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i Y Sweet clover White and yellow sweet clover are very aggressive biennial species that increase with fire.Where sweet clover is found, it should be controlled in conjunction with treatment that attempts to eliminate smooth brome,if prairie restoration occurs. Sweet clovers are common plants in agricultural areas, so if restoration is implemented,the project area should be surveyed for this species on an annual basis. Often times,following initial brush removal and/or burning,a flush of weedy annuals and biennials such as sweet clover can occur. Well-timed mows and burnings are usually adequate to control these species. Mowing the site,as is typically prescribed for prairie restoration maintenance,should occur when all plants on the site (including sweet clovers) are approximately 12 inches in height. Sweet clover can bloom even at a height of 6 inches,but if it is burned or mowed in the following year in the late spring, it should be controlled. On steep sites,brush cutting can be substituted for mowing. Individual plants or small populations can be removed by hand-pulling. If seed production occurs, prodigious amounts of seed can be produced and spread,so pull before seeds appear or bag seed producing plants. Competition from native species also helps control sweet clovers and other weedy annuals and biennials. To some extent, Common burdock and common mullein can be treated similarly to sweet clover,since they are both exotic,biennial forbs that are typically found in disturbed areas or restoration projects. Garlic mustard Garlic mustard is an exotic biennial forb of woodlands and woodland edges that is very invasive and aggressive. Following the introduction of just a few plants, populations can rapidly increase and a dramatic"explosion" of garlic mustard plants can occur. In some areas it can form monotypic stands that crowd out other species, while recent studies have shown that in other locations it may simply occupy open ecological niches. Nevertheless,garlic mustard can be very invasive in woodlands, and it is recommended to monitor and remove it as soon as it is detected (early detection and rapid response). Garlic mustard also produces a flavonoid (root exudate) that suppresses myccorhizal inoculation. Thus species that are myccorhizae dependent,like oaks,will become stunted and easily out-competed by garlic mustard. The flavinoid persists in the soil years after garlic mustard plants are removed,which is a good reason to keep woodlands garlic mustard-free. Probably the best way to control garlic mustard is to closely monitor your site,and if garlic mustard is found,hand pull it before it spreads. Hand-pulling should occur before siliques (seed pods) form. Once siliques form,removed plants should be bagged and transported from the site, since the plant may have enough energy in the stem and root to make viable seeds,even though it is not growing in the ground. If bagging and transporting are not an option, making weed piles is an option,but prepare to deal with garlic mustard plants in the future at each pile. Garlic mustard plants produce hundreds of seeds per plant—they are very prolific. When pulling Friends of the Mississippi River Bailey Point Nature Preserve NRMP 80