Management Information
Physical: Plants may be dug out. All seedlings must be removed to prevent regeneration. Stalks and roots are difficult to burn and should not be composted. Even small root fragments will resprout. Chemical: Treat with herbicide. Escort 25 gm/100 l water + 0.1% Pulse; Roundup 2% + 0.2% Pulse and Amitrole. If in doubt, use concentrations as recommended by the manufacturer. Apply from spring to late autumn. Spray lightly on the leaves and roots. Do not remove the leaves or stalks until they have gone brown and dried out. This will take three to four months. During spraying, non-target plants can be shielded with cardboard or plastic sheets. The use of a marker dye helps to avoid double spraying and wastage, and a foaming agent can be added to the spray to prevent drift.
For larger plants, the cut stump method can be used. Cut the base of the plant close to the ground with a straight flat cut. The cut must be horizontal so the herbicide will stay on the cut area and be absorbed. Apply the herbicide as instructed on the label to the stems and roots. Apply immediately, as the sap ceases to flow once the tissues are severed. There are several convenient ways the application can be made, with a paintbrush, eye dropper or a small squeeze bottle. This method uses less spray and reduces the risk to non-target plants. Make sure you leave the plants in the ground until the roots have died off.
Another approach is to cut and remove all stalks and leaves and rake away ground litter to expose the roots. The roots should then be sprayed, covered with leaves, and left. Don't use this method after the flowering heads have formed seeds. The spray will have noticeable effects in three months, but the plant will take 12 to 15 months to fully die and rot. With all spraying make sure to read the instructions on the manufacturer's label closely and always wear protective clothing (NZ Department Of Conservation).
Location Specific Management InformationAuckland Region (New Zealand)
Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand. Important to Remove rhizomes also. Do not compost, put out with domestic rubbish. Roundup, Escort and Amitrole sprayed lightly on leaves and roots will completely kill plant in three to four months. Auckland Region (New Zealand)
H. gardnerianum and H. flavescens has been designated as a Surveillance, Community Initiative and Containment Pest by the Auckland Regional Pest Management Pest Management Strategy 2002-2007. Please see Hierarchy of Plant Designations for an explanation of designation terminology.
The objectives of the management strategy are to prevent the spread of and, where practicable, reduce infestations of H. gardnerianum and H. flavescens over the next five years, from the Waitakere and Hunua Ranges Weed Control Zones, and Great Barrier Island; and to restrict their further spread by humans over the next 10 years. Bay of Plenty Region (New Zealand)
Digging is effective for removing small stands, providing all roots are removed intact and disposed of properly. The standard chemical control with herbicide is effective also. Wild ginger is a total control plant pest in the Bay of Plenty region. Occupiers of land are required to control all wild ginger plants growing on their land. (When using herbicide, read the label thoroughly and follow all instructions) Coromandel Peninsula (New Zealand)
Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand. Important to Remove rhizomes also. Do not compost, put out with domestic rubbish. Roundup, Escort and Amitrole sprayed lightly on leaves and roots will completely kill plant in three to four months. Nelson (New Zealand)
H. flavescens has been designated as a 'Progressive control pest' by the the Tasman-Nelson Regional Pest Management Strategy. The strategy has its effect over the combined area that lies within the administrative boundaries of the Tasman District Council and Nelson City Council. The objective of the strategy is to reduce the distribution and density of H. flavescens in the Golden Bay/Kaiteriteri area during the term of the Strategy. Please see Hierarchy of Plant Designations for an explanation of designation terminology. New Zealand
Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand. Important to Remove rhizomes also. Do not compost, put out with domestic rubbish. Roundup, Escort and Amitrole sprayed lightly on leaves and roots will completely kill plant in three to four months. New Zealand
Kahili ginger flowers can be cut and dropped on the ground prior to the seeds being formed. If seeds are present put the flower heads into a bag for disposal with the household rubbish. Flowerhead removal will not kill the plant but it will stop it seeding. Digging is an effective method of removing small stands of wild ginger, providing all the roots are removed intact and disposed of safely at an authorised refuse transfer station.
