FAIRY GRASS FACT SHEET RURAL AREAS
DEALING WITH FAIRY GRASS IN RURAL 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 rural area in several ways:
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Seeds germinating in your pastures in low lying and wetter areas
Seed heads blowing across your property
Seed heads collecting on structures within your property
Seeds germinating in your garden beds or driveway areas
HOW TO MANAGE SEED HEADS BLOWING ON YOUR PROPERTY?
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Ensure there is no fairy grass growing and seeding on your property.
If seed heads have collected against homes or sheds 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
and some people may suffer skin irritation from abrasion from the stems and
seed heads.
Council can provide wool bale bags to landholders to assist with the collection
as disposal of fairy grass seed heads.
Bales can be provided by Council for you to compress the fairy grass seed
heads into and Council will collect the bales and dispose of 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 FAIRY GRASS IS GROWING ON MY PROPERTY?
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Prior to producing flowers and seed heads, accurate identification of fairy
grass is very difficult – see colour identification sheet for ligule detail (refer to
Fact Sheet 1)
If you had seed heads present last summer / autumn there are likely to be
seeds within your property 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 PASTURE?
If Fairy Grass has germinated on your property there are a number of ways you can
manage it (methods also apply to weeds).
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Ensure good identification knowledge of desirable pasture species
Avoid overgrazing
Aim for a healthy grass sward with good pasture management practices
HOW TO MANAGE FAIRY GRASS GROWING IN MY GARDEN BEDS AND
DRIVEWAY AREAS ?
If Fairy Grass has germinated and is growing there are a number of ways you can
remove it (methods also apply 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 after repeated loss
of leaves die as there is no underground storage organ.
Use of non selective herbicides such as those containing glyphosate.
(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
without special permit. Potential users are advised to contact the Department of
Primary Industries for advice before using Glyphosate for the control of Fairy Grass.)