Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Oct 04, 2010 9:57 pm Hiya, so I admit it.....Im a city girl with an inspiration to turn a little bit country We bought 5 acres of pasture land and have had it for a few years. We are building next year and havent been able to put any livestock on it thus far. So, I have been slashing the block with my trusty tractor to keep the grass down. Although, the weeds are starting to get a little bit manic and invading my beautiful land. Pattersons curse is starting to come up more frequently and Im not sure what the others are called (broad leaf with yellow flowers???). Another one that is very annoying grows as a kind of grass (really long) in dense tufts - very hard to kill. I will post some pics tomorrow. I am a bit of a weed freak and ironically love pulling them out (but not 5 acres of the darn things ). I spray round up with my back pack pump thingo but its really hard to get on top of these guys. DH has made up a sprayer thing to go in the trailer to hook onto the back of a 4 wheeler but I obviously want to just kill the weeds and not the grass. Any suggestions as to what product to use or ideas that can make life easier or is spot spraying pretty much it. Thanks, thirsty Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 2Oct 04, 2010 11:53 pm You got a bit of time to kill do you? http://www.naturalsequencefarming.com/peter.htm http://www.naturalsequencefarming.com/index.html Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 3Oct 05, 2010 2:46 am Don't slash anything until summer or it starts to brown off. Keeping the grass down in the wild is also allowing light for the weeds. Slashing it will also allow heat and wind to dessicate the soils rapidly. Long grasses in the wild create a large footprint. (about a 20cm diameter per plant) Slashing them spreads the weed seed more (often held in the grass stems). Lease it for grazing or sow in legumes. Sounds like a rush has been getting in. These are hard to kill. Quote: (broad leaf with yellow flowers???) With a deep tough cream tuber that needs a shovel to pull it out? When your grass is long both imported beneficial herbs, perennials and clover will create a community in the mass. Once that is slashed back for summer they will slow in growth during the drier months or die back. You avoid rush (they rot) and other herb like weeds as well as Bindii in the most part. If you do slash you have to do it at the very least every 2 weeks to flatten the community out and and create competition. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 4Oct 05, 2010 2:50 am Well that was a very interesting read. I have actually seen him on a program ages ago but have since forgotten about it. Anyhow, thanks for the link. I read the forum and obviously the weed thread. I find it interesting that there is actually controversy about these methods even though they prove to work without using herbicides Well, I might just keep to my slashing (without the glyphosphate) and put more nutrients in the soil and see what happens. I have nothing to lose We do get those horrible melon paddys in our firebreak every year (after the soil has been turned and the climate is right). I have been ripping these out and getting great satisfaction at doing so, so I may just keep doing this I need something to rip out But everything else Im going to experiment with this method. So, Fu.....instead of spraying herbicide, molasses sprayed would be a better alternative And what do you think about when I actually do get some livestock.....will they pretty much eat the problem anyway (if there is a problem after using Peters method).Thanks once again Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 5Oct 05, 2010 2:55 am Redman Don't slash anything until summer or it starts to brown off. Keeping the grass down in the wild is also allowing light for the weeds. Slashing it will also allow heat and wind to dessicate the soils rapidly. Long grasses in the wild create a large footprint. (about a 20cm diameter per plant) Slashing them spreads the weed seed more (often held in the grass stems). Lease it for grazing or sow in legumes. Sounds like a rush has been getting in. These are hard to kill. Quote: (broad leaf with yellow flowers???) With a deep tough cream tuber that needs a shovel to pull it out? When your grass is long both imported beneficial herbs, perennials and clover will create a community in the mass. Once that is slashed back for summer they will slow in growth during the drier months or die back. You avoid rush (they rot) and other herb like weeds as well as Bindii in the most part. If you do slash you have to do it at the very least every 2 weeks to flatten the community out and and create competition. Hi Redman, sorry I just posted my post as you posted yours. It is like a rush grass (I call it bull rush but not sure if its the correct term). We poured fuel on it and it died but its everywhere Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 6Oct 05, 2010 3:03 am thirsty And what do you think about when I actually do get some livestock.....will they pretty much eat the problem anyway (if there is a problem after using Peters method).Thanks once again Animals eat selectively, weeds are not on the menu but if they eat to much (collateral damage) of the weeds they can poison themselves. If you get sheep / cattle get chickens and set them up to follow the livestock. Use cell farming methods if you can so its easier to manage. