POBBLEBONKING?
That's the sound of the pobblebonk frog that lives here.
It may be an ugly little bastard, but it makes a marvellous noise, and gives us hope.
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02 August 2010

when is a weed not a weed?

Been busy looking into weeds as part of a Cert III competency 'Using Weedy Plants in a Permaculture System'. A bit disappointing to discover, reading the details of this competency, that it seems far more focussed on eradication than use!

But nonetheless, have already found some terrific material online - eg David Holmgren articles online about rethinking weeds as undesirables, Weeds Australia's great online weed-identification site (http://www.weeds.org.au/index.html), DPI for listed noxious weeds, PRI's online forums with gardeners and permies exchanging tips on dealing with weeds (http://forums.permaculture.org.au/), and even a blog dedicated to exploring dyes from indigenous plants (http://tinctoria-australis.blogspot.com/).

Illustrating the rather arbitrary nature of weed-thinking, have found my 'weeds' listed elsewhere as desirable indigenous garden plants (e.g. drooping cassinia nominated by both Greater Shepparton and Yarra Ranges shires) and also found some of my existing or planned garden plants (honey locust, banana passionfruit, asparagus) listed elsewhere as weeds!

The way I see it, there are a number of different ways of defining weeds, and therefore various types of challenge:

Identify notified weeds and clarify legal obligations
Have not yet identified any State Prohibited or Regionally Prohibited weeds on the property (though yet to look properly at grasses). Of Regionally Controlled weeds (which as a landowner I'm meant to take all reasonable steps to prevent grow and spread) I have blackberry, cape tulip, gorse, pampas grass and possibly spiny rush. Of the Restricted plants (not to be sold or traded) we have some old hawthorns over front fence on nature strip, plenty of soursob (oxalis), a reduced number of willows remaining where they were originally planted around dams, and I had considered introducing fennel. Not that I was planning to sell or trade these!

Investigate possible use/value for Regionally Controlled and Restricted plants and implement control methods .
We've eliminated a lot of blackberry and gorse already, through slashing, some spraying (pre-permie days, I hasten to add, and I'll blame the husband!) and lots of grubbing out new growths, though there is untouched blackberry behind top dam. Having said that, there may be some positive uses for these remaining plants. Spiny rush is notoriously hard to identify - I keep seeing plants just like mine sold in nurseries or used in gardens, even extolled as landscape plants, so I'll need to get expert help I think.

Eradicate Regionally Controlled or Restricted plants of no value
Of those so far identified, this would include the cape tulip, a few of which grow near the letter box on the nature strip and some of which I lifted and replanted within the property, should be easily removed by lifting plants and remaining bulbils and monitoring any new appearance. Could consider establishing alternative plant(s) where they appeared or were used. Have also substantially reduced the large stand of pampas grass that probably harboured snakes, so can work more on that. 

Identify and research existing or planned productive plants that have weed potential, to ensure appropriate management
This would include olives, freesia, asparagus, banana passionfruit, honey locust and possibly radiata pine. We have already removed some pines that were poorly sited and which we regarded as a fire risk, though I'm not 100% sure if they were radiata pines.

Research characteristics and uses of problem weedy plants in Zones 0-2, and devise and implement control strategies
These are plants that cause me problems in areas where I'm trying to grow herbs, veg and fruit trees, mainly by competition. The main ones at this stage would be capeweed and runner grasses. Grasses have just been pulled out, as thoroughly as possible, when competing with seedlings, and composted initially in sealed black bags to avoid pieces striking, while capeweed has been either mown or pulled and heaped on beds, usually over newspaper, to decompose, with regular monitoring for weeds rerooting and revising. Where doing this, ground is soft, damp, deeply worked, and even with the odd worm - all of which seem benefits in part facilitated by the plant itself. Its vigorous growth on raised and composted beds relative to surrounding ground has also been encouraging in some ways. The weed's long tap root and vigorous leaf growth suggest it may be a good way to access minerals and other nutrients locked in the clay-y soil and make these available. They also provide pollen source for bees in late winter and early spring when food is scarce.

Research characteristics and uses of problem weedy plants in Zones 3+, and devise and implement control strategies
This would cover plants identified by us (and usually also appearing on local weed lists) for which we can recognise problem aspects. This would include burr-bearing grasses that are very uncomfortable for bare legs and feet, a pain (literally) when they get into the house, and potentially dangerous for bare paws, and fire-hazardous plants such as drooping cassinia. The 'pioneer' aspects of the cassinia are a potential benefit, and some removed ones were used to help create an improvised windbreak around an exposed new fig on compacted ground, in the hope they would selfseed and some nurse plants might emerge (though this hasn't happened as yet).

Research other weedy plants to identify potential problems and seek productive uses for them
These are those plants that just, well, grow like weeds ... And given how hard it is to get anything to grow here, that's often not at all a bad thing! Among these would be dominant indigenous plants, like the wirilda, and vigorous and persistant introduced garden plants, such as amaryllis, jonquils and pigface. Given its propensity to self-sow beyond garden beds, even where animals graze, I'm tempted to put rocket on this list too. And for its vigorous spreading, mint. And then there are those traditional weeds with medicinal or garden uses, including plantain, dock, dandelion, sorrel and verbena.

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