Now is an excellent time to pull the smaller Scotch broom plants, either by hand or with a weed wrench. Weed wrenches are available on loan from the County Noxious Weed Control Office at the Orcas Senior Center. On Lopez, they are available at the Public Works Office, and, on San Juan Island, The Land Bank has a weed wrench for loan.  The long wet spring has delayed the flowering of the broom, but it has not slowed down the growth of the plants, and, while the soil remains wet, the broom is much easier to extract with minimal soil disturbance.   Larger plants, however, are better tackled by cutting later in the season when the flowers are beginning to wither and drop, but before the pods are fully formed.  The cut or pulled broom plants may be chipped in place or piled and left to decompose. The Solid Waste Facility will also take cut or pulled broom, but this tends to overload the facility, so we prefer on site disposal, if feasible.

A wet spring is also a good time to search out and flame tansy ragwort rosettes with a hand held propane torch. The smoke from tansy may cause some allergic reactions, so remember to stand upwind while flaming the plants. Also, be careful not to flame adjacent native plants.  It only takes a short exposure to the flame to kill the rosettes, so it is not necessary to fry them to a crisp.

If you wish further information, or would like to schedule a free site inspection for noxious weeds, please call either Rich Lee or Judy Jackson at the County Noxious Weed Control program office: 360-376-3499).

Richard S. Lee

Judy Jackson

San Juan County Noxious Weed Control Program