Tips for gardeners

Some of the plants in your garden or pond can become invasive species if they spread beyond your garden border. Invasive plants cause harm to native wildlife and the environment, the economy, and even our health and the way we live. Learn more about their impacts.

You can help to protect the environment by following three simple steps to Be Plant Wise:

Know what you grow Choose the right plants for your garden, pond, aquarium and water feature.

• Research plants before you buy them to make sure they are suitable for your needs, easy to dispose of, and won’t be invasive. Garden centre staff may be able to help.
• Consider native plants, or choose non-invasive alternatives.
• Never take plants from the wild or bring plants, seeds, flowers, fruit or vegetables home from abroad, it can be illegal and may damage the environment. Don’t risk it!
• Take care when sharing plants or cuttings as you may accidentally pass on invasive plants, pests, or plant diseases.
• Did you know that it’s illegal to share or sell some garden and pond plants?

Stop the spread Keep your plants in your garden – don’t plant them or allow them to grow or disperse into the wild.

 

• Let local native plants flourish in the wild- we don’t always know which plants will be a problem so it’s really important not to plant or dispose of any garden plants in the wild, even those that are native to the island of Ireland.
• Aquatic plants can be particularly invasive if they are introduced to a river, stream or lake.
• Keep plants you are unfamiliar with to areas you can keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t ‘jump the fence’ and spread into the wild, especially in gardens bordering the countryside. Pull out any runners and seedlings that start to spread.
• If you have an invasive plant in your garden, remove seed heads and pods regularly and dispose of them carefully to stop them spreading on the wind.
• Help prevent future invasions, report plants which are spreading in your garden and proving hard to control.
• Wash garden tools regularly if you use them in other people’s gardens or for voluntary work in the countryside to keep them free of plant fragments, seeds or plant diseases.
• Do not swap garden plants, compost or any soil with your friends or neighbours if you have invasive flatworms present.

Compost with care Dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds and seeds responsibly making sure nothing gets into the wild.

• Make sure nothing you remove from your garden, pond, or aquarium gets into the wild, you could be breaking the law if it does. Fly tipping green waste can have serious irreversible environmental impacts.
• Most plants can be composted or put in your garden waste bin but remember to check what your local council will accept, and whether you have any invasive plants that can’t be composted. Keep an eye out for regrowth in your compost heap and make sure it is broken down properly before using it in your garden.
• Be aware that some invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, have extra controls around their disposal.
• Control invasive species with care – where possible, hand pick invasive plants from your garden or pond. If you choose to use herbicides when controlling an invasive species, make sure you read all of the product label and adhere to all recommended health and safety guidelines. Remember that some herbicides will not be suitable for use in water. If in doubt, do not proceed with herbicide use.

Extra tips for pond and aquarium plants

Ponds can create a wonderful feature to be enjoyed all year round and are often a haven for wildlife. However, if they are not cared for properly some pond plants can take over your pond. They can also become established in the wild, where they can smother our native plants, clog our waterways, exacerbate flooding and remove oxygen from the water, which can harm fish.

Pond owners, gardeners, aquarists, anglers and other water users can unknowingly assist the spread of aquatic plants into our countryside. These plants can rapidly become major environmental problems with expensive associated costs.

If you have a pond, always try to:

• Buy your new pond plants bare root. If you buy one potted in soil or compost, wash this off the roots over a bucket and give the whole plant a quick rinse before planting to remove any seeds or unwanted plant fragments.
• Use this, and any other waste water from your pond or aquarium, on your lawn or to water plants in your garden, in areas that are a good distance from waterbodies or drains that flow into them.
• If your pond is near to a wetland or waterbody avoid using any plants which aren’t native to the local area and if any invasive plants appear, remove them before they spread.
• Add unwanted aquatic plants to your home compost or use them as mulch in dry borders, keeping away from waterbodies or drains.
• Protect pond life by leaving any plants you’ve removed on the edge of the pond to drain for a few hours before disposing of them to allow any wildlife to return to the water.
• Pond animals and fish should never be released into the wild either. They may not survive, and if they do they could harm native wildlife.