If you’re not sure exactly what weed you’ve got growing in your flower bed, garden or field, the students at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon can help.

This is the third summer they are opening their Weed identification Garden to the public growing close to 80 common weed species at different grow stages.  Signage identifies the species to those who want to peruse, and help is available for further discussion.

Danielle Tichet Instructs at the School of Business, Agriculture and Environment at Brandon’s ACC.  She says the Weed Identification Garden is a terrific resource for anyone who is managing any type of weed that is common in Manitoba.

“Whether it be in a field situation, their lawn, their garden, their flower bed, wherever,” she says, “we just want the public to be aware that the Weed Garden is open and it’s a really good opportunity to come in and get a really good up-close-and-personal-look at them if you’re having trouble identifying a weed you’ve got.  This way you can compare what you have to what we’ve got growing in the Weed Garden.”

The Agri-Business Instructor say the Weed Garden benefits both growers who need to identify a specific weed, and the Ag students at ACC as they are becoming familiar with the plants now in the early growing stage as well as later in the fall.

“When the students come back in the fall, either they are beginning their first year in the program or they are returning to their second year. We always spend some time in the Weed Garden just refreshing skills, starting to build their identification skills because it’s so much better to be able to do it with live weed specimens as opposed to always having to learn out of a book or from pictures.”

“Often, when we can learn how something smells, or how it feels, it can also be very helpful with its identification.  It’s nice to have those live specimens to work with so we try to utilize them as much as possible.”

Tichet says they have a wide variety of weed species, including perennials and annual, both native and non-native to Manitoba. 

“Currently everything that we have in the garden right now can be found somewhere in the province. Whether, it is something that is very common and wide-spread, or something that is more niche-like and found in only one or two areas in the province.”

“We’ve put species next to one another that can be easily confused so that you can take a look at them side by side and get a chance to get a little more comfortable telling them apart.  We’ve tried to do that as much as possible,” she says. 

You are welcome to bring your own questionable weeds or pictures for identification purposes. “We’ve also got some resources for those who have identified a specific weed, and how to manage it,” Tichet adds.

The Weed Identification Garden is located at the ACC North Hill campus at the Sustainable Greenhouse, and is open to the public Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm for self-guided tours.  Enter from Lori Road and follow the signs.

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Tichit, BSc Ag, P.Ag
Instructor
School of Business, Agriculture and Environment
tichitdm@assiniboine.net<;mailto:tichitdm@assiniboine.net>;
204.725.8700 ext 6217