We must all agree that the region’s rainforest areas and waterways are treasures that must be kept in pristine condition. There is quite a range of ecosystems, from the coastal littoral rainforests to the densely green sub-tropical rainforests, sited at various locations in the Northern Rivers area. They are all under attack from a vast number of weeds, some of which are being spread from gardens by water, birds and dumping of weeds and garden waste. One of the problems is that as we live in a climate that is warm to hot throughout the year. Weeds can grow and spread quickly before we realize they are present in our gardens and rainforests, resulting in an infestation. There are around 60 plants found in our gardens that are a major environmental threat.
Two common plants seen as hedges locally are Duranta and Murraya. Both Duranta, which can quickly strangle rainforests, and Murrayas are commonly found growing in rainforest areas close to housing. Duranta has a light blue flower and produces masses of orange berries. Murrayas produce aromatic white flowers with red berries. Duranta has root suckers that make them soon grow out of control. If you have these plants in your garden please prune them regularly to prevent berries forming or, if possible, kill them. Simply cut them down to near ground level and then cut, scrape and paint the remaining stems with 40 per cent Glyphosate (1 part water to 1.5 parts Glyphosate). The best way to paint Glyphosate is to use a small sq
ueeze bottle with a dropper.
Please consider what you plant in your garden. Plants with berries are easily spread by birds into our environment. Try planting some myrtle species instead. In particular, Fragrant or Sweet Myrtle (Gossia fragrantissima) would produce an alternate native bird-attracting hedge.
There are many other hedges that cause problems: examples are coffee and privet. If you want to rid your garden of environmental weeds, you should purchase a copy of Common Weeds of Subtropical Rainforests of Eastern Australia, which lists the weeds with photos and their control methods. This book is produced by the Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group. It can be purchased from the Firewheel Rainforest Nursery. The library has a copy. Ian Pick, who gardens in Ewingsdale
