Himalayan balsam

[farbee]

you can say that again

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I emailed and asked them to deal with it as it was going over and to replant with Lythrum Salicara and Caltha Palustris to stabilise the banks.

Pretty pointless then - the object is to cut it back before it flowers - once it's gone over they will have spread their seeds (a wide distance) so there will be more next year and it will choke any other plant you attempt to replace it with.

and to replant with Lythrum Salicara to stabilise the banks.

Great - get rid of one invasive plant and replace with another!

The purple loosestrife has been introduced into temperate New Zealand and North America where it is now widely naturalized and officially listed in some controlling agents. Infestations result in dramatic disruption in water flow in rivers and canals, and a sharp decline in biological diversity as native food and cover plant species, notably cattails, are completely crowded out, and the life cycles of organisms from waterfowl to amphibians to algae are affected. A single plant may produce up to three million tiny seeds annually. Easily carried by wind and water, the seeds germinate in moist soils after overwintering. The plant can also sprout anew from pieces of root left in the soil or water. Once established, loosestrife stands are difficult and costly to remove by mechanical and chemical means.

and Caltha Palustris

O.K. - of some use but only in conjunction with other plants - willow being the best thing as long as it's maintained in the long run. I agree that it's pointless eradicating balsam on the bankside unless you immediately take action to replace with bank stabilizing plants.

Beekeepers must get away from this fanatical obsession with high yield forasge to the exclusion of all else - regardless of its impact on the environment and biodiversity (same goes for the flip side of the coin I may add) as we are destroying any bridges between other parts of the community who are in the end as concerned about the environment as we are. let's be honest, we only want the balsam to stay as it fills up our supers

As some will know i have a foot in both camps and I have been working hard with environmental groups in my area with regards balsam and it's beginning to pay - people are starting to accept that whilst balsam needs to be controlled it's here to stay and rather than wasting time and resources trying to eradicate it completely (a bit like relieving yourself against a chain lnk fence in the teeth of a gale) I am succeeding to shift the mindset to clearing it away from sensitive areas such as river banks but leaving it alone where it doesn't really do much harm, thus creating a corridor through the balsam: also because it's not directly next to the river it's growth isn't quite as vigorous so the spread can be contained - a happy medium I should think

 

[victor meldrew]

The plant is an attractive one with beautiful orchid like flowers, it has an aromatic aroma.
Nothing nicer than standing in a sea of balsam taking in the scent ,except of course hearing the buzz of thousands of bees as they exploit natures bounty
VM

 

[pargyle]

Beekeepers must get away from this fanatical obsession with high yield forasge to the exclusion of all else - regardless of its impact on the environment and biodiversity (same goes for the flip side of the coin I may add) as we are destroying any bridges between other parts of the community who are in the end as concerned about the environment as we are. let's be honest, we only want the balsam to stay as it fills up our supers

I think there's a wider obsession in general ... we seem to be obsessed with maximising everything in crop terms - be it milk, eggs, meat, wheat or vegetables. Not wishing to be controversial or see this thread exit via the trap door to the dark place below but it's high time we started accepting what nature is capable of giving us and stopped trying to manipulate everything to max out the return.

Rant over ...

 

[alldigging]

but it's high time we started accepting what nature is capable of giving us and stopped trying to manipulate everything to max out the return.

Rant over ...

So you're in favour of leaving the balsam alone?

 

[VEG]

Why not leave it alone. Yes it is an introduced plant. We don't try to get rid of all things introduced to this country, only the things that suit us.

 

[victor meldrew]

I think a little judicious culling of balsam where it has become a problem is in order !
However I do think that the problems are over blown to an extent !
Around my apiary it flourishes, also along an adjacent stream .
I have yet to see any created problems . Other waterside plants seem to hold their own as they get a flying start in Spring whereas the balsam is a slow starter. The wild garlic the willow herbs various , marginal plants such as giant reed mace, pond iris, the vetches, buttercup ,marsh marigold etc grow in profusion ! even the primroses hold their self seeded clumps wherever the soil conditions suit.
The balsam has been around for donkeys' years as has rose bay willow herb .
I have yet to witness river banks left barren after the dying down of the balsam at the first frosts.
There are bigger players in the decimation of ( native species ) such as the local council grass bashing regimes ,where everything is shaved in the misunderstanding that green refers to the colour rather than environmental matters .
VM

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Why not leave it alone. Yes it is an introduced plant. We don't try to get rid of all things introduced to this country, only the things that suit us.

