FuturEcology & EmGuard ™ April 2023 update.
And just like that it is mid-autumn.
This time of year is just stunning, with the trees changing colour and crisper mornings alluding to winter just around the corner. The clocks going backwards always seem to be a good time to set personal goals for the season ahead, to keep those winter blues at bay.
For the conservation industry, however, this is an exciting time of year as we are finishing our site prep and starting to put plants in the ground. Our first of this season’s plants went into an ex-gravel extraction pit this month, bringing the great feeling of potential to restore ecosystems and increase biodiversity.
The past month has been very busy for the team at FuturEcology and we have had many highs, including a new EmGuard van and exciting new projects in the mix.
Naturally, to appreciate the highs, we must experience the lows. During the past month we experienced the challenges of COVID again. We farewelled Meg and wished her well for her next ventures. Also, we sadly said goodbye to a close family member.
It was a real reminder of the reality of our finite time on this planet. Jojo Moyes in “Me Before You”, illustrates this beautifully “you only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible”.
Planting 101.
By Jan Fryer
All the autumn colour, which is looking stunning at the moment, reminds us that planting season is just around the corner.
Once there is adequate soil moisture to ensure plant growth, we like to start getting plants in while there is still some heat during the day. This allows the plants to establish white roots before full winter sets in, so gives them a head start in the spring.
Preparation of the planting site is key at the moment. For best results, remove as much of the covering vegetation as you can. This can be done by grazing, mowing, weedeating, mulching or the use of chemicals.
If you use chemicals, be very aware of what you are using to burn off grass and weeds. Glyphosate has a half-life of between 2-197 days depending on water conditions. Metsulfuron half-life ranges from 14-180 days. In our experience, it is safe to plant a site that has been sprayed with Glyphosate within a week, but one should wait at least 12 weeks if using Metsulfuron.
Once your site is ready for planting, on your planting day, ensure you have all the components you need ready on the site for an efficient planting. You do not want your plants to dry out while waiting to be planted.
Planting spades vary considerably but most importantly, you need a good strong handle and not too long a blade. We have redesigned a standard orange Atlas Trade spade as shown, by grinding down the edges of the blade and shortening the length of the blade. The team really like these modified spades.
Setting out your planting.
Step 1. Place your bamboo canes out first to establish your plant spacings. Ideally this should be between 1.2-1.5m in a restoration planting. Make sure the pattern is random, not straight lines.
Step 2. Place your larger trees out first, beside the bamboo canes at about 5m spacings then infill with your smaller trees and shrubs. Make sure you have a plan to ensure you have the right plants in the right place. E.g. the Carex secta on the edge of the water, Phormium tenax above the flood flow line.
Step 3. Get stuck into your planting. The key with this is to fracture as much of the soil surrounding the plant as you can. This does not necessarily mean digging a hole, but instead using the spade as a lever to smash the soil and provide a slot to drop your plant into.
We found that during the big floods in Nelson last August, the plants that had been placed in a nice neat hole were ripped right out of the ground, along with the soil that had been put back round them. Those that had been slot planted stayed put. Finally, firm the soil round the plant with your foot, just firmly enough to prevent it being pulled out by a pukeko.
Step 4. Place out your plant guards and mats (if you are using them) and fit them snuggly round your plant. Ensure you have the stake very firmly in the ground and use a mallet or hammer if necessary.
Step 5. Make sure you leave the site clean and tidy, picking up any plastic pots or rootrainers and step back to admire a job well done😊
We hope you enjoy this time lapsed video of a planting up the Lud Valley.
The Tesla of Plant Protection
By Jan Fryer
Planting of trees is a major commitment, as they are something that will potentially be around for hundreds of years, so you want to give them the best start in life.
We are working closely with Terra Lana, who produce a special wool dagmat from wool sourced directly from local farmers. The mats assist in retaining moisture, weed suppression and fertilizing as they bio-degrade.
Combine these with the robust, original EmGuard and you have the Tesla of plant protection.
Download our information flyer here.
Wool DagMats are available from FuturEcology via our website or for larger quantities, contact us directly.
Weed of the Month
Taiwan Cherry - Prunus Campanulata
By Shaun Burton
This past month we spent a few days above Dodson Valley stomping up and down hills, across creeks and through the scrub and bush, while searching out the elusive Taiwan Cherry.
We were contracted to carry out this survey by Nelson City Council to help them identify the spread of Taiwan Cherry Trees in the area as part of their pest plant management programme.
Although the Taiwan Cherry can be a beautiful ornamental tree, especially in spring when it is covered in blooms of pinkish bell-shaped flowers, it is fast becoming a problem in and around the greater Nelson/Tasman area. This is primarily because it can tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions and soil types, and as a result, it seems to grow anywhere.
It is a fast-growing tree that can crowd out other native plants and can quickly dominate an area if given the chance.
Seeds are dispersed by birds, including Tūī’, who feed on the berries and nectar of the tree. The Taiwan Cherry often out competes native species such as Flax, Kōwhai and Ngaio, which provide nectar to birds for much longer than the Taiwan cherry. Therefore its spread can often negatively affect the birdlife in colonised areas.
We found quite a high number of cherry trees growing within the survey area, ranging in size from large established trees to small seedlings.
We often found specimens growing in the thick of dense tangles of old man’s beard and blackberry, impressively competing with the most vigorous of Nelson’s weeds.
We got rid of what we could and recorded any others we could see, but couldn’t reach. Looks like more work will need to be done in the hills behind Atawhai to control the spread of this species!!
From hole to whole
By Robert Fryer
The FuturEcology team have just been planting a new wetland for Fulton Hogan in Motueka. This is part of a restoration of a gravel extraction site and encompassed the design of the physical structure of the wetland, species choice, planting and maintenance.
This project was a great opportunity to get species back into an area that otherwise has been overlooked for many years. Three species of rush have been planted in the water, including the large rush Eleocharis sphacelata, kuta. Riparian species such as Carex secta, pukio and Phormiun tenax, Harakeke provide a strong buffer around the waters edge.
The team really enjoyed this project, with its diversity of species and satisfying end result, of having created a pocket of biodiversity within an area of formally low biodiversity values. This is one of our first plantings for the 2023 planting season and has been great for rediscovering planting techniques and processes, and setting a blueprint for the planting season to come.
Interesting Snippets
What we’ve been reading
Farm, the making of a climate activist by Nicola Harvey.
This was an interesting read about a couple who returned to the land after time away in professional careers. They were keen to put their ideals into practice, to try and effect change within their family and community.
The book is an interesting insight into the beef farming industry and documents the very real issues farmers are facing trying to make a living off the land.
The author is very thoughtful and is able to communicate the tensions she discovers as they progress along their farming journey. Although the book doesn’t offer any simple solutions to the problems that we all face with climate change and the need to produce food, it is still an enlightening, although rather somber read.
I did like the authors passion for good food and cooking, which made the book very real and helped illustrate the tensions she felt trying to be a food producer, but also concerned about the future of our planet.
This book certainly wasn’t a ”how to guide”, but nonetheless an informative and balanced account of her farming life and personal mission to effect change within her industry.
By Robert Fryer
In between the highs and lows of this month, our biggest high was winning bronze at the PIDA Australasian Packaging Awards for the EmGuard in the “out of the box” category. A big thank you to our manufacturers for making this possible.
We are about to start a major marketing campaign with a local PR firm so keep your eye open for EmGuards featuring in a range of places.
If you have any photos or stories you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.
Here’s to saving the planet one tree at a time.