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 7Oct 05, 2010 3:13 am Im planning on getting all of these (just cant for a while unfortunately). I'd really like to get on top of these weeds before getting the livestock in. I will have a look at this cell farming method......Im such a novice But Im willing to learn So, Redman if we dont slash during winter/spring and autumn and let the grass grow so no sunlight gets in to the weeds, and then do it at start of summer the land will be thanking us for it (thats if I dont go with this other method). Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 9Oct 05, 2010 9:55 am Other possible weeds with yellow flowers yellow flower with black centre is likely capeweed if the soil is acidic and poor. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ There is also one that is all yellow called False dandelion Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ sometimes known as Flatweed (Cats Ear) (Hypochaeris radicata) A perennial weed growing in all states. Flatweed is a common weed of lawns and gardens. It has yellow flowers. Creeping Oxalis (Oxalis corniculata) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Creeping oxalis or yellow wood sorrel is a species possibly introduced from South America. It is a widespread weed of gardens and turf in all states of Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and yellow flowers with 5 petals. Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ An erect creeping perennial weeds which is a native of Europe. The flowers are yellow. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ A short-lived perennial with a strong tap-root. Leaves are hairless with backward pointing teeth. Rosette grow flat. Flowers are yellow. Dandelion is a widespread weed of turf in most areas of Australia, particularly the cooler moister regions of temperate Australia Thistles (Various) Two common species of thistles found in turf are: saffron thistle (Carthamus Ianatus) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ and variegated thistle (Silybum marianum). Both are native to Europe and are prevalent in all Australian states. They are both annual weeds with saffron having yellow flowers, and variegated having purple-mauve flowers. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 10Oct 05, 2010 6:37 pm KnockItDown Hi knockitdown, I dont think its that luckily. I read some nasty stuff on this weed But Kexkez, I think you nailed it with the capeweed. DH did name it capeweed so I will let him know he was right (for a change) I have another yellow one and i think it may be dandelion but not too sure. Let me know please what you think. We just got back to the block today and patersons curse has taken over and having a party on our land. The rush grass isnt so prominent at the moment but thats because the PC has hidden it from view. There is another one that decided it will join the party and popped its head in and it has little white flowers. Anyhow, pics as promised Patersons curse EVERYWHERE Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Capeweed (dying now but still there) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The other yellow one (maybe dandelion) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Couldnt get a very good pic of this dandelion thingo so got the weed on the ground Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The dreaded rushy kind of grass that I just cannot stand Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And the other one that joined the party just recently.....The newest member Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Im sorry the pics are of dreaded weeds and not of blooming flowers. I do have another weed which is the paddy melon but in some weird way I find it very therapeutic pulling these suckers out. They dont come out to play for a little while yet. thanks for all your help. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 11Oct 05, 2010 8:26 pm Oh boy, what a big job you've got there! Nice block of land, and the flowers look pretty My folks have battled for years with Patterson's Curse jumping over from the neighbours place.... they literally walk their boundary fence and pull/dig them out before they flower. I guess once they've flowered it's too late 'cos they're already spreading their seed. Same with the capeweed. They have more than 5 acres too - they have 900! Good luck Thirsty! There'll never be a day when you don't have something to do on your land, and that's half the fun of it, so enjoy! Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 12Oct 05, 2010 8:50 pm Wow, 900 acres......I was told once that it didnt make any difference if it was 5 or 100, the work was still the same. I dont know if I could handle 900 acres of this. Mind you, I do love it. Really want to do the right thing. When we bought this we had no weeds at all (or maybe a few we couldnt see ), but its so sad to see this place turning into a catastrophe. We cant get out here all the time hence the reason we dont have any livestock. I need a plan to attack this. Im so Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 13Oct 05, 2010 10:59 pm ok def cape weed. I have lots of it here too. I've been digging them up and turning them roots upwards. They dry out well. I also have some of 2 below the capeweed. the other one pic below is false dandelion. the pic I gave before is a variation it also looks like this--> Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ which I think is the same as your pic. Check out this page for some flower comparisons http://bushcapital.