Lockdown Weed Eradication - We would love your help!

We hope you are all doing well during Level 4 lockdown. You may find that you’re spending some time in the garden, and here’s a way you can help us with our ecological restoration project without leaving your property.

At Manawa Karioi as with all similar projects, controlling environmental weeds is a high priority. These are weeds that can take over an area thus preventing natural regeneration of native plants, or even kill off fully-grown native plants. This is especially true of vines, which will wrap themselves around trees and smother them.

Chris Livesey and Tom Box removing the Old Man’s Beard weed found at Manawa Karioi. See more photos on the NZ weedbusters site.

Chris Livesey and Tom Box removing the Old Man’s Beard weed found at Manawa Karioi. See more photos on the NZ weedbusters site.

We have spent more than 20 years knocking back some major infestations of Japanese Honeysuckle and Old Man’s Beard. In the last 5 years we have had to start doing the same with Climbing Asparagus, which has made an unwelcome appearance in a few locations.

We are doing well in reducing these 3 weeds at Manawa Karioi, and neighbouring reserves and groups such as Tawatawa Reserve, Paekawakawa reserve and Friends of Owhiro Stream are also knocking them back. We would love your help.

 We can eliminate these weeds, but if they are found in the gardens of properties on or near our boundaries, the seeds of these weeds can keep on reinvading. Take a look in your garden and see if they are present. If they are, try eradicating them. This will help prevent them from spreading to your neighbours and our reserve.  Below is a brief description of these weeds, information on how they spread, and how to eradicate them.

Climbing Asparagus - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos on the NZ Weedbusters website.

Climbing Asparagus - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos on the NZ Weedbusters website.

Climbing Asparagus (Asparagus scandens)

This is a vine that originates from South Africa. It tolerates deep shade and can invade even established forests. It grows quickly and can strangle smaller trees and shrubs. In open areas, it can form a dense mat and prevent seedlings from growing.

Tiny white flowers appear from Sept-Dec, followed by small round berries that change from green to red-orange when they ripen. Birds can eat the berries and spread the seed in their droppings.

If you find it in your garden, you need to make sure you dig the plant out by the roots using a garden trowel. Smaller vines can be carefully plucked out of the ground. If the stem snaps off at ground level, the vine will grow back. Climbing asparagus material with seeds should be bagged and put in a landfill. Whereas the plants without seeds can be hug up to dry then composted or put in the greenwaste after the tubers are completely dried out.

 Some herbicides for vines can also be used from September-April when the weather is warmer and the plants are experiencing active growth.

Japanese Honeysuckle - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos the NZ Weedbusters website.

Japanese Honeysuckle - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos the NZ Weedbusters website.

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

This weed was once commonly grown as an ornamental plant for the garden, sold in garden centres. Its’ stems grow more than 2 metres a year, smothering all in its’ path. It produces Creamy-yellow flowers from Sept-May, followed by black berries 5-7mm in diameter. Birds eat the berries, thus spreading the seed. Cut stems (sometimes dumped by lazy gardeners onto public reserves) can re-sprout and create new infestations.

It needs to be dug out by the roots, with stems and roots hung up to dry or disposed of in a rubbish bag or at the green waste section of the southern landfill.

 Some herbicides for vines can also be used from September-April, when the weather is warmer and the plants are experiencing active growth. 

Old Man’s Beard - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos on the NZ weedbusters site.

Old Man’s Beard - Photo: Carolyn Lewis. See more photos on the NZ weedbusters site.

Old Man’s Beard (Clematus vitalba)

This weed was once commonly sold in garden centres, and has spread into the wild in many parts of Aotearoa. It can be controlled by cutting stems and digging out the roots. Hang cut stems and roots up to wither and die, or dispose of in a rubbish bag or at the green waste section of the southern landfill.

Some herbicides for vines can also be used from September-April, when the weather is warmer and the plants are experiencing active growth.

If you can please have a look for these weeds in your garden and use this gardening time to get rid of them. Let us know what you’ve done too, it helps us monitor where these weeds are found outside of our boundaries.

If you know of occurrences of any of these weeds close to Manawa Karioi and you are unable to deal with them yourself (if they are not on your property, or they are on your property but the infestation is too large for you to deal with) please let us know. We are developing plans for extensive weed control in and around the areas of Manawa Karioi, Tawatawa Reserve, Paekawakawa Reserve and Owhiro Stream and a first step is to map the occurrence of these weeds in the area - any information you can provide will be very useful.

You can contact us here - manawakarioisociety@gmail.com

Written by Ross Gardiner

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