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Comox Valley Broombusters plan Scotch broom cuts

Scotch broom, the highly invasive plant with the pretty yellow flowers is about to start blooming.
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The Comox Valley chapter of Broombusters has some Scotch broom cutting parties planned. Photo supplied.

Scotch broom, the highly invasive plant with the pretty yellow flowers is about to start blooming.

The Comox Valley chapter of Broombusters invites you to join them in clearing broom from our parks, greenways, and other public spaces.

If left unchecked, Scotch broom quickly takes over, choking out native plants. Mature plants can produce over 20,000 seeds so the best time to cut the broom is while it is bloom and before the seed pods form. The plants will die in the summer’s dry heat. It is important to cut the broom right to ground level to keep the stock from re-sprouting. Only very small broom should be pulled. Pulling larger broom can disturb the soil which can stimulate the fallen seeds from previous years to germinate.

Community cuts are work parties where volunteers come together to cut broom in a specified area and are a good way to learn proper cutting technique before cutting on your own. Community cuts are also a great way to get to know your neighbours and your local parks, to pitch in and even have fun. Some volunteers like it so much that they even start to cut broom on their own, whenever they have a free hour or so, and take on a park or walkway in their neighbourhood.

Community cuts are planned at:

Saturday April 21 from 9:30 a.m. – noon – along Anderton Road just north of Ryan Road (across from the Petrocan station).

Monday April 23 – Friday April 27 from 9:30 a.m. – noon – Ryan Road starting at Anderton Road (cutting small broom that has sprouted in this area).

Further community cuts will be advertised on the Broombusters website www.broombusters.org, or contact Bev Agur at bevagur@yahoo.ca for more information.

“New volunteers are always welcome so come and join us and help to make the Comox Valley a broom free area,” said Agur. “We have loppers and hand saws – all you need is your enthusiasm and a pair of work/gardening gloves.”