
Tom Zetterstrom picking the last of the garlic mustard and narrowleaf bittercress on his North Canaan property.
Photo by Shane Stample
Even if you have been assiduously pulling your garlic mustard and narrowleaf bittercress you will see that the ones you missed — and there are always some you have missed — have already released their seed. The narrow seed pods — called siliques — propel seeds like little bombs exploding at the lightest touch. I read that single narrowleaf bittercress plant can produce over 5,000 seeds. I think that data point is quite motivating. “Today I pulled what would have been a million weeds next year” you might say after a morning of light weeding.
Some of the larger narrowleaf bittercress plants keep growing and producing seed even after the first seeds have exploded. And some of the garlic mustard has not yet released its seed so they are still worth pulling. You will want to pull the plant from the bottom of the stem, keeping the seed head far from you and surrounding obstacles. Using a contractor’s bag, gently place the pulled plant in headfirst to catch the explosion of seeds. Also keep in mind that some of these plants are top-heavy and will have fallen over, especially with the rain we have had over the past week; try not to step on them. You can keep the bag in the sun for the summer to rot down the contents and dispose as compost the following year.
It all comes down to staying ahead of a plant’s seed production which happens after the plant flowers. After several seasons of this kind of work the sequencing of weed pulling takes on a distinct rhythm. April and May are dedicated primarily to garlic mustard and narrow leaf bittercress eradication then, at least on my property, nipplewort (which is in flower now) the dreaded Japanese stilt grass and then poison hemlock.
The weed currently on Tom Zetterstrom’s mind is mugwort. You might already know Tom; he is a guru for many when it comes to restoring native environments; he has been doing this work on his own 60 acres and for others for decades. A fine art photographer by trade and dedicated to preserving our area’s native elm trees, Tom has seen the woodlands and grasslands in the Northwest Corner change significantly as invasive plants and fungi have wrought havoc to native habitats.
Tom thinks that mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, may now be more of an environmental threat than Japanese knotweed due to its massive seed proliferation. A single mugwort plant can produce 200,000 seeds (making narrow leaf bittercress an invasive lightweight by comparison.) By seed and by rhizome, mugwort creates dense monocultures and chokes out anything in its way.
It has taken over on roadsides; you will easily identify them by their leaves’ silver undersides. Tom posits that their quick and wide spread is due to the unintended consequence of roadside brush cutting which is done in early spring when the seed heads have not yet grown, then again in late fall, after the seeds are ripe and ready to fall off. The very thing the brush cutting is trying to minimize is making the problem worse.
Even then, brush cutting alone will not eradicate mugwort because it has a rhizomatous root system. You can cut it and it will grow back — again and again. Tom sprays herbicide on swaths of mugwort with glyphosate at a 2% ratio to water with the addition of a surfactant to help it spray well and penetrate the leaves. If you want more info on herbicide best practices, email me at dee@theungardener.com
Over in Sharon, Barbara Zucker Pinchoff has the remnant of a 3700 square foot patch of mugwort. Two years ago, after watching it expand over several years, she sprayed a small area with Roundup as an experiment. It did not work. Researching non-chemical solutions, she had it mowed down and covered the area with black tarps — from BillboardTarps.com, which sells vinyl that has previously been used as billboard creative. She waited (impatiently, as you can imagine with that much of her land covered by several billboards!) for two years. Then an area which had blown off exposed the area. The offending plant looked dead and gone and so the tarps came off. In one area Barbara planted native plugs and also pasture grass; not native, which she regrets, but sufficiently quick to green up and prevent a mugwort comeback. In another part of the plot she seeded with a combination of native plant seed and a cover crop of oat seed.
This area has been slower to take and Barbara’s keen eye IDs the mugwort as it pops up and she pulls it up right away.
I won’t get into the chemical debate; both sides make honorable arguments and the variables for good decision-making are many.
When it comes to chemical eradication of weeds, I will stress that common sense and adherence to best practices is key to minimize animal harm and habitat contamination and keep humans safe. Also, as I finish up this column, an opinion piece from Dana Milbank in The Washington Post has hit my inbox.
