Overgrowth Management in Ferntree Gully

Overgrowth Management in Ferntree Gully: Local Conditions and What That Means for Your Property

Properties that have sat vacant or been lightly maintained along the Ferntree Gully–national park boundary typically present with a combination of problems: self-seeded wattle and eucalyptus saplings up to three metres tall, blackberry and wild rose coming in from the reserve fence, and kikuyu or paspalum forming dense mats across what were previously lawn areas. The damp foothill climate speeds all of this up relative to flatland Knox. Single-visit clear-outs on neglected blocks in this suburb usually involve a slasher or brush cutter for the bulk vegetation, hand-pulling or herbicide on the woody weeds, and chip-mulching of the brushwood on site. Properties adjacent to the Ferny Creek Trail corridor see fennel and cape ivy regularly pushing through the fence, both of which need persistent follow-up treatment rather than a single knock-back.