Danie ‘grasps the nettle’ in Tweni – and encourages you to do the same
Homeowners are encouraged to remove all tree daisy plants from their property.
Danie du Toit of Umtentweni is studying for a diploma in ornamental horticulture. As part of the environmental awareness and responsibility module, he has to identify an environmental problem and find a solution. He has decided to remove and eradicate alien weeds starting with the garden outsine the Umtentweni Library.
Danie told the Herald that the library has a beautiful indigenous garden in front of the building. “The large piece of land has a vast number of alien invasive plants growing at the back of the building. The prominent invasive plant species is the tree daisy (Montanoa hibiscifolia) which is declared as a category one weed in South Africa,” explained Danie.
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“It is a perennial shrub or small tree growing up to six metres high. Its leaves are deeply palmately lobed, up to 25cm long and 25cm wide, dark green above and paler below. It produces daisy-like white flowers with a yellow centre. It originated from Mexico and Central America.”
He added that, according to the national Environmental Management Biodiversity Act of 2004, category one indicates plants that are prohibited and illegal to grow or keep and should be eradicated immediately from the area.
“According to the draft alien and invasive species regulations, published in the Government Gazette on February 16, 2018, ‘any offence committed in terms of section 101 of the act must, upon conviction, carry the following penalties: A fine not exceeding five million rand, and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding ten million rand or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to imprisonment not exceeding ten years or to both such fine and imprisonment’.”
He pointed out that controlling the weed before it seeds will reduce future problems. “Larger and mature plants should be controlled by chemical herbicides. Glyphosate, the main ingredient in most herbicides, is absorbed through plant leaves and then carried by the sap stream into the plant roots, where it prevents them from absorbing nutrients from the soil, thereby killing the plant.”
The plants are cut off approximately 10 centimetres from the soil-base and the stump and the cut is painted or sprayed with the herbicide within a 10-minute period. Plants begin to show symptoms between seven and 10 days.
“The municipality and private homeowners are encouraged to remove all tree daisy plants from their properties before flowering time which is in June/July.”
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