Anybody seen Balsam out yet?

[Erichalfbee]

As title.
I spotted some on a roadside outside Carmarthen.
Seems early?

 

[BrianO]

Hi Eric

Yup seeing lots of it around here , Dublin.

21 degrees today and warm ( but very windy ) hoping with the Lime out now, blackberry starting and Balsam plus the zillions of other suburban exotics they wil be piling it in !!

 

[jonnybeegood]

Growing her but wont be flowering for another week, mabe two, blackberry only just starting, compared to last year the blackberry is 3 weeks behind.

 

[Nakedapiarist]

It's flowering around here ( Birmingham ) - even a couple of seed pods.

Am I supposed to start liking this stuff? I've spent years hating it and ripping it out as part of woodland management volunteer work. Feels like crossing over to the dark side...

 

[Tom Bick]

I wonder if in ten years time we will hardly ever mention HB as I understand there is a fungus or similar going to be tested that kills HB.

 

[Galaxy55]

Just beginning to flower here in sunny Manchester

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Saw it flowering in Selby this lunchtime

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It's flowering around here ( Birmingham ) - even a couple of seed pods.

Am I supposed to start liking this stuff? I've spent years hating it and ripping it out as part of woodland management volunteer work. Feels like crossing over to the dark side...

I wish folks would devote their excess energies to ripping Ragwort out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Am I supposed to start liking this stuff? I've spent years hating it and ripping it out as part of woodland management volunteer work. Feels like crossing over to the dark side...

But look on the bright side - we're never going to get rid of it all, so at least there's a consolation of it giving honey some years.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Yep, loads in flower on our little part of the Thames.

 

[madasafish]

Three plants in our garden are in flower......

 

[alldigging]

There are two balsam bashing events for anyone Ni Gt Manchester who wants to go and destroy some.


https://www.facebook.com/greatermanchesterlocalrecordcentre/events

 

[Tom Bick]

http://www.cabi.org/news-and-media/...us-to-control-invasive-weed-himalayan-balsam/

 

[jonnybeegood]

http://www.cabi.org/news-and-media/...us-to-control-invasive-weed-himalayan-balsam/

Dam you Defra, not all balsam grows on river banks, & i think it holds a lot of gravel banks together that would be washed away. What foliage do they think will grow back? Apart from grass?

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Plenty out on the railway line near the river Axe today plus lots of Rosebay Willow Herb.

 

[bontbee]

Dam i think it holds a lot of gravel banks together that would be washed away. What foliage do they think will grow back? Apart from grass?

Unfortunately, it is just the opposite. HB is an annual and when it dies back in winter, large areas of the banks are suddenly bare. They do get eroded, with consequent silting downstream..that's why the rivers authorities are so anti it.

 

[REDWOOD]

Eight feet tall and has been flowering for the last week down at the apiary, yet to see any ghost bees.

 

[Karsal]

Balsam starting to flower here in Lancashire Today.

 

[Millet]

It's not kicked of here yet .. but it's trying 2 more week's and them exploding seed pod's will be here..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unfortunately, it is just the opposite. HB is an annual and when it dies back in winter, large areas of the banks are suddenly bare. They do get eroded, with consequent silting downstream..that's why the rivers authorities are so anti it.

That's the problem it's a vigorous and aggressive grower which will wipe out any other plant which used to grow there - it is shallow rooted and when it dies back there is nothing left to bind the bank together, and with the flash spate rivers we have around here - it doesn't take long for the damage to become serious. there's so much of it around rivers here that it's impossible to get rid of it completely so I've been working at a sensible compromise - concentrate on keeping it away from the river banks and leave it alone further inland where it does less damage so everyone is (moderately) happy.