Organic Control of Common Weeds

by Jackie French, Greg Jorgenson (Illustrator)

Organic Control of Common Weeds Nowadays, in conventional gardening and farming, weed 'control' means chemicals have replaced good management for fertility and for pest, disease and weed control. We hate weeds. 'Weed' is the ultimate insult. But weeds can also be seen as soil repairers, an essential part of any farm or garden management. Full description

Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Jackie is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator and the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2014-2015. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors, and writes across all genres - from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction. In her capacity as Australian Children’s Laureate, ‘Share a Story’ will be the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term.

Reviews

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review published in Eco Living magazine, March 2002

Organic Control of Common Weeds, by Jackie French
Aird Books, 1997 (2nd edition) $22.95

This is a handy reference to the organic control of over 90 common weeds, written. by one of Australia's most popular and prolific writers on organics. I noticed immediately that this book is specifically Australian. If another edition is published, it would be great to see some more common New Zealand weeds included, like old man's beard and hieracium.
The author begins by defining what a weed is, and true to organic philosophy, challenges readers to thnk before they get rid of weeds: are these plants really a problem? Or can we and our crops/stock etc live with them? Can we even benefit from them? She clearly states her objections to herbicides: the risk to human health and the environment is too great; they're expensive, and they are usually only temporarily effective. It is better to understand why a certain plant has become a problem, and to address what is wrong with the ecosystem as a whole. Is the pasture overgrazed? Is the ground often cultivated and left exposed for opportunist weeds to take advantage of?
The weed control techniques outlined include digging or pulling out, mulching, solarisation, boiling water, mowing, burning, and choking out with other vigorous plants. One chapter describes various uses for weeds, such as human and animal food, medicine, mulch and pesticides.
About a third of the book is devoted to descriptions of common weeds and organic ways to control them. Most weeds get only a brief mention, but some of the more hard to control weeds are dealt with in more depth – there are several pages on thistles, for example.
Organic Control of Common Weeds is easy to read and clearly set out, with chapter sub-headings for quick reference, and an index. It is a useful primer, and would be complemented by other books on the identification of weeds, such as An Illustrated Guide to Common Weeds in New Zealand, by Bruce Roy et al (NZ Plant Protection Society, 1998), a very comprehensive guide with colour plates.

Philippa Jamieson has left the publishing industry to go WWOOFing around New Zealand (Willing Workers on Organic Farms).

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Organic Control of Common Weeds is an Australian book on, you guessed it, common Australian weeds!

Rather than taking the traditional approach of squirting everything under the sun with herbicide this book provides methods for dealing with weed outbreaks in a biological & physical labour manner. Mostly biological.

Quite handy, I liked the idea of smothering & crushing blackberries with pumpkin vines &/or choko vines.

All in all a handy book to have a look at if looking for a different, cheaper & more sustainable approach to weeds management.

[Marie]

Very useful, full of practical solutions.