Is that a weed?
SMALL FARMS NETWORK - SUMMER 2020-21 - PESTS & WEEDS
By Natasha Lappin
Regional Weeds Coordinator
P: 02 6051 2231 | M: 0429 827 471 | E: natasha.lappin@lls.nsw.gov.au
One of the challenges of effective weed control is knowing what is actually a weed and what’s not. There is a range of resources available to help you identify what plants you have growing on your property and whether or not they might be a problem and require control.
Some weeds can look similar to native species, so if you’re unsure it’s always worth investigating what you have as it may help you avoid spending time and money on controlling something that is a desirable species. Some examples of plants that can be easily mistaken for each other include:
- Native sticky everlasting daisy and St Johns wort (weed)
- Native Austostipa grass species and Chilean needle grass (weed)
- Native kangaroo grass and Coolatai grass (weed).
Your local council’s biosecurity weeds officer is a great person to talk to. They can help with identifying plants and also provide advice about management of pest plants.
You can also contact me (Murray Regional Weeds Coordinator) for help.
There are also online resources such as NSW WeedWise, available as a free phone app and online, which describes more than 300 weed species.