Home › WeedFree

WeedFree at Home

in
image

The WeedFree Trust can assist private property owners in Auckland through:

Management Plans

A WeedFree Trust representative can visit your property. After consultation with you, they'll provide a written management plan for the long-term control of environmental weeds, and subsequent replanting of natives. The management plans are particularly useful for those with limited knowledge of weeds and natives, or with extensive weed infestation of native bush. There is a fee for this service, please contact us to discuss.

 

Advice over the phone and site visits

Staff, available most days, can provide advice on all aspects of invasive weed control. WeedFree can put you in touch with reliable contractors,  Auckland  Council biosecurity officers and keep you up to date with best practice around herbicide use. The WeedFree Trust is committed to herbicide reduction in Auckland.
 
If the problem cannot be worked out over the phone, a Trust staff member may be able to visit your property. There will be a fee for this service. Please contact us to discuss.

 

Ginger Drums

The Trust found that ginger rhizomes if roughly chopped, packed into plastic drums and covered with water, take about two months to die. Once neutralised in water they can be left in the bush to rot away. The drums are also an effective way to neutralise Tradescantia (wandering jew), Plectranthus, jasmine vines, schrub balsam and others.
 
The drums are best situated in areas well away from dwellings. They have metal clamp seals and are recycled from non-toxic sources. However, do not use them to hold drinking water. 

120 litre - $30 each
200 litre - $40 each

 

Weed Containment Bags

Are ideal for weeds like Tradescantia (wandering jew) and are designed to sit under shade in a bush area. Shaped like huge pillowcases and made from durable woven weed matting, the bags can measure 2m by 3m or even larger if required.
 
Tradescantia is raked up and dumped into the bags. When full, the top is sealed to keep the light out. Over six months, even if nothing else is added to assist break down, the biomass will shrink to almost half the size. The Trust is researching ways to dramatically reduce the time the weeds take to break down in the bags. Tradescantia does not set seed in New Zealand, so once it has rotted down the end result makes great compost.
 
The bags can be ordered through WeedFree Trust and if cared for, bags will last five years. They are made in West Auckland for the Trust.

The bags are available in 2 sizes:

Regular 1.8m x 1m - $35 each
Jumbo 1.8m x 3m - $40 each

 

War on Weeds Bags

As part of the War on Weeds project, the Trust supplies property owners in West Auckland with 10 free weed bags per year. About the size of household garbage bags, they are designed for the most pernicious invasive weeds that cannot normally be composted. The bags are ideal for disposing of seed heads, small infestations of Tradescantia, corms and bulbs. They are not designed to take bamboo or sharp sticks and branches. The Trust will organise pickup and removal of bags.

In the past, these weed bags have been made of plastic, and this has always been a concern to WeedFree Trust as plastic can remain in the environment for a very long time.  In 2009, we introduced new bags which are made of a material called Oxy-biodegradable plastic. This material is designed to break down completely when put into a composting or landfill situation.

 

Volunteer Help

WeedFree Trust can provide volunteers for private property owners, under certain conditions. The elderly, and those with reduced means or special needs, may contact us to see if they are eligible. Under certain circumstances we are able to provide Corrections workers to assist private property owners. The workers concerned do not have convictions for criminal offences and are usually completing Community Service as a result of drink driving offences. If appropriate, we will discuss this option with you.