MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Give weedy wattle the whack20 Aug, 2021 You may have seen the signs on the roadside about getting rid of the weedy wattle, Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia) taking over Mangawhai. The bright yellow flowers now make it easy to spot. Wattle is in the pea family and has the effect of adding nitrogen to the soil. Unfortunately, this is very bad for the environment. Most of our native habitats, especially along the coast, are low fertility ecosystems. Adding a plant like wattle can change the soil fertility which in turn changes the plants that grow there. This, in turn, affects the birds and insects that live there. Wattle, like gorse, has very long-lived seed so once they have seeded the chances of them popping up again is quite high. Often many seeds will germinate all at once. Wattle is doing this at the community park in Mangawhai where whole areas of seedlings are coming up in the recently cleared areas. To get rid of weedy wattle at your place, simply cut them down as close to the ground as possible. No need to paint the stump. Seedlings can be pulled and left to dry out. The wood is good for firewood and tops can be mulched and added around garden shrubs to rot down. As the weather warms up, get out there and give your weedy wattle the whack! - PHOTO/SUPPLIED |
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