Wild ginger can also be controlled by killing it with Escort™ herbicide. Be careful not to spray desirable neighbouring plants. Spray the leaves, stems and root system making sure that coverage is complete. Wait until stalks and leaves brown off before removing them. Escort™ should be mixed at 2.5 grams per 5 litres water plus 10 mls of a spreader/sticker like Pulse®.
For larger applications mix Escort™ at 25 grams per 100 litres water, adding 100 mls of spreader/sticker. Escort™ is available in small packs at most garden centres and larger quantities can be bought at farm supply stores. If the wild ginger plants are too tall for convenient spraying they can be chopped down to the rhizomes which should be sprayed immediately. This method means less herbicide is used and there is less chance of drift. The effects of the herbicide (plant death) are noticeable after
3 months, although rhizomes may take 12 to 15 months to rot away. Northland Region (New Zealand)
Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand. Important to Remove rhizomes also. Do not compost, put out with domestic rubbish. Roundup, Escort and Amitrole sprayed lightly on leaves and roots will completely kill plant in three to four months. Reunion (La Réunion) 
Various control methods have been trialed in Réunion. Chemical methods tested (based on picloram -Tordon 22K® or metsulfuron methyl - Allié®) do not seem to be an effective way to contain the invasion in the long term. A method combining cutting stems and grubbing rhizomes considerably reduces the invasion but at very high costs and it possibly causes disturbance to the natural environment and soil, which is not necessarily acceptable (Hivert, 2003). Taranaki Region (New Zealand)
H. flavescens is classified as a 'Containment pest plant' in the The Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki. 'Containment pest plants' are pest plants that are abundant in suitable habitats in a region or part of a region and for which the long-term goal is to prevent the spread of the plant to new areas or to neighbouring properties.
Each pest plant has a management programme according to its designation. These programmes are summarised in the series of bulletins 'Pest Plant Facts'. Please see kahili ginger: H. flavascens for pest plant facts and management programmes. Tasman District (New Zealand)
H. flavescens has been designated as a 'Progressive control pest' by the the Tasman-Nelson Regional Pest Management Strategy. The strategy has its effect over the combined area that lies within the administrative boundaries of the Tasman District Council and Nelson City Council. The objective of the strategy is to reduce the distribution and density of H. flavescens in the Golden Bay/Kaiteriteri area during the term of the Strategy. Please see Hierarchy of Plant Designations for an explanation of designation terminology.
Management Resources/Links
2. Auckland Regional Council, 2002. Wild ginger.
Summary: Pest Factsheet on both Hedychium gardnerianum and H. flavescens, including information on ecology, impacts and control options.
Available from: http://www.arc.govt.nz/arc/library/q41276_2.pdf 5. Hivert, J. 2003. Plantes exotiques envahissantes - Etat des méthodes de lutte mise en oeuvre par l'Office National des Forêts à La Réunion. ONF Réunion.
Summary: Synthèse des méthodes de lutte employées par l'ONF à la Réunion contre une vingtaine de plantes exotiques envahissantes. 7. National Pest Plant Accord, 2001. Biosecurity New Zealand.
Summary: The National Pest Plant Accord is a cooperative agreement between regional councils and government departments with biosecurity responsibilities. Under the accord, regional councils will undertake surveillance to prevent the commercial sale and/or distribution of an agreed list of pest plants.
Available from: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests-diseases/plants/accord.htm [Accessed 11 August 2005] 8. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, 2005. Unwanted Organisms. Factsheet Hedychium flavescens
Summary: The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network (NZPCN) provides information about New Zealand's most weedy exotic plant species and how to identify them. They also provide an on-line form to record observations of weed occurrences.
This page available from: http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/exotic_plant_life_and_weeds/index02.asp?Filter=h&FilterStatus=1
Lists of Exotic Plant life and Weeds available from: http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/exotic_plant_life_and_weeds/advanced_search.asp [Accessed 19 May 2005] Results Page: 1
|
