Organic Weed Control

Convolvulus

• Climbs
• Seeds spread by water

 Removal

• Pull as much as possible from ground
• Remove remaining roots as shoots appear

• Leave vines hanging in the trees, providing habitat and shade
• Crush lower stems and roots into a pile<
• Broken stems will regrow for over a year – monitor to prevent re-rooting

• Will regrow from fragments
• Very little seed produced

Ivy

• Vegetatively – by fragments
• Birds eat fruit

• Cut above ground level so the stem can be used to pull the root from the ground
• Remove remaining roots as shoots appear

• Piles by itself.  Roots on top of piles
• Monitor the piles 1-2 times a year until dried/decomposed

• Sprouts all along stem
• Berries – bluish/purple to black in colour
• Poisonous to eat
• Irritant to nose and eyes, shade/damp/frost tolerant
• Poison Ivy different species

Wattle

• Birds
• Seeds fallen from canopy

• Pull out, ring bark or cut

• Can leave anywhere ….. will not regrow

• Yellow flowers in May-Aug
• Seedpods contain 9 to 11 hard flat seeds
• Roots woody and spreading

Moth Plant

• Seeds carried by wind (up to 100m)

• Remove seedpod URGENTLY !!
• Cut at base
• Dig out roots

• Burn or destroy by hot composting …. prevent spread of composting seeds for at least five years

• Cream flower
• Seeds can germinate up to 5 yrs from time of being shed
• Abundant in open land
• Sap has harmful effect on humans and animals if eaten
• Irritates skin if in contact
• Smothers
• Shades out native plants

Banana Passionfruit

• Vegetatively (not common)
• Humans
• Animals

• Pulled or grubbed out

• Cut and leave in canopy
• Pull out remainder including roots

• Fruit is edible
• Smothers
• Flowers Jan – Dec
• Has three lobed leaves
• Can grow from small fragments at nodes

Privet - Chinese and Tree

• Birds
• Humans

• Cut at ground level or ringbark
• Cover stump with earth or other object
• Dig out if possible
• Monitor and remove regrowth from stump till completely dead

• Pile and leave to dry
• Monitor to uplift any rooting material
• Tree Privet used for firewood

• Purplish to black berries
• Chinese Privet fruit and leaves poisonous
• Insect pollinated
• Not wind dispersed
• Possible respiratory and sinus effects

Eleagnus

• Birds
• Seeds fallen from canopy

• Cut at ground level or ringbark
• Cover stump with earth or other object
• Dig out if possible
• Monitor and remove regrowth from stump till completely dead

• Cut branches can be left in canopy
• Useful for pathmaking
• Pile and leave to dry
• Monitor to uplift any rooting material

• Gold/silver underleaf
• Can cause breathing problems

Ginger (Kahili)

• Birds and vegetatively (tubers multiply)

• Dig or fork out entire tuber if possible without disturbing other vegetation
• Pull out by newest stem in direction of tuber growth
• All tubers must be eventually removed, over several years if necessary

• Compost in a pile; monitor regularly (1-4 times yearly) for regrowing tubers and seeds, turning as needed
• Hang single tubers/stems in trees (Stems and roots will NOT regrow)

• Flowers are lemon yellow with red seeds

Pampas

• Vegetatively and by seeds which are wind blown, up to a distance of 50 km

• Dig/Pull out
• Wear gloves as it has a sharp leaf
• Be ware of wasps nests in dry material

• Put in pile
• Monitor annually

• Increased fire risk due to large amount of dry matter
• Shade/frost/wet soil tolerant
• Can be distinguished from native Toetoe as it lacks a secondary vein between midrib and margin of leaf
• Dead leaves form ringlets around base

Umbrella Sedge/Purple Nutsedge

• Wind

• Pull out
• NB : Is often holding stream banks
• If some need to be left to hold banks, remove their seed heads to prevent spread until full removal

• Piles (contain seed heads)
• Monitor annually

• Native giant Umbrella Sedge exists

Dock

• Dig out and/or plant trees to shade out

• Put in piles

• Large broad green leaves
•  Large tap root
• Grows to 1.25m high
• Not invasive
• Shade intolerant
• Stock can help control

Mistflower:

• Wind
• Mechanical (water, people – clothing/footwear)

• Pull out

• Put in piles
• Monitor annually

• Woody perennial root is slow to compost
• Grows near stream banks
• Grows up to 1m high

Tradescantia (Wandering Jew)

• Vegetatively only (does not set seed in New Zealand

• Pull out as completely as is practical
• Do not drop fragments
• Remove regrowth 3-4 times a year until eradicated

• Piles – by itself
• Monitor the piles 3-4 times the first year and less each following year until fully decomposed

• Regrows from fragments
• Roots produced at nodes wherever they touch ground
• Found in damp/shady places
• Slow growing

Japanese Honeysuckle

• Birds
• Vegetatively

• Cut above ground level so the stem can be used to pull the root from the ground
• Remove remaining roots as shoots appear

• Leave vines hanging in the trees, providing habitat and shade
• Crush lower stems and roots into a pile
• Broken stems will regrow for over a year – monitor to prevent re-rooting

• Regrows from fragments
• Grazed by stock
• Strangles and outshades native plants
• Flowers Sept – May
• Frost/Wind tolerant
• Well adapted to low light

Acmena

• Birds
• Seeds fallen from canopy

• Cut at ground level or ringbark
• Cover stump with earth or other object.
• Dig out if possible
• Monitor and remove regrowth from stump till completely dead

• May grow from fragments

• Frost resistant
• Purple flowers
• Leaves have pungent smell

Montbretia

• Birds
• Vegetatively

• Pull out including bulb if possible, over successive seasons till underlying bulbs have shooted and been removed

• Separate pile for large quantities of bulbs
• Take years to decompose
• Monitor and turn top of pile annually or more

• Orange flower from Jan – Feb
• Is perennial

Blackberry

• Humans
• Birds
• Climbs/Scrambles

• Pull or dig out as much as possible
• Mulch thoroughly (organic carpet is effective and decomposes after a year or two)
• Rotary or hand slashing
• Shade out with other plants

• May grow from cuttings

• Shade tolerant

Climbing Asparagus

• Humans
• Birds
• Climbs/Scrambles

• Pull out including tuberous root

• Put into special pile and monitor or take to refuse transfer station

• Red/orange berries
• Can climb to three metres
• Roots can tangle with hosts
• Tubers spread up to 50 cm
• Is shade tolerant
• Dry/wet soil intolerant