Revegetation procedure

Any questions or comments you have about Natural Sequence Farming processes. These could include general questions or ones about your personal problems.

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Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Revegetation procedure

Post by Wilkie » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:43 pm

We have recently been given some funding from DSE to revegetate 2.3 ha of our small property at Freshwater Creek near Geelong with 5,700 plants – in 5 separate areas.

Until I read Peter’s two excellent books, I was going to follow the conventional route and rip and spray to get rid of the predominate weed here – capeweed (we are in a low rainfall area) – over the next autumn, spring and following autumn before planting the trees and scrubs.

Will I be doing the right thing if, next autumn, we just rip and then plant the trees and scrubs and let them compete with the capeweed.

From reading Peter’s books, I think I know the answer but I’m just seeking reassurance and any other advice that I may need :-)


Thanks in advance

Cheers

Wilkie

Adrian
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:40 pm
Location: Northern Victoria Shepparton Area

Post by Adrian » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:16 pm

Wilkie this is only my two bobs worth that i give you. Maybe Duane and Peter have different views.
If you are going to have rip lines for your trees make sure that they go along the banks instead of up and down. By doing this you will catch more of the rainfall in your low rainll area, and not leach the goodness of the minerals onto the low lying areas or streams.
While planting your trees look at the area your planting in, try not to plant the same trees below each other for better growth and biodiversty. Peter explained this in his books.
Hope this helped you and all the better for the new year!
Always keep an open mind

Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Post by Wilkie » Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:40 am

Thanks Adrian, I'll take that on board.

I think I'm in for a bit of a battle re. what to plant - they'll want natives - but, given time, I'll get over that :-)

Cheers

duane
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Location: Central Coast, NSW
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Post by duane » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:48 pm

To make it a success there are some important consierations you need to keep in mind.

Depending on the topography of you block and where it is, you need to look at two important things:

1. is the HYDROLOGY of your landscape, where is the highest point and where does water run down to. Plant those plants at the top which prefer drier conditions and at the bottom those plants that like wetter conditions and remember...

2. BIODIVERSITY is the No 1 RULE. And remember the effects of alleopathy. This means as you progress down the slope on each contour DO NOT plant the same trees below those you have planted above.

Our native plants have great difficulty growing in many places because the hydrolgy of the soil has been reversibly changed. Many of our native plants grew and functioned in areas which had HIGH water tables of fresh water. These areas were pressurised by perched wetland systems above them. In most of Australia this natural system has been destroyed. This means that the plants which had evolved in these circumstances have coded into their genetic code a template which looks for these conditions. When many of our native plants are planted into dry, hot landscapes they are doomed to fail.

The simple answer is to plant on the contour, use biodivesity to promote the health of all the plants and let the natural hydrology provide the links between all the plants.

Conifers, palms, fruit trees, natives, decidous etc etc etc will provide you with a rich biodiversity.

Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Post by Wilkie » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:59 am

Many thanks for that Duane.

So do you think I should just let the plants compete with the capeweed ?

duane
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Post by duane » Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:03 pm

I am not too familiar with capeweed.

But consider this....it is probably acting as a ground cover, it is sequesting C and bringing fertility to the surface, if slashed or mulched before it seeds it will be adding OM to the soil thereby increasing the soils H20 capacity and fertility.

These may be suffient reasons not to spray it with poisons but let Nature's way of recycling bring your soil back to some kind of equilibrium.


The following is from http://www.weeds.asn.au/weeds/txts/capeweed.html
Although stock will eat Capeweed, it is of lower nutritional value than many good pastures. Plants die off after flowering decreasing the food supply available to stock and leaving bare patches that allow more invasive weeds to establish.

Stock have died from nitrate poisoning after grazing on Capeweed growing on highly fertile soils. Milk from dairy cows feeding on the weed can have tainted milk. Horses and donkeys can have allergic skin reactions to the pollen encountered as they graze on the plant. But this is usually only if the stock have no other biodiversity to feed on.

The best ways to avoid Capeweed infestations are to keep pastures vigorous and healthy, to avoid practices that disturb the soil and leave bare patches.
Isn't that the wish of every farmer

Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Post by Wilkie » Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:36 pm

Capeweed grows thickly in the spring and autumn so once I plant the trees and shrubs I will no longer be able to slash and mulch it. All I can do is let it grow and die.

duane
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Post by duane » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:32 pm

Peter tells a story where he had a whole paddock of capeweed where the previous owner had tried for 5 years to remove it by spraying- he slashed it before seeding. Put mixed straw bails out, put horses and cattle in to eat and defaecate and 30 years later there has been no reinfestaion.

Is there a chance you could trial the same thing before planting??

Keep us posted on the outcomes.

Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Post by Wilkie » Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:54 am

Thanks for the replies Duane.

The DSE’s protocols include spraying the weeds prior to planting and I need to convince them that that it is not necessary.

From Peter’s research, I understand that the capeweed will not grow once the trees and scrubs are established and are adding fertility to the soil.

However my basic question is – will the trees and scrubs become established with capeweed plants going through their undisturbed life cycle next to them ?

Is there a chance, through you, Peter could answer this in writing so I can give it to the DSE.

Cheers :-)

Shirley Henderson
Posts: 356
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 4:03 pm
Location: Thirlmere

Cape Weed

Post by Shirley Henderson » Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:22 am

Hello Wilkie
I thought I might get in on this topic. Where I live SE Aust. we too have Cape weed Arctotheca calendula and another similar weed "Fire weed", Senecio madagascariensis. Both of these plants are prolific seeders and spread wildly over exposed open sunny sites. They will be outgrown by other plants and once shaded do not like those conditions. If you plant your 5,700 plants over an area of 2.3 ha those new plants will create conditions that Cape Weed will not like and they will begin to disappear. Where Fire weed was growing on a bare open sunny site (at a reserve where I work) tall grass has now taken over. Although, I know the fireweed seeds are still in the soil (after reading Peters books) I realize they are there waiting to perform a service should the need arise. If a fire goes through and wipes out the vegetation, up comes the Fireweed once again to begin the process of regeneration. Animals avoid eating fire weed, as it tastes terrible and unfortunately can be toxic; therefore it keeps animals away while the land has a chance to recover. I believe Cape weed would not be first choice as a food source either. Just having cape weed and fire weed as a ground cover provides shade and a cooler temperature enough for other seedlings to begin but the key is water as both the above plants can grow in extreme heat, hard compacted soils and dry conditions, that is why they come first. In Water for the Recovery of the Climate- A New water Paradigm on page 32 you will find a picture of the difference in surface temperature created by even a thin layer of vegetation. (An excellent read for everyone interested in the water, land and the environment). Try to look at these plants and see what they are doing, why they are doing it and how to change the situation in favour of enhancing and speeding up the recovery of your plot.
I would assume that if you have a grant to plant that you are also required to provide some aftercare to your plants. Therefore you must be watering or at least checking them. During this process you should keep the cape weed (they have roots similar to carrots) back from your newly planted trees and shrubs to decrease competition and give them all the water and nutrients to grow well. Another very good option is long stem planting. Check my post on that subject as these long stem plants grow twice as fast, have deep roots (much deeper than cape weed) and require no maintenance after planting. :)
Shirley.

Wilkie
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 am
Location: Freshwater Creek Victoria

Post by Wilkie » Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:53 am

Many thanks for your advice Shirley. I'll follow up on your recommendations and prepare to debate the DSE :-)

Cheers

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