Anyone trying to make an informed decision should read it — www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/30/herbicide- invasive-plants-national-parks-shenandoah/
Dee Salomon “ungardens” in Litchfield County.
NEW BRITAIN — Anthony Labbadia soared to 9th place in the triple jump at the 2025 New England track and field championships Saturday, June 14.
On his first attempt of the event he leaped 44 feet and one inch, qualifying for the finals and setting the new Housatonic Valley Regional High School record. The previous school record of 43 feet eight inches was set by Don Hurlbutt in 1967.
The HVRHS junior was pleased with the result of his first triple jump of the day June 14.Photo by Riley Klein
Conditions were rainy for the meet with the grounds crew utilizing a leaf blower to dry the track between events. Labbadia said he had experienced similar weather at the Berkshire League championships in May, and he won the triple jump there, so he was confident.
“It doesn’t bother me,” said Labbadia of the rain, noting he was excited to be back at Willow Brook Park. “Being here makes me jump farther... I just have to make sure I’m thinking about everything without overthinking.”
Labbadia, a rising senior at HVRHS, wrote his capstone on the triple jump. In his research, his mother explained, he studied and broke down the biomechanics of the event.
Labbadia was injured during track season his freshman year. His sophomore year, he took up triple jumping. He ended his junior year with a 9th-place finish against the top competition in New England.Photo by Riley Klein
Two days before the championships, he made a bold change to his jumping approach — switching from a “right, right, left” sequence to “left, left, right” — and it paid off.
“I’m glad I switched my feet,” he said after the result. “I’m happy with my performance.”
Once all the jumpers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont had finished, Labbadia’s distance held for 9th place.
The triple jump gold medal winner was Amar Skeete, sophomore from Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, who jumped 48 feet two inches. The 2nd place finisher was Mitch Krasco of Mahar Regional High School in Orange, Massachusetts, with a distance of 46 feet two and a half inches. Jessie Singleton Jr., junior at Bloomfield High School in Connecticut, placed 3rd with a distance of 45 feet ten inches.
Labbadia was the first HVRHS athlete to compete at the New England meet since Sydney Segalla in 2022. Track coach Alan Lovejoy said he cannot recall another HVRHS male athlete qualifying since he became coach in 2009.
Hosted at Willow Brook Park in New Britain, the 2025 New England track and field championship was held in Connecticut for the first time in three years. Events took place all day Saturday, June 14. Full results are available at nestiming.comPhoto by Riley Klein
Rain came down heavy in the morning June 14, but conditions improved as the day went on. The crew used leaf blowers to dry the track between events.Photo by Riley Klein
The Canaan Pirates pose as champions after defending the Northwest Connecticut District 6 Majors Little League title.
THOMASTON — The Canaan Pirates are champions once more.
In the Northwest Connecticut District 6 Majors Little League title game Friday, June 13, the Pirates defeated Thomaston JRC Transportation by a score of 6-2.
Brody Ohler pitched a two-hitter for Canaan. Milo Ellison relieved him, facing one batter who flew out to right field where Ben Young secured the final out.
Canaan never trailed in the game against top-ranked Thomaston, which lost one game all season prior to the championship. Both JRC losses came from the Pirates, with players aged 10 to 12 from Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon.
Milo Ellison played second base before relieving pitcher Brody Ohler.Photo by Riley Klein
In the title game at Reeves Field in Thomaston, the Pirates started strong with a lead in the top of the first inning. Ohler singled, then stole second base. Liam Downey brought him home with a single, then Sam Hahn doubled to put runners on second and third. Ellison brought them both home with a triple and the Pirates took a 3-0 lead.
The margin held until the sixth inning when the Pirates extended their lead to 6-0. With J.T. Farr and Bentley King on, Ohler sent a deep shot to center field and rounded the bases for an in-the-park home run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ohler surrendered two runs before reaching his pitch limit. Ellison stepped in to end the game with some help from Young in right field.
The Pirates piled on Young in the outfield chanting “Benny! Benny!” The two sides shook hands in the spirit of sportsmanship before trophies were awarded.
