Tradescantia control

The conditions along the roadside remain very dry, and there has been no observable regrowth from the piled material along the roadside margin...in fact it continues to shrink. The undisturbed Tradescantia remains healthy near the roadside but has not observably increased.

Streamside banks released from Tradescantia remain mostly Tradescantia-free, with only the expected emergence of occasional strands incompletely uplifted in the release.

For this reason, removal by successive weeding operations is the method we have found most efficient, and one which is rewarded by the ongoing observation of the development of bot pre-existing and new native vegetation.

On these streambanks, both at water's edge and some metres up the clay bank, we are so far seeing mainly fern sporelings emerging in the cleared areas.

We have been offered the services for a few hours one day in November of some volunteers as part of the Kaipatiki Project, to wheelbarrow bales of Tradescantia from the piles along the opposite streamside, where... some piles made in the release and exploration of underlying vegetation were of necessity, due to limitations of space and volume of Tradescantia, made too large to turn (up to 2m D, over a metre high), and wetter conditions will result in faster regrowth....but, assisted no doubt by a relatively dry winter following a very dry summer and autumn, are reducing in size at a rate which will probably enable them all to be turned by the end of summer, should ongoing funding permit continuation of this Trial. [The volunteer assistance mentioned above will not take place due to conflicts of schedule].

Seedlings have recently begun to appear in the released ground. The vast majority of them appear to be Tree privet, but there are also large numbers of Coprosma, probably robusta , and Coprosma probably grandifolia.

We look forward to making a closer assessment of numbers and species of seedlings, and removing the weed seedlings, at a later date which will allow for the natural attrition of many, giving a better idea of the likely results of wide-scale removal of Tradescantia either with or without follow up weed control.

We have been particularly interested in the number and type of earthworms observed in and under all Tradescantia piles, their contribution to soil sonditions in the dry infertile roadside area, and their potential to enhance mass Tradescantia composting. We have recently been shown native earthworms being farmed in captivity as food for kiwi (to whom tiger worms are poisonous), and hope to learn to identify these native worms in situ.

Posted on November 3, 2019 09:17 PM by kaipatiki_naturewatch kaipatiki_naturewatch

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