Event description
Weeds are the bane of the home gardener. When you realise how many nutrients and minerals they contain, you’ll appreciate them more as an untapped wonderful resource rather than a pesky weed.
Human values and context move a plant into the weed category. With deep tap roots they do compete for nutrients and moisture out of the soil, and can prove problematic in your vegetable garden. But if you’re going to pull them out – you may as well use them – they are jam packed with what your garden soil and growing vegetables need!
In this community workshop participants will learn how to identify and control weeds using an integrated approach that minimises negative impacts on the environment as well as learn how to unlock the nutrients weeds contain to fertilise their garden and feed themselves.
Topics Covered
- What a weed is.
- What nutrients weeds contain.
- An introduction to Integrated Weed Management – A hierarchy weed controls with chemicals as the last step, not the first
- Using weeds to make garden fertiliser
- Composting weeds to boost your compost
- Weeds in pest control
- Edible Weeds
- Common weed profiles
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Please feel free to bring any surplus produce, seeds, cuttings, plants, gardening magazines etc to swap and share!
Please note that this is an event for Naarm/Melbourne gardeners only. If you live outside this area, please contact your council to find out what free sustainable gardening events are available locally.
If you have any access or support questions or requirements in order to participate fully (eg. interpreter), please let us know at least two weeks prior to the event and we will be pleased to assist you. Photos will be taken at this event, but there is an option to opt out on the day.
This My Smart Garden event is proudly presented by Maribyrnong City Council on the land of the Wurundjeri and Bunorong peoples of the Kulin nation. My Smart Garden pays our respect to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledges that First Nations peoples have cared for Country sustainably for tens of thousands of years.