The humble Wattle has literally thousands of variaties, and comes under the Acacia family. When flowering they are quite attractive with different shades of yellow, and in the right setting can be relitively harmless. But! in the wrong place can be a huge problem with thier invasive capabilities.
Not all Wattles are bad and some are protected, only allowing for the removal up to a certain percentage.
One of the Invasive breeds of Wattle is the “Sydney Golden Wattle” and this plant can cause serious problems if left un-monitored.
Dense stands increase Nitrogen levels in the soil, reducing the abundance of stock feed, and increasing potential for Erosion.
They can take over large areas of hillside reducing valuable grazing areas, also choking out other desirable plants and to make things worse, Stock won’t eat it! due to the bitter taste.
Large infestations poses great fire risk, and fire can stimulate mass germinations of seeds stored in the ground (Seed banks).
Because Sydney golden wattle grows so densely together and favours steep hillsides, it makes it very difficult to treat by traditional methods, such as hose reels and boom sprays.
Invasive wattles are classified as a “Woody Weed” and the optimal chemical treatment period is March to August, before flowering starts in September.
Products such as “Grazon Extra”,”Garlon”,”Brushoff and even high rates of Glyphosate have proven successful, so Wattle is very treatable!
Using a spray drone to treat wattle in difficult spots, helps reduce the spread allowing for easier removal once the plant has died back.
It’s a bit like treating Blackberry and this makes it a perfect situation for a spray drone!
So if your interested in controlling the spread of invasive Wattle on your property, contact us! and I may be able to help with my spray drone.