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Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 1:53
| I've been spending a great deal of time in recent months planting native trees on my land. The site is on the Sunshine Coast and the land is gently sloping with about 4 - 5 inches of top soil. Below that is clay and shillet/shale. The ph is 5.5 - 6. much of the ground is thickly matted with Themeda triandra Kangaroo Grass. The planting proceedure that I have adapted is to brushcut close to the ground a 4 foot circle. I then loosen up that soil with a pickaxe, turn over and break up the grass root clumps. I spread a light coat of dolomite and a heavier coat of gypsum over this circle. In the middle section I pickaxe deeply but dont bring any of the subsoil to the top, just decompact below ground. Into the centre I then mix a little less than half a bucket of potting mix, similar to what is in the pot with the plant. I mix this with the top soil and the scoop out a well in the middle and add a small quantity of water crystals. Just covering these crystals with the mix, I then plant the tree (having plunged the pot into a bucket of water first). I firm the young plant in with my hands and then use the chisel end of the pickaxe to cut a narrow channel either side of the planting cicle, on the upward side to catch water and direct it into the circle. The soil from this narrow trench is then drawn down and used to make a small 'retaining' wall below the plant to retain water. I then sprinkle a handful of dynamic lifter over the circle, water well and then heavily mulch with hay. If I'm planting anything that needs extra drainage, I use some blocks or logs of timber to make a bit of a retaining wall on the down side and then bring in a barrow load of topsoil, that was saved from the same site. So far the plants have all responded really well. I still have a lot more plants to place in the ground. I would be interested in any comments on possible improvements I can make. I want to maximise growth on this new site. It is land that is set aside under the 'Land for wildlife'; I'm coming up to retirement age and want to enjoy the trees and wildlife before I fall off my perch! This method is quite time consuming, each tree can take 15 - 20 mins to plant but thankfully I enjoy the process and always come away feeling spiritually enlightened. Happy gardening and thank you Jan |
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| Hi Jan. I doubt if I could improve on your process. A few things do spring to mind - like frost protection, protection from hares, wallabies etc, and surrounding the plants with plastic tree guards to keep the humidity up around the young plants if the weather is dry - but perhaps none of these are relevant to you. I also do wonder whether the dolomite and gypsum are necessary, but I suppose you have considered the soil pH? (remembering that rainforest plants like it acid). Do you know what your land's pre-European vegetation would have been? Did it grow rainforest back then? If it did, then the soil mightn't need modification apart from an initial dose of fertiliser, and plenty of mulch. A lot of rainforest grows on shallow soils. As the hay breaks down you might consider a more lasting organic mulch. But these are all only thoughts. It sounds to me as though you are doing a great job, and I wish you well with your project. I think you're setting yourself up very well indeed for many years of deep enjoyment. Cheers, Trish |
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| Jan, all sounds well on what hard work you ae doing. Trish your suggestions are also extremely helpful, rainforset soil is mostly leaf litter decomposing. my only suggestion is to perhaps create swales on your sloping ground, which will also retain any water runoff when it rains, and leaf litter collects behaind the swales. Do your plantings on the swales with mulch . great to hear people like yourself reclaming the landscape. much luck. Sye |
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| What is it they used to say? No good putting a $20 plant in a $2 hole - or something like that. Sounds like you're giving everything a great shot, and its amazing how quickly things can come away when given a good start. Hope you are keeping pics of your progress. |
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| Hi Trish, Sye and Alison, Thank you for your encouragement, apologies for delay in responding (computer probs :-( ) Yes I get very excited every time I visit my block and see the growth of my 'babies'! Thankfully I haven't had too much problem with pests other than a few caterpillars but then it is land for wildlife. I have a family of grey roos but they seem to avoid the plants with just the occasional one that seems to have been knocked over. Alison I rarely pay more that $1.60 for a plant, more usually just a dollar if I haven't produced my own. I always pot my plants into a 125 or 140 pot and they get planted as strong plants and don't usually look back. As a Pom I'm constantly amazed at the rapid growth that plants make in the sub-tropics; I year's growth over here seems to equate with three years in the UK! Thanks again and happy gardening |
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| Sounds like you are giving your plants a good start. I am curious to know if the area you are planting into was, or is a rainforest community ? Have you had the land surveyed by the LFW experts ? Are you putting in plants that are local provenance ? I am not sure how closely you want your land to be rehabilitated, as these are issues I have pondered on myself, in the past. Good on you for doing the planting, I hope you do get to enjoy your lovely rainforest. |
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- Posted by wollemia_tc Gold Coast Hint (My Page) on Sat, Aug 28, 10 at 7:58
| Jan, I woudn't worry too much about local provenance, all species are enriched by genetic material from others of their species. Thats why nature made sex such fun. Its your garden, select what you like from the species that grow in your region, but dont be put off if you like something from a bit further afield. I started turning a cow paddock into rainforest 20 years ago and the process is still ongoing. I was there today and as I looked around the tall trees at lunchtime, I felt a swell of pride and attachment to the place. The phases your project will go through are inspiring. Best wishes. |
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| Thank you for the encouragement, interest and advice. A lot of the plants are of local provenance (many from regeneration) but as someone who has spent a lifetime passionate about plants, when I was gardening professionally in the UK, I do love variety as well! I am very lucky to have a couple of good mates who spent many years working for Fairhill Nursery before they retired and one of them, Phil, did a lot of their seed collecting; these two have been very generous in their knowledge and with 'special' plants so I do also have a lot of natives that are not of local provenance as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing this garden/wildlife plot develop and flourish - I just hope I'm around long enough to see it reach some form of maturity. Even now in these early stages (I do have quite a lot of mature trees as well) I get an immense pleasure from spending quiet times amongst these trees! At this point I would also recommend strongly the "Land for Wildlife Scheme" that is run through the local authorities. Thank you all for your interest and Happy Gardening. Cheers Jan |
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| Hi ! Maybe you think I am crazy, but making the hole could be much easier: Best Regards ! |
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- Posted by MarkusMaximus Qld (My Page) on Mon, Nov 5, 12 at 7:17
| I've found Melia azedarach (White Cedar) and Macaranga tenarius really helpful pioneer species in revegetation - Macaranga is like a nutrient mine - deep roots, fast growing, nutrient rich leaf litter and good early canopy. The White Cedar is bulletproof, fast growing and deciduous. Hope that helps. |
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