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=618.0 Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 14Oct 05, 2010 11:16 pm Yep.....that looks like the one. I tell ya, I love gettin this bugger out. It takes a lot of leveraging but the satisfaction is awesome But I cant do 5 acres of it. Especially the patersons curse. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 15Oct 05, 2010 11:30 pm Dept of Ag have a booklet called Southern Weeds that has methods of control and removal. Also try Kate Brown and Kris Brook's book, Bushland Weeds. I'm all for doing things naturally but weeds are like a cancer, you gotta hit it as soon as you see it is a problem and knock it down quick. Small populations are fine manually but not larger areas like yours. For Paterson's Curse: don't slash. It can cause out of season flowering and seeding. Glyph is good for control but spot spray with chlorsulfuron in autumn to prevent further germination. From Brown and Brooks. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 16Oct 06, 2010 4:49 am From an Environmental Science POV. Assuming you are in SE Australia. See if you can find a local supplier of native grasses - Austrodanthonia specifically or poa species. Kangaroo grass (poa - Austrodanthonia sp.) and Dichelachne sp. will do away with Patterson's curse in no time, its often 12 times the height, hardy as hell and will if given the chance out compete your weeds freely. Most of all everyone on these forums already knows what they are and look like. Find the path of strongest prevailing winds in summer. Usually NW in southern Aus but in coastal areas will be SW (you can even see that on google earth for the curious, look at the coast line, its generally carved with the winds pushing water in a certain direction over tens of millions of years) You need this wind to carry a handful of fruiting native grass seeds across your land which occur in summer to late summer. You have time so let nature do the work. After summer and one growing season your fields will be covered in the stuff. During winter or wetter months these guys will grow fairly high but not above your knees usually. A field of this stuff is a pleasure to have and the locals (non human) will love you for it. Expect thrush (the birds) and wag tails http://www.vinc.net.au/catalogue/catalogue.htm http://www.apstas.com/The_Native_Grass_Menagerie.html Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 17Oct 06, 2010 2:00 pm thanks for the responses. Im in for a busy week Redman, will look at this grass.....Thank You Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 18Oct 06, 2010 9:53 pm You may also be interested in this from the Cons Council newsletter: Ecological Restoration and Chemical Awareness Forum This forum is brought to you by the Alliance for a Clean Environment Inc. Are you concerned about the effects on your health from chemical spraying on footpaths, verges and parks in your neighbourhood? How can you protect your family’s health? Do you know how to register a complaint? What about the impact on the environment from herbicide and pesticide applications? Are there alternatives to chemical weed management Expert Guest Speaker Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith (PhD Law) Co-chair for the International POP’s Elimination Network. Senior Advisor to the National Toxics Network When: Thursday Oct 21st from 7-9pm Where: City West Lotteries House, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth City West train stop (Fremantle line) All welcome. Please refrain from wearing strong perfumes so our MCS friends and others can breathe easily! Gold coin donations welcome. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 19Oct 08, 2010 9:52 pm thirsty KnockItDown Hi knockitdown, I dont think its that luckily. I read some nasty stuff on this weed Yep it's poisonous to livestock. I spent the greater part of my childhood on a 450 odd acre property and one of the lesser jobs was to pick it, bag it, and burn it. Re: 5 acres and weeds invading 20Oct 09, 2010 2:19 pm KnockItDown thirsty KnockItDown Hi knockitdown, I dont think its that luckily. I read some nasty stuff on this weed Yep it's poisonous to livestock. I spent the greater part of my childhood on a 450 odd acre property and one of the lesser jobs was to pick it, bag it, and burn it. Oh you poor thing - makes my 5 acres seem like a joy ride compared to 450 I recently went through a similar renovation and move scenario when updating our family home. We also swapped some rooms around and tackled a major… 2 10049 The HIA contract, in the term & conditions section states that "Commencment" is deemed when the drainage is started or the piers are dug or the slab is formed up (incase… 2 6182 |