Native herbs in competition with garlic mustard may suffer population declines. Control Light infestations of garlic mustard can be controlled by hand-pulling. Plants should be pulled before seeds have ripened. Care must be taken to insure the entire root is removed and disturbance of the soil is minimal. Severe infestations can be controlled with herbicides.
Garlic mustard is biennial.
Foliar application of a glyphosate herbicide can be made in late fall to minimize damage to other plants. Follow-up treatments may be necessary over two or three years to get target plants that were missed, as well as new sprouts. Glyphosate herbicides are recommended because they are biodegradable, breaking down into harmless components on contact with soil. However, glyphosate is a nonselective, systemic herbicide and will affect all green vegetation. To be safe and effective, herbicide use requires careful knowledge of the chemicals, appropriate concentrations, and the effective method and timing of their application.