It's all fun and Garlic Mustard Games, win a food truck party and combat noxious weeds

PARK CITY, Utah — The 5^th annual Garlic Mustard Games start May 24. Garlic Mustard is an invasive species listed as a noxious weed on the state’s list. It outcompetes native vegetation, degrades soil quality, harms native pollinators, increases wildfire risk and diminishes overall forest resiliency. The Summit Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) is actively battling it using creative methods.

The younger the garlic mustard is, the easier it is to pull. It does not have thorns, doesn’t sting and is easy to identify. The Garlic Mustard Games will take place from May 24 through July 12. Form a team of one or more and sign up online. Every event features opportunity drawings. All teams compete for the grand prize. The team that pulls the most garlic mustard by the end of the season wins a food truck party.

Garlic mustard. Photo: TownLift // Kirsten Kohlwey.

Scheduled events

May 24 from 9 – 11 a.m. at NMA trail at Utah Olympic Park

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June 7 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Creekside Park, 2392 Holiday Ranch Loop Rd, Park City

June 21 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Glenwood Cemetery

June 21 from 12 – 3 p.m. at Summit Park Dumpster Days

June 28 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Armstrong Trail near Three Kings Drive, Park City

July 12 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Copper Moose Farm, 1285 Old Ranch Rd, Park City

“Game trails are a great place to check for garlic mustard,” said Sara Jo Dickens, principal ecologist at Ecology Bridge. Back in 2014 Summit CWMA mapped about 150 acres of garlic mustard in Summit County. Ten years later they have mapped about 700 acres. During that time Summit CWMA received about $ 500,000 to fight garlic mustard. Mostly, you will find a flowering layer with a new rosette layer below it. With thick populations hand pulling is more effective because you can get both layers at once. Spraying only reaches the flowering plants.

Education and engagement started early in Summit Park and Hidden Cove resulting in property owners being rewarded with fewer weeds to pull. As a property owner you are legally obligated to control noxious weeds on your property, so join the garlic mustard games and turn your duty into fun.