The Green Net’s beautiful Biodiversity Calendars are more than a place to mark important events and keep track of birthdays; they are a ‘teaching tool’.
It was initiated in 2023 as a means to showcase our magnificent indigenous plants and also to assist and guide gardeners with info on some of the most invasive plants to remove.
This information is not easily available nor well known, and scarily, more than 70% of the plants in our area are invasive!
Many of our residents are ‘new’ to the area and unfamiliar with these plants, and because we all love plants that grow easily and don’t need much looking after, it’s not pleasant to see them as problematic.
Organs of state and private property owners are responsible for controlling and removing Category 1a and 1b invasive species from all state-owned and privately-owned land.
Why are invasive plants a problem? They use up precious water resources, outcompete indigenous plants, change the chemical constituents of soil, threaten rare and endangered plants, threaten subsistence farming, clog up waterways and exacerbate wildfires.
There are various methods used for different AIP removal, and we never advocate poison because that destroys everything.
So, the best option is to turn the problem into a solution! Remove by the roots and set aside in an area where you can keep an eye… eventually, most plants will just decompose; the stems and branches can be used for fencing, weaving flower-bed borders, even baskets and trellises or learn about ‘hügelkultur’ and manage your water-flow, grow veggies and make the foe your friend.
The beautiful bright yellow Mexican daisy and the white flowering montanoa have been giving a stunning display recently. In fact, rather overwhelmingly so, and this problem is multiplying annually.
It’s critically important that when you do remove a lot of plants, don’t leave the soil empty/barren, as opportunistic invasives will soon pop up.
A quick-growing cover crop such as sweet potato is a great option, and it grows like weeds!
Healthy, nutritious and in these times of malnutrition and food insecurity, doesn’t it just make sense to grow as many edible plants as possible?
Flour from the orange-fleshed sweet potato is currently being developed into baby food.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
