Thanks everyone. I have read all the standard literature on GM. Some of it suggests that even pulled or cut plants can still ripen seed (that's just not fair if it's true). It's also a bit alleopathic so I have been wary of putting it anywhere near tender plants. I cut it, pull it and poison it but it's still far from gone although improvement has been accomplished. The real trick, as with so much of what I do, is dealing with the debris. Since I am dealing with so much volume maybe I could use some tarps to do a larger version of Joe Pye's garbage bag method??

"I like to believe that each person can decide for themselves whether or not a plant in a given situation is threatened to a point that it would be more beneficial to move it than to leave it where it stands, whether it is in a park or on a roadside or any public property. " A roadside is not punblic property. I think it would be of interest that in many cases when only a single individual of a plant species exists that plant is left as undisturbed as possible and is propegated instead of moved, because even then moving the plant is not more beneficial (indeed, probably worse) to leavin it. Those singular individual plants in question are not, however ignored. By looking at that example, NO plant is 'threatened to a point that it would be more beneficial to move it than to leave it where it stands' unless imminent destruction in the near future is likely due to human activites. Therefore in almost any surcumstances leaving the plants is definatly the better option, but some site care such as checking and removing all weeds in the vicinity of the plants is vastly better than moving them. Also, if you cant do that site maitence (for example, not on your land)your probably not supposed to be moving plants from there anyway. Unless you have premission of course, preferably permission to maintain the site. A roadside planting is most likely secure, and with the wildflowers and garlic mustard, perirodic weeding in the imidiate vicinity of the plant population may be all that is required for the long-term presistance of that population. It is interesting to note that in certain curcumstances (for example, native wild plants transplanted to a neatly kept garden) the population of transplanted plants are unlikely to survive in the long-term because they may not reproduce. While the individual transplanted plants may survive, the establishment and long-term presistance of a self-supporting population in in doubt, altough it can and does happen, it might just as easily not because of many subtle variables affecting the growing site means establishment of said transplanted plants might be in unlikely. Without long-term presistance of a self-supporting population, it, in my mind atleast, not a resce in the sence that these plants have been removed from a population that probably needs all the individuals it it can get, and presistance in the wild is far more important, ecologicly speaking, than presistance in cultivation. Note: the terms Establishment and self-supporting population does not just mean that the species sometimes reseeds itself, altough that is a important factor in the process. In the case of this garlic mustard weeding within the viicinity of the plants on a regular basis would probably ensure theri survival in the short term, altough their long-term survival may be in doubt because, lets face it, you wont be there forever to weed. WHat might work is if you suceed in reducing garlic mustards population density in the area.

Gralic mustard can be erraticated from an area with a diligent weeding program that takes into account its growth cycle.GM is biennial.Seeds from the prior year sprout in early spring,grow plants thru out the summer, winter over and flower early the next spring.the small white flowers are replaced by pods that ripen thru out the summer.The plants die and the pods decay releasing the seedsThe seeds are large and drop close to the parent plant to restart the cycle.Since the seeds are not wind born GM's advance is linear,colonies should be attacted at the perimeter and worked inward.Pulling up the entire plant at the high of the flowering stage is the most effective use of your effort,at this stage the roots are at thier woodyist and are less likly to leave behind a peice to resprout,which it will.Also the white flowers make them more conspicuous.Mature plants can be removed all summer at any time before the seeds drop in autumn.But we usually got better things to do.An area need successive weedings each year to be effective cleared.You cannot accomplish it in one year.Good luck the effort will be worth it

Hi Folks, I just wanted to throw in my $.02 on the subject of controlling Japanese Knotweed. This past week I spent two days removing the knotweed from hill along the side of my driveway. The infestation had been growing for about two years and spreading rapidly. In my case, the hillside that was covered in knotweed also had some plants that I wanted to save- some sugar maples, four varieties of ferns, and some viburnum, so using a foliar spray was out of the question. Instead, I used the "cut stem application" as outlined in this document: http://www.pullman-wa.gov/content/WYSIWYG/Recreation/Japanese%20knotweed.pdf The document recommends cutting the canes between the first and second node and filling the "well" with concentrated herbicide (I chose plain Glyophosphate, you choose your own poison). The document claims this method is 95% effective. Another method involves injecting the plant with herbicide using an injection tool. The upside to this method is that you don't need to dispose of the cut canes. In all, it took me just about two days to clear the hillside. I cut enough canes to completely fill my 8' truck bed two times. I'll keep an eye on the area for the next year or so in case any survivors pop up. -Josh-