Landcare Agony Aunt – Unhygienic in Underbank

 Dear Agony Aunt,

I have great neighbours – we support each other though many ways and I enjoy our afternoon teas at the end of a long day, BUT… their paddocks are full of Scotch Thistle and Fireweed in seed.  It makes me wince when I see their vehicles drive onto my property covered in seed fluff! What can I do to keep their weeds out and my weeds in?

from Unhygienic in Underbank

Dear Reader, 

Thanks for your message.  Stopping weeds “at the gate” or “across the fence” can save you time and effort.  On a regional level, it is also really important to help stop the spread of weeds onto other properties and also into our natural environment. 

One of the best ways to ensure you keep the spread of weeds to a minimum is through good weed hygiene. This means keeping your vehicles, equipment, machinery and footwear free of weed seed. Setting aside a clean-down area at the beginning of your property for visitors to brush and wash down is the best way to ensure weeds are kept off site.

Put up a sign to inform all visitors of your biosecurity requirements and let them know what you require from them. 

If you want to go the extra mile, you can develop a biosecurity plan for your property or Landcare group that details how you will minimise weeds coming onto and off the site.

Vehicle and equipment wash down

First, give them a good high-pressure hose wash down, making sure you get into all of the crevices where the mud and plant material collects. Set up a designated hard-surface wash down area so any seed stays in the one area.

If you’re concerned about pathogens such as bacteria, moulds and viruses, you can also wash down your vehicle and equipment with the following solutions. Also, give any areas in the vehicle a wipe over that come in contact with dirty footwear such as mats and pedals. As a general rule, leave the decontaminant to work for 10 minutes before a final rinse.

–          Methylated spirits (70% solution ie. 700ml/L) for bacteria and mould such as Phytophthora cinnamomi.

–          Household Vinegar (4% solution ie. 40ml/L) for Class B viruses such as foot-and-mouth.

–          Household Bleach (25% solution ie. 250ml/L) for Class A viruses such as Equine Influenza.

Cleaning footwear 

One of the simplest and quickest ways to reduce weeds travelling is brushing down your shoes. I always keep a stiff brush in my vehicle so if I’ve been at a weedy site, I give my boots and pants a quick brush down before I jump in the car. It only takes a couple of minutes and it ensures weedy seed isn’t going to travel off site with you.

If you’re concerned about pathogens, you can give your footwear a wash in the same solutions listed above. Simply keep a spray bottle with solution in the car so you can spray your footwear after brushing down.  If you’re setting up a wash down area on your property, keep a footwear wash down kit on site for visitors to use consisting of a brush and spray bottle or a boot-wash box. 

For more info about good weed hygiene, go to:

www.lls.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/on-farm-biosecurity-planning-tips

https://www.farmbiosecurity.com.au/essentials-toolkit/people-vehicles-equipment/

www.dpi.qld.gov.au/news-media/campaigns/on-farm-biosecurity/come-clean-go-clean

You could explain to your neighbours what you are doing and how it is saving you time, effort and money on tackling weeds.