“Weed Management on Quadra Island” with local horticulturist Kai Gogolin

Join Kai as he talks about the different techniques he has learned over the years for effectively controlling weeds. He will talk about:

• What are weeds?
• Mindset towards weeds
• Weed Management strategies
  • Timing – seasonal and weather
  • Barriers – structural
  • Mulch – different kinds of mulch and application considerations
  • Landscape fabric and tarps – pro and cons
  • Herbicides and flames – how they work.
• Quadra Island Weeds & Invasives
  • A selection of local weeds – identification and specific problems

     

About Kai:

Gardening and Nature have always been a passion for Kai. Over the years he has developed a deep connection and understanding towards the needs of plants and soils.

Kai worked as an arborist tree climber, pruning trees in and around the city of Berlin for many years. He took a 3 year Training as a Horticulturist and Landscape Gardener back in 2003 in his native Germany. He came to Canada in 2007 and worked for 2 years in Vancouver as a horticulturist, before becoming the head gardener at Sonora Resort on Sonora Island. This job gave him the great opportunity to study the ways the local climate and conditions around the Discovery Islands influences a garden. A big part of his work was the management of weeds, and the 6 years at the Resort gave him a great opportunity to come up with strategies that work to optimize this important part of gardening.

In 2014 Kai moved to Quadra Island and started a small gardening business. It has been close to 10 years now and he feels privileged working for many of the lovely people of Quadra Island, taking care and helping them with their gardening needs. Over the years Kai has gained a lot of insight and understanding into the specific ways of how Quadra Island Gardeners are faced with the issue of weeds in their gardens. It also gave him plenty of opportunities to come up with solutions to manage weeds.