Broom and pine the focus of pest plant control in Manawatū

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

Wilding pines, such as these ones near Twizel, are keeping Manawatū conservationists busy.

The warm weather and rain may be great for the garden, but summer is also keeping conservation groups busy with getting rid of unwanted plants.

Horizons Regional Council has been giving out broom handles infested with gall mite, to help fight against broom.

Horizons pest plant co-ordinator Craig Davey said broom was a chronic problem for pasture growth, and some areas, such as steeper hill country, were not easily sprayed.

However, the broom gall mite, a microscopic mite that eats broom only, was doing a good job at controlling the weed.

* No need to head for the hills for a bed

* Gall mite introduced on Orari River, in South Canterbury**

'These mites create big ugly galls, or growths, on the plant, which stunts growth and eventually kills it,' Davey said.

'This is due to the plant sending all of its energy into fighting the galls instead of actually growing.'

The mites struggled to move from plant to plant, hence the need to give out broom handles to put on plants, he said.

People can contact Horizons to be put on a waiting list to get the mite.

Conservationists are also hard at work trying to eliminate wilding pines from the Ruahine Forest Park.

Wilding pines are introduced conifers that spread through self-seeding, with seeds travelling in the wind.

Department of Conservation acting Manawatū operations manager Nicole Sutton said it was a huge tasking getting rid of wilding pines, which were covering 5 per cent more land every year.

The plants sucked water from catchments, killed indigenous vegetation and added costs to farming, she said.

One of the main groups in Palmerston North is the Palmy Pine Pullers Posse, led by Anthony Behrens and Fiona Burleigh.

Behrens said the team of 10 volunteers had removed more than 7000 wilding pines in five years, pulling small saplings by hand and cutting larger ones down before pasting stumps with herbicide.

The first pulling was a hard experience, he said.

'We were cripples after a couple of hours, absolutely shattered.

'It's hard work but weirdly satisfying, because the impact of what we are doing is instant.'

The department has asked people to dispose of their Christmas trees responsibly, as opposed to dumping them, to avoid them taking root.

For more information about Palmy Pine Pullers Posse, email anthony@swampthing.co.nz.