Wheel Cactus is a very serious weed problem in our Maldon, Nuggetty and Baringhup regions, and continues to spread into new areas nearby such as Welshmans Reef. The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) now needs an even greater community effort to control the invasion of this weed, and calls on all local property owners to destroy the Wheel Cactus plants on their land.
Most urgent is the removal of all mature, fruiting plants, because the fruit contains the seeds that are spread and germinate into new plants. These larger mature plants need to be poisoned, or at least the fruit removed and destroyed (burned or buried). The TCCG can demonstrate, help and provide equipment to assist landholders to kill these plants.
The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group has again received a grant from the Mount Alexander Shire Council to fund disposal of Wheel Cactus plants at our local tip (Maldon Transfer Station). This means there continues to be no tip fees to dispose of these plants at the Maldon Tip, and hope this encourages property owners to entirely remove all the small/medium sized Wheel Cactus plants from their land.
TCCG and Parks Victoria hold regular Community Field Days to demonstrate the most effective techniques and equipment to use, on the last Sunday of each month.
Our next Wheel Cactus Field Day will be on Sunday 25th May at a property off Bradford Road, in the “Blue Hills” north west of Maldon. Drive along Bridgewater Road about 6 km past the women’s prison, then turn right into Bradford Road. There will be signs along Bridgewater and Bradford Roads to help direct you. The morning’s activities will begin at 10:30 am and end at 12:30 pm with an enjoyable BBQ. If you have any queries please contact Ian on 0412 015 807.