The Pirates rejoice around Ben Young after he secured the final out.Photo by Riley Klein
After winning the District 6 title for the second straight year, Coach Tom Downey said "It feels awesome. Especially this group who worked really hard. Last year we were dominant, this year these guys worked their butts off."
"We definitely earned it," said third baseman Michael Prisco.
Ohler finished with nine strikeouts on the mound, three hits in three at bats, two RBI and a home run. Ellison hit 1-for-2 with two RBI, Liam Downey went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Sam Hahn and J.T. Farr hit 1-for-3 and Sam Hamlin hit 1-for-2.
For Thomaston, Owen H. hit 1-for-2 with two RBI and Lucas K. hit 1-for-2. The pitching trio of Gavin M., Jackson Ether and Brody Conlon combined for 12 strikeouts.
J.T. Farr and Brody Ohler are back-to-back District 6 champions.Photo by Riley Klein
NORTH CANAAN — The Canaan Red Sox ended the season with a thrilling 14-13 win over the Tri-Town Phillies Thursday, June 12.
Canaan trailed for most of the game but kept it close. Ultimately, the Red Sox secured the victory with a final-inning comeback in front of the home crowd at Steve Blass Field.
The Red Sox rejoiced as victors. Reflecting on the season, Coach Nikki Blass stated, “My boys continue to come off the field smiling and doing better than the game before.”
The Red Sox are part of the Northwest Connecticut Steve Blass Little League AAA program, consisting of players aged 9 to 11 from Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon. Tri-Town includes players from Goshen, Litchfield, Morris and Warren.
Berkley Karcheski connects for a Red Sox hit June 12.Photo by Simon Markow
The result June 12 marked the first win of the season for the Red Sox. The night before, Coach Nikki Blass reassured her team with a letter, writing, “You should keep your heads high and know that you are all an asset to this team. Tomorrow we are clearing the slate and we will win.” She continued, “I hear in addition if you put a bat under your bed you get an amazing hit on game day.”
The bat trick paid off and many Red Sox logged hits in the game. “Everyone was on fire,” exclaimed Blass after the game.
Quinn McKniff pitched the majority of the match for Canaan with reliever Myles Shippa taking the mound for the final inning.
Blaze Freund heads for home.Photo by Simon Markow
Offensively, Blaze Freund logged his first hit of the season. His twin brother Roan scored after sliding head-first into home “Pete Rose-style.” Myles Shippa recorded an RBI double in the game.
The Red Sox gathered beneath the scoreboard for a team photo after the win. With wide smiles and baseballs held high, the players ended another joyous Little League season.
Written by Riley Klein with reporting from Simon Markow.
The Red Sox conclude the 2025 season with a win.Photo provided
State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) was treated for her injuries at Sharon Hospital.
The day after concluding what has been described as a grueling legislative session, State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) had a running accident, leaving her with a broken pelvis and collarbone among other more minor bruises and abrasions. Despite the injuries, she is in good spirits and recuperating at home, eager to get back on her feet.
Horn said after spending weeks in the assembly hall, she was eager to get some outdoor exercise in, but perhaps pushed a little too hard too soon. She said she was excited to get a run in on the morning of Friday, June 6, but was still exhausted from her time in Hartford and in the final stretch of recovering from a meniscus repair surgery in December.
Before the run, she told friends she was hoping for a “hard reset for [her] health,” she said with a rueful laugh.
Nearing the end of the loop, Horn said her leg was fatigued and gave out, causing her to fall on the pavement. She is grateful for the community members who helped during the ordeal, including an unknown motorist who waited with her until her husband arrived, and the staff at Sharon Hospital who she said were “wonderful.”
She was directed to keep weight off her hip for 4 to 6 weeks, and since her collarbone is also fractured, cannot use crutches so she’s partially wheelchair-bound for the time being. While she’s disappointed to be missing out on the start of hiking, biking and running season, she’s keeping her sights forward and focusing on recovery.
In the meantime, she said she’s grateful for the video and photo updates from her son, who is hiking the Connecticut portion of the Appalachian Trail: “I’m living vicariously through him.”