FAIRY GRASS FACT SHEET URBAN AREAS
DEALING WITH FAIRY GRASS IN URBAN AREAS
Fairy Grass is a native species which opportunistically colonises damp, bare
areas. It is a prolific seeder and the seed heads detach from the parent plant and
are blown around by the wind. The seed heads are easily transported by wind
and air currents.
As the seed heads are dry, light and tend to stick together they can quickly
accumulate against fences, buildings, trees and shrubs.
Left to accumulate the seed heads can pose a fire risk to buildings, restrict
visibility and access and smother plants in your garden.
Fairy grass may impact on Ballarat’s urban area in two ways:
1. Seed heads collecting on your property
2. Seeds germinating in your garden
HOW TO MANAGE SEED HEADS ON YOUR PROPERTY?
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The seed heads can be wetted and compressed into bales to make handling
and collection easier, or composted with other green waste.
When handling the seed heads it is recommended you cover exposed skin as
some people may suffer skin irritation from abrasion from the stems and seed
heads.
Council can provide bale bags to landholders to assist with the collection and
containment of fairy grass seed heads
Compress the fairy grass seed heads into the bales and contact Council to
collect the bales and dispose of them appropriately.
HOW CAN I GET COUNCIL TO DELIVER OR COLLECT THE BALES?
By ringing Council’s Customer Service Number 5320 5500 and specifying your
name, address and whether you require delivery of bales or collection of filled bales
our staff and contractors will let you know when the service will be provided. Bales
will be left inside your property boundary and collection will be from your kerbside,
unless otherwise arranged.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF WEEDS GROWING IN MY GARDEN ARE FAIRY GRASS?
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Fairy Grass starts as a small tufted and jointed grass clump with no visible
seed head till approximately late October (refer Fact Sheet 1).
Prior to producing flowers and seed heads, accurate identification of Fairy
Grass is very difficult.
If you had seed heads present last summer / autumn there are likely to be
seeds within your garden which may have germinated.
If you need help with identification, bring a whole plant in a sealed plastic bag
to the Conservatory, Ballarat Botanical Gardens (open 7 days a week) and
leave your contact details. Our Botanical Gardens staff will be able to advise
you if it is Fairy Grass.
HOW TO MANAGE FAIRY GRASS GROWING IN MY GARDEN?
If Fairy Grass has germinated in your garden there are a number of ways you can
remove it (also applies to weeds):
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Remove the plant by digging the plant out, of the ground ensuring all roots
have been removed.
Regular cultivation of the garden with a hoe, tyned cultivator or digging over
garden beds.
Use of boiling water poured over the grass will kill the growth above ground,
but the roots may re-shoot. Being an annual the plant will die after repeated
loss of leaves as there is no underground storage organ.
Use of non selective herbicides such as those containing glyphosate.
Grass present in lawns, if mown regularly, will not present a problem as they
are unlikely to develop seed heads. It is most likely that Fairy Grass will be
out competed by other lawn species.
(Using Glyphosate to control Lachnagrostis filiformis, Fairy Grass is an off label use
of this chemical and is not recommended by manufacturers or the City of Ballarat.
Potential users are advised to contact the Department of Primary Industries for
advice before using Glyphosate for the control of Fairy Grass.)