of skunk cabbage on the Duirinish Burn at Balmacara. We dug out and analysed the plants and then dug out the rest and learnt quite a lot in the process. I have walked the burn this season and have been impressed with the results. The method works! The problem hasn't gone away, some seedlings went undetected, some plants weren't completely removed and of course there is the five hundred metre stand and associated spread supplying seed down the burn that hasn't been tackled yet. We did remove one particular plant at the "sepation zone" and left it to see how it re-grew, and it is fine and healthy - minus and seed head now.
Whilst hunting for largely absent plants earlier in the season I did get proof of seed distribution and found that the seed is about 2-3mm brown and a bit leathery, see pic above. I think control was something of the order of 90% but I now have questions about if a small crow bar could be used to pulverise the base plate and if that cluster of seedlings are actually sprouts from remaining plant fragments........? Have to get out and find out.
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