Solarize Southwest Portland

The SWNI Board has endorsed a Solarize Portland project for the SWNI coalition area. In addition to the opportunity to buy solar panels at a discount, residents will also get help finding resources to make their homes more energy efficient.
 
Solarize Southwest Portland - Free Introductory Solar Workshops:
Wed, March 31st -  Ainsworth Elementary School - 6:30-8:00pm
Mon, April 5th -       Wilson High School - 6:30-8:00pm
Sat, April 10th -      Maplewood Elementary School - 10:30am-Noon
Thurs, April 22nd -  Jackson Middle School - 6:30-8:00pm
 
Free Weatherization Workshop (presented by Community Eneregy Project)
Wed, March 24th -    Multnomah Arts Center (Auditorium) - 6:30-8:00pm

More details and enrollment at:  www.solarizesouthwestportland.org.

 
Read the SW Community Connection article about Arnold Creek resident, Ron McDowell (a.k.a. Mac), helping to solarize Southwest Portland:  www.swcommconnection.com/news/print_story.php  

Garlic Mustard 

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a newly introduced plant popping up in the Tryon Creek watershed.  Garlic Mustard is well established on the East Coast, forming monocultures and obliterating the woodland under story plants just like English Ivy does here.  Fortunately, the populations here are still small enough that efforts to prevent its spread have a chance to be successful.  Garlic Mustard is a biennial which grows an over wintering rosette of foliage from seed the first year.  In Springtime of the second year, it will produce shining white flowers and set seed.  After setting and ripening seed the plant will die.  The seed will fall to the ground near the plant.   It can get transported further afield by animals or people or on mowing equipment.

CONTROL MEASURES
Garlic Mustard spreads by seed and that is the only way it spreads.  The seed can remain viable in the soil for 10 years.   So the key to stopping Garlic Mustard from spreading is to prevent it from setting seed.  In the springtime Garlic Mustard can be easily pulled by hand or with any of the tools that are used for digging dandelions.  The most efficient time to control Garlic Mustard is late Winter and early Spring when it is still a leafy rosette growing close to the ground and before it begins to send up its flowering stalk because if it is dug at that stage it will not set seed.  The pulled up plants can be left in place or composted.  
Garlic Mustard is most noticeable when it is in flower-in April and May.   However, when the plant has entered its flowering stage it has the ability to continue flowering and set seed even after having been pulled from the ground.  So if the Garlic Mustard which you have pulled has a flower stalk (even if the flowers have not yet opened), it should be put into your garbage bin and NOT into your green yard debris container or your compost pile.