Help needed to get rid of flax

Anyone on Kapiti Coast who could chop out and get rid of large flax

Place an auction for your flax, maybe $1.00 buy now, saying buyer must remove, good luck, someone will be interested.

I feel your pain when it comes to getting rid of flax. It can be a real nightmare to deal with, especially if it's taken over a large area. But fear not, there are a few things you can do to get rid of it for good.

The first step is to chop out the flax. This can be a real workout, especially if you're dealing with a lot of plants. You'll want to use a sharp spade or garden knife to cut as much of the plant as possible. Try to get down as far as you can, as flax has a deep root system that can be difficult to fully remove.

Once you've chopped out as much of the flax as you can, it's time to dispose of it. This can be a bit tricky, especially if you've got a lot of plants to get rid of. You can try composting the flax, but be aware that it can take a long time to break down. Alternatively, you can try contacting your local council to see if they offer green waste removal services.

If you don't have the time or energy to chop out the flax yourself, you might want to consider hiring a professional to do it for you. There are plenty of gardening and landscaping companies out there that specialize in this kind of work, and they can save you a lot of time and effort.

Another option to consider is using herbicides to get rid of the flax. There are a number of products on the market that are designed to kill off unwanted plants, including flax. However, you'll want to be careful when using these products, as they can be harmful to other plants and animals if not used properly.

Ultimately, the best approach will depend on the size and scope of your flax problem, as well as your own personal preferences. If you're up for a bit of a workout and don't mind getting your hands dirty, chopping out the flax can be a great way to take control of your garden. But if you'd rather leave it to the professionals or use herbicides, that's okay too.

Whatever approach you choose, just remember that getting rid of flax can be a long and difficult process. But with a bit of determination and effort, you can transform your garden into a beautiful and inviting space that you can be proud of. Good luck!

Love this. Several years ago I saw a similar post. One poster said "with a tractor". But I agree. A friend of mine recently moved into one of her own rentals and its over run with agapantha's. I told her to put them on TradeMe. Bingo, all gone.

Yes I did love agapanthas, and planted a whole bank with them (we have a 1/2 acre section) then hubby decided they were a pain, so I dug and dug and placed them in black plastic bags to die, yes they died, but now on that bank I have weeds galore. and I miss my agapanthas as they didnt let the weeds grow. I remember placing an advert on supermarket noticeboard asking for flax, I got a call from a man telling me I can have his flax, so off I went with my spade. The man sat and watch while I dug and dug the flax and finally got it free and placed in car. The young chap was in his early thirties and I was in my late 50's, but I got that flax haha. Afew years later - who wants my flax hahahaha., but the tuis love the flax flowers. Now what should I get hocked on this year?

List it on Kapiti Freecycle. Did that with a youngish pepper tree that I needed dug out and taken away, and I had people falling over themselves to get it. Twenty four hours later it was gone. Have also obtained plants myself from Freecycle by digging them from other people's gardens.

I assume your tree was transportable. My flax is huge and needs to be chopped up and disposed off.

Someone might still want to dig it out in bits for mass planting. That's what I did with someone's unwanted MASSIVE astelia - took it home in bits.

Costs you nothing try, and if you word it right, ie for someone else's benefit, as well as yours, you never know your luck.

Big flaxes can be chopped out in 'fans' (I use an axe or a spade) and each fan that has roots (most do after being 'chopped out') can be planted as a new flax plant (cut leaves back so new shoots grow).

Big flaxes can be removed using a strop and a quad or 4-wheel drive too.
Need to be careful with tensioning the strop. ( don't want the strop slipping, that can be dangerous). For the job a webbing tie down or chain can be used.

another very successful method is to dig a trench down about 400mm around the back edge and partly along the sides, put a single loop of wire around in the bottom and pull with a quad or car towbar, it will slide across under the roots and cut the clump, a simple pull on the head will tip it on its side, from there its very easy to break up

I removed a large one by cutting all the leaves off at the base where they are fleshy not fibrous with a bread knife. Then spade the base/rootball out easily by digging around and under, they are shallow rooted. Didn't take that long .

Mine is at bottom of sloping section surround by a deck and fence. Not able to get any machinery anywhere near it.

I wish I were closer, I'd take in in a shot, currently have room for 100 or more plants
I'll tear a big one out somewhere local and split that up this week

put an auction up, flax for removal, too far away for me but I'll bet there will be a scrap over who gets digging rights