Serrated Tussock invading Surf Coast townships

THE noxious weed serrated tussock is spreading throughout the townships of Torquay and Jan Juc, often going unnoticed along nature strips and throughout urban land.

Serrated tussock displaces native vegetation and invades gardens, with each plant able to produce over 100,000 seeds.

Recent rain in some parts of Victoria has been welcome, but unfortunately it has also promoted the germination and growth of serrated tussock.

Serrated tussock is being treated by the Surf Coast Shire outside of the townships, but within the townships there are many infestations going untreated, most likely due to the similarities to some of the native grasses.

Landowners and land managers need to identify serrated tussock before it takes over their yard or nature strip.

Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) Community Engagement Officer, Ivan Carter, said that controlling serrated tussock before the plant goes to seed is critical to prevent further spread, loss of biodiversity and increased control requirements.

“Before flowering serrated tussock has a lime green appearance, the seed heads have a distinctive purple colour as they ripen in late spring and early summer.

“These features help serrated tussock stand out from the native tussock grasses.

“The VSTWP has developed an online video and information sheet to help landowners identify the unwanted grass, this can be found at serratedtussock.com/how-identify-serratedtussock.

“Serrated tussock has a fine leaf and will roll smoothly between the index finger and thumb, while native tussocks feel as though they have flat edges.

“The leaves also feel rough when you run your fingers downwards due to fine serrations.

“A mature serrated tussock plant can produce thousands of seeds in a season, blowing up to 20 kilometres from the parent plant.”

Controlling mature serrated tussock plants before they flower and seed can be achieved through manual removal, or registered herbicide.

“Having a healthy competitive ground cover is one of the most important aspects to weed management, serrated tussock is a prime example of a weed that does not like competition and wellestablished lawn or native vegetation,” Mr Carter said.

It’s believed serrated tussock now covers more than 240,000 hectares of land in Victoria. Large infestations require ongoing management and the use of several control techniques.

For further information, visit serratedtussock.com, or contact the VSTWP on [email protected].