Sour sobbing!
23/08/10 17:34 Filed in: NEC News
We are approaching the peak of the soursob silly
season, and in case anyone is going mad with
soursob rage I thought I would pass on some info
that inspires me each year to keep weeding.
Although they are not considered the nastiest of
weeds I believe they still have quite an
environmental impact in a dry climate like ours,
simply because they rob our plants of water in
winter and spring at precisely the time that they
are establishing a root system and having a
growth spurt to get them through the harsh
summer. Soursobs also provide a moist
environment above the soil which the natives in
particular don’t like and it makes their leaves
go black.
“Every weed grows at the expense of soil moisture and nutrients that would otherwise be available to your seedlings. In a region with 400 mm rainfall, weed control over an area of 1.5 diameter around your seedling will make up to 700 litres of water available per year to your developing seedlings. Without weed control ¾ of this will be used by the weeds.” (Trees for Life “How to Plant Native Seedlings: Land preparation, planting and aftercare: and outline for survival”)
Does anyone have any tips for eradicating soursobs that they could share? Mine is just to keep planting and to weed around the plants until they are big enough to out compete. Not a magic bullet but it has really got easier over time.
Jenni McGlennon - 8556 5227 or email
“Every weed grows at the expense of soil moisture and nutrients that would otherwise be available to your seedlings. In a region with 400 mm rainfall, weed control over an area of 1.5 diameter around your seedling will make up to 700 litres of water available per year to your developing seedlings. Without weed control ¾ of this will be used by the weeds.” (Trees for Life “How to Plant Native Seedlings: Land preparation, planting and aftercare: and outline for survival”)
Does anyone have any tips for eradicating soursobs that they could share? Mine is just to keep planting and to weed around the plants until they are big enough to out compete. Not a magic bullet but it has really got easier over time.
Jenni McGlennon - 8556 5227 or email