On Monday, 1 May, the Gauja Forestry of “Rīgas meži”, in cooperation with the “4×4 Centrs” association, will continue the fight against Sosnowsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosonowskyi) near the Dauguļupīte stream in Ulbroka. The control of hogweed in the Ulbroka area began in 2019, when the State Plant Protection Service (VAAD) registered an infestation of the harmful plant here. The invasive species is attempting to spread along the banks of the stream, which is why chemical agents cannot be used. Hogweed is controlled here in the following ways:

# in spring, the infested area is tilled or the plant roots are dug up;

# in summer, before the hogweed flowers, they are mown down, as one plant can produce at least 20,000 seeds;

# in autumn, the hogweed roots are dug up again.

Sosnowsky’s hogweed is a plant dangerous to nature and humans; therefore, a safety briefing and a demonstration of how to dig up the plant take place before every working bee. All dug-up hogweed is collected in bags and left at the site temporarily to prevent the spread of seeds or roots.

“Rīgas meži” and the company’s Gauja Forestry regularly cooperate with the “4×4 Centrs” association. While in previous years working bees involved planting trees and clearing beaver dams, this year the off-road drivers have declared war on hogweed.

Edmunds Račinskis, Nature and Environmental Protection Specialist at “Rīgas meži”, explains: “The hogweed is, undoubtedly, a powerful plant. It is tough, aggressive, and has dangerous sap that can cause burns on human skin. If plant protection products are not used in the fight against hogweed, you have to be patient and persistent. After two years of repeat work, the result is evident – the number of plants along the banks of the Dauguļupīte is not only not increasing, but is even decreasing in some places.”