Dig this - free Wharekai boysenberries

The plants at Wharekai Boysenberries are available to anyone who wants them, co-manager Ashley Fox says. PHOTO/ FILE

Ashley Fox and Peter Phillips have made the remaining Wharekai boysenberry plants available for local people to come and dig up - and this is the last weekend for that.

The two manage a hectare of boysenberries in the Whangaehu Valley, a remnant of a larger berry farm started 30 years ago on Nick Tripe's property. This year the plants are all being removed, because a fungal disease has spread through them.

A Facebook message in January made the plants and their irrigation system available to the public. Ms Fox was amazed by the response. Initially there were about 12 enquiries, but they grew.

"At a time when I'm busy on the farm people were messaging and ringing, so we gave the people of Whanganui/Manawatu/Rangitikei free reign in the orchard to remove any plants they wanted."

Word spread to around 7500 people in the district, and lots has been happening in the orchard.

"We could see where people had removed whole crowns or dug up the runner plants. We even found broken spades," Ms Fox said.

This weekend is the last chance for people to grab any plants.

The former berry garden is to be put back into grass when the plants are gone.