Having spent three years fighting to compel our drainage board to get their backsides into gear and clear the main drainage routes from our village to the Yorkshire Ouse I can think of 50+ houses whose occupants would like to advise you of their reasons to keep watercourses from being blocked by vegetation!

 

[garethjbarry]

The reason I asked in the first place is because I used to be in the conservation game and balsam was a "bad" plant now as a bee keeper im now thinking maybe its not so bad. Ill have to have a chat with the ladies next time im up there and see what they think!

 

[victor meldrew]

Having spent three years fighting to compel our drainage board to get their backsides into gear and clear the main drainage routes from our village to the Yorkshire Ouse I can think of 50+ houses whose occupants would like to advise you of their reasons to keep watercourses from being blocked by vegetation!

Hence my post "judicious" culling!
Big mistakes have been made by clearing of waterside vegetation resulting in the loss of attenuation during spate conditions flooding areas that had been protected to a degree before 'clearing program's ' Lancashire, being a wet county ,has myriad rivers streams, usually able to cope ,however the combination of vegetation clearing ,plus the introduction of the dual drainage systems from both domestic and commercial properties has meant millions of pounds having to be spent on huge civil engineering projects ,building attenuation sumps and pumping stations to store and release water ( control it) to try and mimic what nature used to take care of !
VM

 

[VEG]

Having spent three years fighting to compel our drainage board to get their backsides into gear and clear the main drainage routes from our village to the Yorkshire Ouse I can think of 50+ houses whose occupants would like to advise you of their reasons to keep watercourses from being blocked by vegetation!

I can sympathise with flooding problems it's just that this plant has probably been around this country longer than you or I. As for the drainage needing clearing that will happen whatever is growing near it. I used to clear the drainage ditches for local council most of the crap in them is man made.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Balsam has been around since the early 1800's and was never a real problem it's only the latter part of the last century it became a pest - blame socialism,the USSR, two world wars and demise of worker exploitation and subsistence wages.
Basically it was a plant that was brought over to beautify big estae gardens - plenty of gardeners, under gardeners and labourers to keep it nicely in check then the first world war and the depression put paid to the upper class and their ability to command regiments of poorly paid servants (and the common man-and woman, would not work their fingers to the bone for a pittance any more) and the second world war changed the world for ever.Balsam finally escaped the rigid control the old gardeners kept on it and it's spread has become exponential.
Karl Marx has a lot to answer for - why couldn't he have followed his brothers into the world of entertainment.

 

[victor meldrew]

Vm

 

[VEG]

Lol jbm

 

[madasafish]

Hence my post "judicious" culling!
Big mistakes have been made by clearing of waterside vegetation resulting in the loss of attenuation during spate conditions flooding areas that had been protected to a degree before 'clearing program's ' Lancashire, being a wet county ,has myriad rivers streams, usually able to cope ,however the combination of vegetation clearing ,plus the introduction of the dual drainage systems from both domestic and commercial properties has meant millions of pounds having to be spent on huge civil engineering projects ,building attenuation sumps and pumping stations to store and release water ( control it) to try and mimic what nature used to take care of !
VM

Building on flood plains is crazy.. But that is where people build...And then wonder why it floods.

 

[user 6228]

Hence my post "judicious" culling!
Big mistakes have been made by clearing of waterside vegetation resulting in the loss of attenuation during spate conditions flooding areas that had been protected to a degree before 'clearing program's ' Lancashire, being a wet county ,has myriad rivers streams, usually able to cope ,however the combination of vegetation clearing ,plus the introduction of the dual drainage systems from both domestic and commercial properties has meant millions of pounds having to be spent on huge civil engineering projects ,building attenuation sumps and pumping stations to store and release water ( control it) to try and mimic what nature used to take care of !
VM

I don't remember it being that wet, moist not wet. Snowdonia is wet.

 

[BeeNice]

beenice

- your blackberries still flowering? almost ready to pick here, must be cold up t'north

rb

Balsam early, blackberries late, privet in flower. Upside down year. I was born and bred in the centre of London, ain't much different here as in Cornwall. Been watching the temps and surprising that it's as warm here as far south. But we are higher and its warmer on the other side of the M1. One thing about beekeeping you do keep an eye on the temps and weather in general, as well as the forage.