Making good use of woody weeds: caches of Cootamundra wattle debris around young plants
Join the Friends of Mt Majura working party on Sunday on 19 August; help to cut and layer Cootamundra wattle debris around the National Tree Day plantings; use buckets to collect wood chip mulch and spread it over bare sites.
When: Sunday 19 August 1pm – 4pm; give as much time as you like.
Where: Nature reserve east of The Fair, North Watson; access and volunteer registration at park entrance Tay / Ian Nicol Streets; view this map.
Bring: Garden gloves, sun protection, drinking water and wear sturdy shoes.
We have a large amount of woody debris deposited at The Fair from the removal of Cootamundra wattles at the northern end of Mt Majura nature reserve. The layering of debris reduces grazing pressure and helps plants to establish; wood chip mulch suppresses weeds, “conditions” the soil and retains moisture.
Cootamundra wattle, Acacia baileyana is a small tree indigenous to a small area between Cootamundra and Temora in southern NSW. It has been very widely planted in other Australian states and territories including the ACT because of its attractive foliage and is now naturalised in many parts of Australia. It hybridises with other wattles and invades drier woodlands and open forests where it can replace local native shrubs and shade out native grasses and wildflowers.
