Team volunteering day – Himalayan balsam pulling
On 12th July 2022 a team of our staff members volunteered to help The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust tackle a stretch of vastly overgrown Himalayan balsam that was blocking the way along the Cadnam River.
James Stangroom (top left) our Operations Director got stuck in, together with Matthew Rodgers, Kennie Walters, Sharon Crook and Sharon Dunning. They were met by Catherine Chatters onsite for their day of balsam pulling, and all agreed it was a very productive and enjoyable day.
Catherine sent this message to the team after the event:
“The Himalayan balsam pull on 12 July went really well and it was great to meet your colleagues. A huge thank you for all your help with the Himalayan balsam pull today along the Cadnam River. It was an excellent session – very productive and enjoyable, thanks to everyone’s hard work and enthusiasm. David Smart (one of my ‘regular’ volunteers) has just sent me a message to say “ I think we made ideal progress with a team of young adventurous enthusiasts and the experienced old guard!”. I think his comment sums up the day very appropriately. I have included his quote in my Steering Group report to accompany some photographs of people pulling the balsam today. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and it was so satisfying to have pulled such a large area of tall, dense balsam plants over a substantial length of river bank.”
Catherine Chatters
New Forest Non Native Plants Officer
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Why Balsam Pulling?
Himalayan balsam should only be pulled before it starts to seed, which is usually from mid July onwards so ideally it should be pulled between April and June. The plant is pulled up by grasping the base of the stem and giving a steady gentle pull. It usually comes up easily and should bring the shallow roots with it. The pulled plant should be hung over a tree branch or fence line so the roots don’t touch the ground. Alternatively (as we did here) you can create a big pile of balsam and it will compost down. This stops the balsam re-growing from the roots or the nodules on the stem. Biosecurity checks should always follow a balsam pull which means we clean boots on leaving the site in case any plant materials are stuck in them, which would spread the invasive Himalayan balsam to a new site.