We are mostly left to work in our gardens and grow our plants unfettered by the huge bureaucratic monsters that clutter up other parts of our existence. Occasionally though they remind us that we are not forgotten, and find something they think we are doing wrong. Two plants that we grow have now been banned by the National Pest Plant Accord.
‘For New Zealand to be able to trade internationally, The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) must be confident that the products associated with agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and apiculture are free from unwanted pests and diseases.
The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is a cooperative agreement between the Nursery and Garden Industry Association, regional councils and government departments with biosecurity responsibilities.
All plants on the NPPA are unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993. These plants cannot be sold, propagated or distributed in New Zealand.’
www.biosecurity.govt.nz/nppa
Plants are often put on this list to prevent their spread into our native bush where they may compete successfully with the existing ecosystems.
This Cestrum is frost tender for most of the South Island, and I have never seen seedlings come up, but in the North it perhaps could become quite a pest. It does have the most divine exotic perfume in the warm summer evenings.
As beautiful and deliciously fragrant as this Clerodendron is, I have to admit it can be rather a beast. I do see lovely trees in gardens growing most politely, but at my place it has suckered. I will miss it though, I do not know another plant quite like it.
My new solution to this problem I think must be to start saving so we can visit these foreign unwanted plants in their own environment. Lets hope where they come from has not been cluttered up by some other country’s pests.
Loosen up the soil around the sides and bottom of the hole. Then get the garden hose and fill the hole with water. While you are waiting for the water to drain away, fill a bucket with water and put the plant still in the pot or bag into the bucket of water. Leave it there with the pot submerged until no more bubbles of water come up. This way you will know for certain there is no dry soil around the plant roots. When all the water has gone from the dug hole, back fill the hole with a mixture of the soil and compost, leaving room for the plant. Remove the plant from its pot carefully. If there is a thick mass of roots at the bottom, cut them off with a spade and gently loosen the roots at the side. Not all plants will need this. Then place the plant in the prepared hole at a depth at least 10 mm below soil surface. Cover the root-ball with the soil/compost mixture, gently firming it around the root ball. Gently water the plant in very well. For best success follow up by spreading a good depth of mulch over the ground. 
Of course I am incredibly opinionated about how one should plant and water, but I do see that most people never give the plant enough water when they first plant it. They also tend to plant them too shallow. Those of you in high rainfall areas will not have to be so careful, those of us that have hot dry summers though must set our plants up with every chance of survival. Mostly people never water as much or as well as they intend too, life at the beach in summer is much more inviting.
can perch up high and provide a symphony of song for our pleasure. I try and leave plenty of leaf and twig litter over the soil this encourages insect life which gives food for many other birds including the inquisitive fantail. As well as providing a mulch and compost.
