Asparagus weeds - Weeds Australia

otherwise naturally regenerate, and b) increasethe amount of green waste that needs to betransported off-site.• Remove and bag fruits or fruiting stems in areasof isolated infestations and/or low density toreduce the chance of reinfestation. In highdensity infestations, it is not necessary to removefruits, as it is time consuming and any newseedlings can be controlled during follow-up.Which tools to use?Pittwater CouncilFor small crowns: Use a plaster cutter (‘gyprock’saw), sharp knife or trowel. As knives and plastercutters can go blunt quickly when used in soil, it ishelpful to have one dedicated for use on asparaguscrowns only.Peter lever: can be used for crowningFor larger crowns: Use a peter lever, mattock orsharp spade. Hand mattocks are useful on largeplants in open areas but are awkward for use inshrubby and rocky ground (e.g. coastal heath),where peter levers are more effective.Tools for manual controlCrowningPaul LennonNote: There may be situations where removalof the entire underground root mat is desirableto allow native regeneration. For example, rootmats of A. aethiopicus in temperate climates donot decompose rapidly therefore removal of theroot mat may allow additional light penetrationto assist germination from the native seed bank.This is only recommended when working in plantcommunities that have a resilient seed bank andwhere some level of soil disturbance is acceptable.Follow-up control will be necessary.Recommended for: Caution! Advantages Disadvantages Timing• Large, well-establishedasparagus weeds that donot form extensive rhizomenetworks under ground• Weeds that grow from acentral point at ground levelor below the surface of theground, including crownforming asparagus weeds e.g.A. aethiopicus, A. africanus,A. plumosus, A. scandens andA. falcatus• Do not leave the crown incontact with soil, as it canre-shoot• The tubers and or thickenedroots of the crown formingasparagus weeds are notreproductive and do notneed to be removed fromthe soil• Do not dig up entire rootmats unnecessarily as it islabour intensive and createsa high level of disturbance• All reproductive partsremoved via crownremoval (no regrowth)• No herbicides required• Minimises risk to nativeflora if care taken• Minimal soil disturbance• Effective for plants of allsizes• Time consuming and labourintensive• May not be practical for extensiveinfestations• Rhizomes must be completelyremoved• Creates soil disturbance whichmay promote weed germination• Not effective for A. declinatus, A.virgatus and A. asparagoides, asthey form extensive, rhizomatousroot mats (see Digging / grubbingmethod instead)Anytime butpre-flowering /fruiting is best45