Title: Bridal creeper field day in North-Central Victoria
[Tarrangower Times 30 July, 2010] -- Every walker will have noticed how bad the Bridal Creeper is this year. A free field day in August at Nuggetty will demonstrate and describe management options for the control of this restricted weed which can be spread by birds and has invaded bushland and gardens throughout the Maldon area. Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides) is an extremely damaging and persistent environmental and garden weed. It is declared a restricted weed under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 in all catchments and land protection regions. This means it is prohibited to sell or transport bridal creeper.
Department of Primary Industries Senior Compliance Officer for North Central Martin Deering said bridal creeper is a highly invasive perennial climber, to three metres high, with long, wiry stems and rhizomatous roots producing clusters of fleshy tubers, which form a dense mass about 10 centimetres deep in the soil. "Small green berries are produced in late spring and ripen from orange to red in summer," Mr Deering said. "Bridal creeper is a strong competitor for space, light and nutrients. It twines around existing plants and evntually forms a canopy which smothers other vegetation and restricts access.
"The masses of underground rhizomes and tubers can destroy understorey plants and enable it to survive wildfires. Major losses of understorey species can be expected in areas affected by bridal creeper. It thrives in shaded conditions but is found to a lesser extent in open areas."
Ian Grenda from the Nuggetty Land Protection Group said local community groups are playing an essential role in providing advice and support to control this noxious weed. Management options such as. chemical. mechanical. and biological control will be demonstrated at the field day.
"One method we are using is physically transferring the rust fungus. We will demonstrate making spore water and methods for spraying this water," Ian said. Bags of rust will also be given to participants.
The Nuggetty Land Protection Group will hold the Bridal Creeper Control Field Day on Saturday, August 14 at 78 Browns Road, Nuggetty. It will begin at 1.30pm with a talk on the origin of bridal creeper, and management options for controlling the weed. The field day will finish up with a sausage in bread, a cuppa and a chat. All are welcome. To get to the field day, follow the signs from the corner of Nuggetty and Brown’s Roads, Nuggetty. For further information about the field days please call Ian Grenda on 0412 015 807.