Sweet Smell of Carpet Reuse

People say lavender has a calming effect, and if so, Andrew Hurley and Carol Waugh must be two very relaxed people. They have over 1000 lavender plants on their lifestyle block in the Waimakariri district, and thanks to some cunning carpet reuse, this year’s season is looking – and smelling – sweet.

Andrew and Carol inherited the plants when they bought their property, and thought they would give lavender production a serious go. Their problem was that the lavender plants were overrun with paddock grass and weeds, and they wanted a product which didn’t require herbicides.

Before Christmas 2004 Andrew and Carol invested in conventional polypropylene weed mat to control the problem, and then deposited 40 tonnes of gravel on top. “That’s around 1000 wheelbarrow trips” said Andrew, “and I have the long arms to prove it!”

Despite their investment in money, time and labour, within a month the weeds were returning. That is when Carol decided to try using old carpet as a weed mat.

They already knew about Waste Exchange, and had been casually scanning the material listings in Recycling Works for about five years. The Waste Exchange supplied carpet in batches, as it came to hand, and Carol laid it in sections until the entire garden area was completed. The process took approximately a year, and was completed early in December 2005. Before laying the carpet as weed mat Andrew and Carol had to ensure tacks or staples were removed, and then cut the carpet to the necessary sizes. Although it was time consuming, Andrew says using the old carpet has produced remarkable results.

“Last summer in late December you could still get a wheelbarrow in between the rows of plants. Now there is no way you could do that – without the weeds around them they are in full bloom.” An unexpected bonus has been that very little irrigation has been necessary this season. The combination of the old weed mat and gravel topped off by the carpet has ensured that the soil is kept sufficiently moist for excellent growth. Carol and Andrew expect four to five tiems the crop they got last season, and they hope to use it to make lavendar oil.