Spring is when the garden wakes up, and when many of us attack it like it owes us money. ACC’s numbers suggest our bodies don’t always agree.

More than 200 Kiwis are injured in the garden every day, according to ACC. That adds up to an average of 76,000 claims a year, and it costs ACC around $120 million a year to help people recover.

In 2025 the total was higher again, at 79,169 gardening claims.

Who gets hurt

The over-50s account for most of those claims, ACC says. Among them, people aged 65 to 69 made the most claims (9,374), followed by those aged 60 to 64 (8,960) and 70 to 74 (8,830).

Claims climb as the weather warms. Last season they rose from 5,895 in September to 7,739 in October and 9,160 in November, and stayed above 7,000 a month through to March.

Auckland had the most claims last year at 25,423, followed by Canterbury (9,621), Waikato (8,275) and Bay of Plenty (6,130).

Around 85% of gardening injuries are soft-tissue injuries such as sprains and strains. Nearly half involve the back, neck or shoulders, and about 30% involve a fall.

ACC says many are caused by falls from trees and ladders while pruning, by moving and starting lawnmowers with poor technique, and by digging and shifting soil.

Have a hmmm first

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker understands the urge to get out and whip the garden back into shape. He’d just like people to stop and think before they start.

“But, before you go full weekend warrior ‘have a hmmm’ and ask yourself how you can make the job lighter, shorter and easier on your body,” he says.

Break big jobs into smaller chunks and take short breaks before you get tired, James says. Use a wheelbarrow and do several smaller loads rather than one heavy one.

For pruning, ACC’s advice is to stay out of the tree. Use a pole saw instead, which you can hire or borrow from a mate or neighbour, and get help with high-risk tree and hedge trimming.

On a ladder, use a stable set-up and don’t overstretch. Only prune what’s directly in front of you.

Digging injuries often come from jarring movements and hard soil, James says. Wet the ground a little first and loosen it with a garden fork. Then put your foot on top of the spade and use your body weight, rather than relying on your arms to push it in.

When you’re moving soil, keep your shoulders and hips lined up so you don’t twist. Take care moving and starting the mower, and keep hoses and tools out of walkways.

When a fall is the bigger worry

Falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, James says. One in three people over 65 injure themselves in a fall each year, he says, rising to one in two for those over 80.

ACC’s In-Home Safety initiative runs with community providers in six regions. People over 65, or over 55 with a history of falls, are offered a free home assessment. If it finds hazards, up to two grab rails and a non-slip bathmat can be installed at no cost.

ACC’s Live Stronger for Longer website (livestronger.org.nz) lists local strength and balance classes and has a check for your own falls risk.

The garden will still be there tomorrow. Doing it in halves is how you make sure you are too.