Growing and Planting native trees in remnant bushland

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Steveg, Mar 10, 2009.

  1. Steveg

    Steveg Junior Member

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    Hi All.

    I have been growing Tuart trees in my backyard for the past couple of years. I grow them from seed and plant them into 200mm pots. I then plant them in some remnant bushland In Warwick Open Space (WA) which is a nature reserve. WHich is prominent for Tuart, Jarah and banskia with introduced Marri around it's perimeter. I have noticed that no Tuart trees are regenerating hence I am trying to boost the numbers in the area

    I planted 16 large seedlings (almost sapling) on Anzac day 2008. There are still eight still living and look like they have estabilshed.

    1 or two died almost immidiately after planting. The rest have died recently due to lack of rain over the summer months< but the rest are thriving> 1 confimred failure was caused by white ants eating out the base of the sapling.

    I didn't use any mulch and only used the fertiliser that was in the pot when I planted them.

    I have a new batch on the go and am waiting for the rains to start, but this time I will mulch all the plantings.

    I am also experimenting with growing some large saplings in 450mm rocket pots. I have a few of these which are quite large and have the view to moving these into the bushland.

    I would dearly love any tips or advice that would make my success rate a little higher. This is a hobby and a long term project with the goal to repopulate some large tuarts to the area over the next decade.
     
  2. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in remant bush

    Hi Steveg,
    I takes me hat off to ya.

    Here is a trick for increasing the success rate. Don't use pots,,,use cut off pieces off waste PVC pipe. You can have tall containers with no bottoms. You could push the seedling out of the bottom with pressure from the top. The 'edge' is in the length of tap root and subsequent depth into soil sustaining the plant when extreme drys occur. The other plus is the tap root hasn't developed a circular attitude from going round and round the bottom of the pot. The 'spring' taproot is a doomed tree, though I'd always give it a chance.

    I know the Warwick open space and it needs people like you to save it..because the local governing body ( the Council ) clearly don't give a shit.

    regards, Kimbo
     
  3. Steveg

    Steveg Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in remant bush

    I tend to grow the Seedlings in 200mm pots about 2 months before I want to plant so the tap root barely gets to the bottom.

    The pots I am using now for the more advanced saplings are rocket pots.

    You can see what I mean at www.trentcom.com.au

    These pots use an air root pruning system. I have 2 Tuarts in the larget rocket pot that are over a year old and have about 1 and 1/2 diameter trunk.

    I will plant these hopefully in april.

    MOst of the rocket pots have lemon scented gums in them, which I will plant at my work premises as they are not local to WA.

    From now on, I will only grow tuarts for Warwick as they seem to be the most scarce and the Jarrah and Banksia are promminent.
     
  4. Steveg

    Steveg Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting native trees in remnant bushland

    Planted 2, 2 year old saplings today over a metre tall with a trunk of about 1 & 1/2 inches. ALso planted about 8 seedlings that were about 30cm tall. The ground was really wet after the rains so they should get off to a good start. I will water in the 2 saplings to give them a good start.

    Hopefully the success rate of the saplings is higher than the seedlings. I have decided to plant clumps close together for ease of mulching and pruning. I've been pruning them to grow mainly single truncks and also to keep the level of leaves of them due to the lack of water in summer.
     
  5. Hamishmac

    Hamishmac Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Hi Steveg,

    Good on ya.

    A mate of mine applied to the council here on the Sunshine Coast to revegetate a couple of weed-overgrown areas next to creeks, and got a grant to cover materials. One area was council land, one on private land.

    Hamish
     
  6. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Hamishmac's idea sounds good Steveg?
    If you have a group of like minded Guerrilla Gardeners or Landcare group you could get some $s to pay for expenses. I have often posted links to grants here. You could also get some company and moral support.

    I like the Rocket Pot concept. Before plastic, Terracotta pots also kept roots away from the sides of pots. I still prefer unglazed Terracotta to anything.
    I may have seen similar pots to the Rocket in biodegradable material but can't remember where.

    Pardon my ignorance but what are the trees you are planting and how come white ants love little ones so much?

    It has been raining here all week too but i hear you really got dumpded on Yet there are still dry patches of the country everywhere, while Lake Aire in SA looks like it is going to break records for water. I think rain is predicted 'on The Rock' too!
     
  7. Steveg

    Steveg Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting native trees in remnant bushland

    The trees I am planting are native to the SW of WA.

    They are called Eucalyptus gomphocephala or commonly known as Tuart.

    They are a tall hardwood with grey bark and are prominent on the coastal fringe.

    I only have lost one to white ants, but perhaps it dids before they got in. Not sure.

    I would be interested to here more about these grants, because i have to go and buy some more potting mix for the next batch and it isn't cehap when you need 1 1/2 bags for a 47 litre rocket pot.

    cheers
     
  8. Hamishmac

    Hamishmac Junior Member

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    Re: Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space-?grants available

    Hi Steveg,

    Our local council is Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC).

    https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/index.cfm

    Their grants programme page is at (found by typing "grants" into search box),

    https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=grants-program

    The section he applied was under the Environment heading, and the priorities for funding are listed (.pdf)

    https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/addfiles/documents/grants/grant_details.pdf

    He qualified as he was repairing two riparian corridors (creek bank zones), one on his own land, and one on council land abutting his land.

