WANDI WEEDS

Wandi has many weeds that create all sorts of problems for the land owner we will identify a few beginning with the worst. Some are a fire hazard others are invasive in the bush or on our verges and are easily spread. Others are spiky and are dangerous for us, our pets, horses, even push bike or lawn mower tyres. etc
Weeds will be named using their local names and any controls will be what has worked for us over the years.​
Above & Right
Caltrop is a relatively new pest in Wandi and is particularly dangerous with its spiky thorns that can puncture a bike tyre and inflict a lot of pain when stood on in bare feet. 
The weed can be seen on the verges after the first summer rains and grows very quickly creating a wiry ground cover. The first signs are the small yellow flowers that can be seen easily driving by in your car. The best way to deal with this dangerous weed is to pull it out straight away and dispose of it in your rubbish bin. If you want to spray herbicide to control it you need to do it before it flowers as it sets seed burs quickly and all you will do is kill the weed and leave the burs behind to grow again next year.  When pulling out the weed be very careful wear gloves and find the centre of the plant where the runners radiate out from, this is where the tap root is. Pinch tightly and lift the weed straight up and drop it in the bin. Inspect where the weeds was and see if you can see any burs, they fall off quite easily and are very sharp, collect them and drop them in the bin. Mark the site and come back after the first rains next summer and spray the area before the weed gets to the point of being a problem to remove. Once you get used to identifying them you can easily see the fern type leaf.
Above & Left:  the fine flower and seed of Love Grass
​​Love grass is an introduced pest from South Africa, introduced as a fodder crop for farming it has little value and most animals will only eat it as a last resort. Its primary growing period is in the warmer months and you will see it on many verges in local streets. A thin flower stem is sent up loaded with fine seed that is easily spread by the wind, animals or people.
The best way to eradicate this weed is by spraying with herbicide, aim for the centre of the clump and give it a good wetting down so the excess runs to its base. You may have to apply follow up treatments because part of the clump survives. Glyphosate is easy available and does the job. 
Left
Spotted Spurge is a mid-spring germinating plant growing through summer growing up to about half a metre in diameter and only around 50mm high. It likes to grow along the edge of driveways and paths not liking the competition with other plants. It flowers and produces seed in about 5 week after germination and produces thousands of seeds. Spotted Spurge can be pulled out by hand and has a tap root, dispose of in the bin don’t compost. The white sap can cause irritation to the skin, ware gloves and wash hands after pulling. Herbicide spraying can be done with glyphosate, try and do it in the early staged of germination so you don’t have the seeds form. If in the garden you can lay down a few sheets of newspaper and apply a thick layer of mulch it won’t be strong enough to grow through then repeat next season or when it reappears.
Right
​Veldt Grass is very common in Wandi and is on everyone’s property and verge. It is a clumping plant with thin leaves sending up flower stalks around a metre high that are a maroon type colour. It doesn’t like competition and grows where you have cleared, there are a few properties where the natural bush is thick and there is no veldt grass except along fire breaks. The plant can be easily controlled with herbicide spraying using glyphosate; spot spraying in the centre of the plant before flowering is a good method of control. If you spray late when the plant is flowering it will still produce seed so you are better off brush cutting the flower stalks off and then spraying. Veldt grass doesn’t like to be mowed and will die in summer if you use a brush cutter to mow it down level with the ground, over stocking will also have the same effect. It can also be easily removed in summer by plunging a spade on an angle through the roots just below its top growth and pulling out. Seed lasts about 6 years so if you can keep up the control you can remove it off your property, some residents have.
Above:
Wahlenbergia capensis
Common name Cape Bluebell small slender annual, flowers are an attractive blue on slender stems, not a native plant comes from the South African Cape Province.
Above:
Gladiolus caryophyllaceous
Common name Pink Gladiolus or Wild Gladiolus
Grow from corms and seed to around 0.8 m high. Flower in spring with bright pink attractive flowers.
This is not a native plant it's introduced coming from South Africa. 
Can be controlled by pulling up the corms and crushing or by using herbicide. 
Above:
​Ursinia anthemoides
Origin. Namibia, South Africa
Grows upright in spring to around 400mm with feathery leaves. Flowers are brownish yellow the seed heads, inset,  looks like bunches of five-petalled white flowers.
Above
Disa bracteata
Common name South African Weed Orchid grows to about 200 - 250mm is an introduced orchid coming from Europe, North Africa, New Zealand, is a pest for grain crops when harvesting. Flowers in spring.
Above:
Carpobrotus edulis
Common name: Pigface 
Is a perennial native to South Africa but now common in coastal bushland, it was introduced as an ornamental plant to control erosion in coastal areas. Spreads to around 2 metres layering on itself or other plants, the dried seeds can be eaten by animals and spread easily.
Above
Orobanche minor
Common name ​Lesser Broomrape/South African Orchid its origin is South Africa, grows to about 200mm tall in Wandi sand and can be more common in wet areas. Flowers October, November.