Garden
Escapes
Trad/Wandering
Jew
Tradescantia
fluminensis
How
does it spread?
No seed is
produced. Trad grows vegetatively - by cuttings. Any tiny fragment
of stalk or leaf can regrow into a whole spreading plant. As it
spreads it sends more roots into the ground, making it harder to
remove. In addition the stem easily breaks into pieces as you pull
or move it.
Pieces of stem
or leaf easily wash down waterways or are carried in mud on tyres.
Unfortunately
many people dump their garden refuse in the bush, where it spreads
on the spot or is washed into the creeks. There it easily takes
up residence in the damp soils.
How
does it affect us?
Trad is a highly
invasive weed. It spreads rapidly over the ground in gullies and
temporary watercourses, forming a thick blanket of leaves. It smothers
low plants and seedlings and prevents light and warmth reaching
the soil. This prevents native plant germination and regeneration.
Get
rid of Trad
Manual
Control
If it has already
formed a thick carpet, rake back the bulk of the growth and then
go on to the next step.
Remove Trad
by hand with a knife or narrow trowel. As the stems shatter readily,
you must remove all fragments to prevent regrowth. IT WILL GROW
AGAIN. Follow up original removal to remove remains that have grown
again.
You should
put all pieces in a bag for disposal or compost it on site under
a pegged-down sheet of black plastic.
Herbicide
control
Spray or paint
the foliage with a registered herbicide. Chemical treatment works
best in winter and early spring.
Trad is a noxious
Weed Class 4. This means all land owners must control the growth
and spread of this plant on their land, in accordance with the measures
specified in a management plan published by the local council authority.
The plant may not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed.
The information
here was taken from an information sheet published by Ku-ring-gai
Council.
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