himalayan balsam, not all bad

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himalayan balsam, not all bad
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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46239
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 16 9:08 pm Post subject: himalayan balsam, not all bad

while i was out and about today i spotted a rather nice ladybird on a patch of quite short himalayan balsam beside the nidd.
in the next 5 mins or so i established 9 different ladybird species within a volume of about 100 litres (area does not explain it well as they were at different "altitudes" on the plants. Im not sure why they were there, if it was to gobble a late flush of aphids they had eaten them, they could have sunned themselves on a variety of plants but they were concentrated on this patch of HB.

2 points ,i have never seen so many different species in a small space and each species had multiple examples present.

maybe HB is not the monster it has been designated as and in some places it might actually be good for biodiversity as well as feeding bees for months when in full flower.

perhaps it needs some proper study to establish what else can treat it as home or grocers/butchers shop

Last edited by dpack on Sun Oct 16, 16 5:51 pm; edited 1 time in total

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15988

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 7:17 am Post subject:
I think the major problem with it is that it spreads so much and out competes native plants. I agree about its use as food for bees and other insects, and I actually like it, but then I don't have to worry about trying to keep it out of my land as we are far too dry. How many different sorts of native ladybird are there Dpack?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 9:25 am Post subject:
I can answer that! There are twenty three species of native ladybird. There are three immigrant species Harlequin Bryony Thirteen Spot - this may have been native but is now regarded as extinct with occasional colonies arising from immigration Henry

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 9:53 am Post subject:
We have hundreds of mtrs of this around the parks in Derby completely devastating any other plants. Despite using the Community payback people as labour to pull it out year after year it has taken over. Access to the river bank has been stopped by beds of it over 15 ft wide, quite amazing as it was not there 5 years ago.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46239
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 10:58 am Post subject:
there were harlequins and 8 others of assorted sizes and spot counts.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 11:17 am Post subject:

derbyshiredowser wrote:

We have hundreds of mtrs of this around the parks in Derby completely devastating any other plants. Despite using the Community payback people as labour to pull it out year after year it has taken over...

What happens to the stuff that is pulled up?
If ways can be found to monetise it, then there will be more funds for control.

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 2:15 pm Post subject:
Its left lying on the ground with the roots exposed and then I assume the council collect it. Thinking about it maybe that's why its come back with avengence as it should be removed straight away. with regards to monetising it I remember a recipe for currying the seeds on here a few years ago.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 5:09 pm Post subject:

derbyshiredowser wrote:

Its left lying on the ground with the roots exposed and then I assume the council collect it. Thinking about it maybe that's why its come back with avengence as it should be removed straight away. with regards to monetising it I remember a recipe for currying the seeds on here a few years ago.

As I recall, HB grows from seeds, which it produces in great profusion. Thus it is important to pull or cut it before it flowers. Stuff you pull just dies, but if there are seed pods close to ripening, they will help the spread! Being a fast growing annual I expect the plants are of little use for biomass fuel.

Henry

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 5:29 pm Post subject:

buzzy wrote:

It can also root from broken pieces during the growing season, if you look at the stems they're covered in little roots waiting to come into contact with some soil. Whole plants can also get washed down stream only to wash up and carry on growing.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 5:37 pm Post subject:

buzzy wrote:

Being a fast growing annual I expect the plants are of little use for biomass fuel.

Anything can go into anaerobic digestion to make gas...

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 5:46 pm Post subject:
Despite years of protest , public enquiry and changes of control at the council this is nearly ready to be fired up. https://resource.co/sustainability/article/gib-invests-rrs%e2%80%99s-derby-incinerator-3247

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 11:22 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

buzzy wrote:

Being a fast growing annual I expect the plants are of little use for biomass fuel.

Anything can go into anaerobic digestion to make gas...

I'm sure you are right. The question is "Does HB produce enough gas to make it worthwhile cutting, collecting and transporting it?"

Henry

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 16 11:24 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

buzzy wrote:

Thanks. I didn't know that - and I've not come into close enough contact with it to have seen detail of the stems. I just know it seeds very well.

Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15988

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 16 6:43 am Post subject:
That does of course highlight why it needs to be controlled. Like ragwort, it probably ought to be put head first into a plastic sack then taken away and allowed to rot in the sack or be burnt.

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 16 8:43 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

That does of course highlight why it needs to be controlled. Like ragwort, it probably ought to be put head first into a plastic sack then taken away and allowed to rot in the sack or be burnt.

The ill timed ad hoc approach to its eradication means the seeds are triggered by people and dogs and when pulled up just left lying on the ground has left us with vast swathes of it. Looking at it yesterday there must be a kilometre of it along the bank of the river Derwent by 15ft deep beds and the further 400mtrs along some flood defences. To my horror they have come along last week and mown it down in three places and left the stems in small sections on the ground. I don't think the council are taking it seriously.

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