In 2017, balsam was already a few inches high by mid April. Spring this year has been quite cool and balsam growth is probably about three weeks behind compared to last year.
On a very warm Bank Holiday Monday, we walked up from Nightingale's Bridge to Cogmill and saw very little sign of balsam. Whether this is due to our efforts in previous years or to the late spring remains to be seen. There is one large clump on the river bank by the community orchard and quite a few by the grassy area off Meadow Mead. However, the plants are still only a few inches high so it's too early to try to clear them.
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| By the Community Orchard |
On the positive side, there's a wide variety of native wild flowers trying to compete with the balsam.
