Ready to compare guards — also called plant shields or spray guards? All three are biodegradable and New Zealand made — the right choice comes down to your site conditions, project scale and budget. Here’s how they compare.
| EcoShield Pro | EcoShield Core | EcoShield Base | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Wax-coated fibreboard | Corrugated cardboard | Corrugated cardboard mulch plate |
| Best for | Wet, exposed or high-browsing-pressure sites | Dry sites with regular maintenance | Weed suppression & moisture retention, used alongside a guard |
| Typical lifespan | 12 months – 3+ years, depending on conditions | 6 months – 2 years, depending on conditions | 3 – 12 months |
| Wholesale price/unit (excl. GST) | $1.25 | $0.69 | $0.32 |
| Retail price/unit (excl. GST) | $1.43 | $0.83 | $0.39 |
All prices exclude GST and freight, and are current as of our 2026 price list. Email us to order at current wholesale pricing. Ordering 10,000+ units across multiple pallets? We’ll put together a custom quote instead.
EcoShield Pro
Our most durable guard, made from wax-coated fibreboard — best suited to wetter sites, where the extra waterproofing matters most. Typically lasts 12 months to 3+ years, depending on site conditions. Also built for exposed coastal sites, high wind, and areas with heavy browsing pressure, where plants need protection for longer before they’re established.
EcoShield Core
Our first choice for dry sites that will get regular maintenance, with solid sides and no holes for full spray protection and shading. Typically lasting 6 months to 2 years depending on site conditions. A cost-effective, reliable option for restoration and riparian planting programmes at scale.
EcoShield Base
A corrugated cardboard mulch plate and weed mat, not a stand-alone guard — used alongside EcoShield Pro or EcoShield Core. In some settings, such as riparian plantings among sedges and grasses on flood-prone sites, it’s sometimes used on its own and pinned down with bamboo stakes. It lasts 3–12 months, long enough to suppress weed growth through the critical early establishment period without needing to be hand-released from inside the guard — a real time saving, and it often means noticeably stronger growth in those first few months.
Maintenance Matters
Guard lifespan depends heavily on site conditions. On a dry, well-maintained site, guards last towards the longer end of their range. On an unmaintained site where guards stay in constant contact with wet vegetation or weeds, they break down faster. Keeping the base of your plants clear is the single biggest factor in how long your guards last.
Solid Sides, No Holes
All our guards are made with solid sides — no holes, no fancy cut-outs, no printed ink. Plastic guards are usually solid-sided too, but the sealed plastic causes a hot-house effect: heat and light build up inside, promoting weed growth and, on hot days, scorching the plant itself. It also breaks down into microplastics over time, and has to be physically collected once plants are established — a job cardboard never needs, as our restoration partners have found in the field.
Most other cardboard guards go the opposite way, cutting holes or patterns into the sides — but that lets herbicide spray straight through to the seedling, and weakens the guard, making it easier for pests like pūkeko to tear apart.
Our guards let light in at the top only: cooler for the roots, self-shading out weeds as the seedling grows, with the bonus of better moisture retention. Pairing with an EcoShield Base weed mat covers the first six months, before the seedling itself takes over. After years and hundreds of thousands of plants in the ground, solid, simple and robust wins — no holes, no gimmicks, just cardboard built to do the job, then left to break down naturally.
Angled Base for Sloping Ground
Both EcoShield Pro and EcoShield Core have a base with one flat edge and one angled edge. On flat ground, use the flat edge down and the guard sits flush all the way around as normal. On a slope, simply flip the guard so the angled edge follows the downhill side — an instant slope-adjusted fit, no extra parts or cutting needed. Without that adjustment, a guard on sloping ground leaves a gap on the downhill side, which lets the seedling grow out sideways (leaving it exposed to spray) and lets light reach the soil at the base, encouraging weed growth right where you don’t want it.
Don’t Forget Stakes
Every guard needs a stake to hold it in place — we recommend two per guard for stability. We offer free recycled bamboo stakes for customers who collect from our yard, or new 0.6m, 8–10mm bamboo stakes for $0.17 each (excl. GST), also available as a 500-pack for $75 (excl. GST). See our FAQ for more detail.
Need Help Comparing Guards?
Tell us about your site — exposure, browsing pressure, plant type and project scale — and we’ll recommend the right combination. Email plantguard@pm.me or call 021 844 665.