Broom busters
Pulling invasive Scotch broom plants with heavy machinery may look impressive, but it could produce a bigger problem than it solves, says Gord Almond.
A volunteer with Broom Busters in Qualicum Beach, he said disturbing the soil with an earth mover is exactly what broom would want people to do.
"Winter is the time to pull very young broom out of the ground," Almond said as he worked with partner David James to pull immature broom plants by hand this week. "Pull young broom only. If you pull large broom, you will disturb the soil — which is just what broom wants. Then you'll have hundreds of new broom plants."
Almond and James both live in Qualicum Beach. Gord and David have been spending afternoons pulling out the small broom at the Qualicum Beach Interchange. They will return in May, when broom is in bloom.
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