General News
21 November, 2025
Worriesome weeds
BARRY'S CORNER: If we do not come to resolution about the colorful feral weeds that are rapidly showing up in many districts they will be out of control.
Already the summer active plants are flowering vigorously along our roadways and clearly advertise their presence.
The flowers have so many colors it is deceiving which make it harder to consider the plants as weeds.
Gazanias cause problems where they are found.
It is easy to work out why they cause grief.
Gazanias often make their start as an attractive nursery potted plant.
Soon the seeds make a nice spread around the garden.
Then a decent wind picks up and seeds tip over the fence and sprout in a neighbors yard or take to the streets, driveways or head off down the roadway and within a few seasons there is a great spread of unwanted gazanias taking over, Then comes the question who should control of the problem.
These plants were bought legally at a commercial business, legally carted home to the garden and planted in good faith but never intended to cause a concern to anybody.
The roads are often owned by Vicroads or the Shire and both agencies deny responsibility or lack of funds or interest or both.
So, the plant continues on its merry way of escape and nobody in ownership.
Unfortunately there are a number of other plants that can readily cause grief to the garden or bushland.
Care should be taken when there is some planning the garden or when buying future plants.
The information is readily available. Talk to the shire, garden groups or Landcare.
Livestock are not always good at trimming back the weeds. However, goats can make an impression, even with prickly blackberries. (goats must have titainium teeth and stomachs of steel).
Even with the best will in the world some seeds can escape but we need to take precautions to head them off.
Once they are under some kind of control it might only take a site visit to check if there is some viable seed every year or so.
Weeds can still escape even if they are tossed into a heap. Better to burn them at the right time of the year or bury them deep.
We will lose the war on weeds if we are not responsive to flowering plants that make themselves easy to cut with a hoe.