    The Commonwealth also provide some grants, but I'm not sure of type, or qualifying criteria. Details:

    https://www.grantslink.gov.au/Info.aspx?NodeID=8

    Queensland State Govt has Grant page at

    https://www.qld.gov.au/grants/discoverbywizard.action

    Best of luck with your mob! Let us know how you go. All grant info valuable.

    Hamish
     
  9. Steveg

    Steveg Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting native trees in remnant bushland

    There is a group called Friends of the Warwick Conservation Aeam. I have fired off an email to them to touch base first. They may have grants already so I will investigate.
     
  10. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Have a google of your State Government and Local Council Departments you will be amazed by what is about. Things are easier if you are a group. Politicians don't like giving money to individuals (except themselves). don't restrict youself to environment potfolios either, community development, housing all sorts of possibilities

    An example of the possible:-
    viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10305&p=50803&hilit=grants#p50803
    Best to buy a load 1-4 m of potting mix rather than buy in bags. Cheaper usually, ask a local wholesale nurseryman to recommend someone. Get potting mix, not soil, no matter what they say.

    Aren't white ants supposed not to eat hardwood?

    PS Nice tree
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    It seems to have a very small traditional habitat. No doubt threatened by organisation?
    [​IMG]
    8. Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands in the South-West

    https://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:DT ... clnk&gl=au
    Sounds like they like water. Have you tried sitting abig soft drink bottle next to the newly planted seedlings with a couple of pin-holes (use strong tacks or hot needle) in them? "$2 Shops"t also ofen have spikes that you can put on the end of bottles You can adjust the flow by snipping the end larger with secateurs. If you did this you could also add some sea weed (fish?)fertiliser (make sure it is just seaweed which should have virtually NO fertiliser listed as ingredients-Charlie Carp is Ok but strong). Some say these help young seedlings survive transplant shock. I don't know if anyone has actually tested this theory.
     
  11. alextacy

    alextacy Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Hey Steve,

    Nice project. Have you visited APACE in North Fremantle? They have loads & loads of tube stock, run revegetation courses, seed collecting courses, etc.

    I haven't been living in Perth for several years now, but I can't imagine that they would have closed down. They will be the best people to ask. Look them up in the yellow pages or they probably have a web site by now.

    Cheers,

    A
     
  12. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Anyone involved with planting /regenerating bush might like to look at the 'deep stem planting' segment on Gardening Australia, ABC TV, last week.
    Transcript
    https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2655211.htm
     
  13. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Re: Growing and Planting Tuart trees in Warwick Open space

    Some people in the arid southwest of the U.S. are using a planting method I had not seen before. They are planting an area that is about 3 hours away from home, so they can't get there very often to water, and water has to be hauled in.

    They dig a hole that is about twice as long as usual. They place a stack of newspaper, junk mail, telephone books, etc in one half, and fill the hole with water. After it drains, they plant the tree or shrub in the other half of the hole, and mulch the surface. They've gone back three months later and dug up the paper, and it was still moist.

    Maybe this would help your trees.

    Sue
     
  14. Noz

    Noz Junior Member

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    Hi Guys

    I'd love to be involved with planting a few Tuarts in the Warwick Bushland, let me know.
     
  15. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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    I like the sound of Sue's method. I was going to suggest that if you don't keep the trees watered while getting established you don't really stand much chance it seems to me.
     
  16. Noz

    Noz Junior Member

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    Nah, the professional tree planters doing hectares and hectares plant in early winter (mostly), timed after the weeds have germinated and been killed. No watering necessary for natives planted deep - just keep the apical bud + a bit of stem above the ground. In drought years you might make an exception and water, but just one or two good rains in the weeks after planting are sufficient to get 90%+ survival.
     
  17. Raymondo

    Raymondo Junior Member

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    Just to add my plug for long-stem planting. We use it in our local regen group and I'm using it at home to establish a wood lot. Young trees are a lot more drought, and importantly for us, cold hardy when planted deep.
    I like the idea of dumping paper waste in the hole too. It's a little like hugelkultur.
     
  18. hawkypork

    hawkypork Junior Member

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    Gday Steveg,

    I used to plant natives on Monument Hill, Mosman Park, guerilla style and quite a few are still going strong including tuarts. Much more direct and less tedious than using energy on running a community conservation group.

    I think your pots are too big. I favour the 50mm tubes with ribs on the sides to direct roots down. Perth is a tough climate for reveg. I recommend using the same energy to propagate and plant more smaller plants and then expect 50% attrition. Anything less is a bonus. Planting time is basically a gamble but if you get good autumn rains you can get plants in when it is warm enough for fast growth. You should still get active growth even in Perth mid-winter though. Basically you want your plants as established as possible before the dry season set in (sorry to state the bleedin obvious).

    Best of luck, love your work
    Haakon - White Gum (tuart) Valley
     

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