FuturEcology & EmGuard ™ June 2023 update.
Happy winter solstice and here is your reminder to plant your garlic.
The June solstice on Thursday the 22nd of June is 5 hours and 4 minutes shorter in terms of daylight hours than the summer solstice in New Zealand.
Many cultures around the world have traditions to mark the solstice and it is a nice reminder that we are all part of one collective cycle in nature.
The winter solstice has long been associated with the birth of the sun, with the Latin origins meaning “the sun” (sol) and “to stand” (sister).
Many plants and animals are dormant in the winter, so it is only natural to want to hunker down too. With the new solar cycle beginning and the promise of light on its way, slowly but surely things will get a little brighter.
We have had a great month here at FuturEcology. The team is steaming along, and we are well on track with our projects. We have plenty of EmGuards in stock if you have projects in the pipeline and looking to give your plants the best possible start.
Around the country
By Emma Fryer
We always love receiving feedback from our newsletter and learning from the experiences and successes others around the country have had.
Last month was no exception. We were lucky enough to receive some insight from Toni, from Kerikeri, as to how she manages the kikuyu grass on her property and an update from Nathan and Becky from Hira, showcasing the great restoration work they are doing on their property.
Kikuyu in Kaiwaka
Kikuyu – a follow up
By Emma Fryer
“I read your newsletter with interest to see what you said about kikuyu and thought I might be able to add a couple of helpful tips as we have a lot of experience with it in Kerikeri. In fact, we rely on kikuyu to get us through hot dry summers (Remember those?), as it stays green longer after everything else has withered away.
Kikuyu is also shade intolerant and so it is only for the first couple of years that we have to monitor and release plants from it.
We have found Haloxyfop a very useful spray for areas at risk of being smothered. It only kills grass so is very different to using glyphosate as there is no damage from spray drift onto our native plantings.
If we don't want to spray, trampling the kikuyu down around the plants a couple of times a year, it’s sometimes all that's needed. This lasts longest if done outside the intense growth times. Putting a bamboo cane by any small plant that we want to keep track of is very helpful. I always place the cane on the south side of the plant so that I know where to search for it if the kikuyu has covered it.
We plant at 1 m spacings to achieve rapid canopy cover and the regular spacings make it easier to find plants if they are covered. It is amazing how long young plants like cabbage trees, rimu and kauri will stay alive, green and growing, when you'd think they weren't getting any sunlight”.
Image: Carolyn Lewis (Weedbusters.org.nz)
Nathan and Becky’s Restoration Project
Hi Jan, Rob and FuturEcology team!
We just wanted to share what we’ve been up to on our property. There is a tributary that flows to the river on our property which has a wetland area. We started in June 2021 clearing mainly Hawthorn and Pine trees, reinstated a better boundary fence and started planting. We were fortunate to have NCC provide input and plants for two rounds of funding.
There have been setbacks. The August 2022 floods changed the area significantly, a lot of the wetland developed a gravel island, which in turn changed the flow of the creek, branching it and making previously drier areas, wetter, so plants were lost due to flooding and just not liking the change of conditions. Then the added redirection of funding for grants headed toward stabilisation vs wetland preservation.
We also can’t forget the neighbours cattle breaking in for a day.. the buggers were not kind to the plants. We have sourced a further 400 wetland plants from Pete @ Westbank Natives this year, and just about have them all in! And of course, EmGuards have been used for 80% of the plantings and are pivotal in plant growth.
Our next phase is moving up the bank into the paddock and continue to plant natives to fill up the whole hillside, and eventually clear all pines and obviously more trees! Not to mention ongoing maintenance and weed prevention- as you well know, I’m sure.
We look forward to your monthly updates to keep us entertained, informed, and inspired! Please keep up the good work.
Nath and Becky
Weed of the Month
Image: Trevor James (Weedbusters.org.nz)
White-edged nightshade Solanum marginatum
By Anna Bradley
The team was recently planting rushes in the Estuary at Corder Park in Atawhai, when they came across some white-edged nightshade plants. It is thought to have washed down in the August floods.
It is native to North Africa and was originally introduced as an ornamental plant during the 1880s. In the top of the South Island, there is a major infestation in the Marlborough Sounds covering almost 700 hectares around the Forsyth/Beatrix Bay area. In the Tasman-Nelson region, there are known sites in Dodson Valley and Brook Valley, on the Richmond foothills and in the Wairoa Gorge.
It is a thorny, multi-branched perennial shrub or small tree growing up to 5 metres that can form dense, impenetrable thickets. The leaves are green with white edges and prominent white veins, with the lower surface being chalky-white and velvetlike. There are short, sharp, woody spines along the top and bottom of leaf veins, on the branches and the stem of the plant. The flowers are white to pale mauve flowers with a yellow centre (Nov-Mar) and are followed by poisonous, round, tomato-like fruit (<4cm) maturing from mottled green to yellow when ripe and containing many brown seeds.
White-edged nightshade is a threat to pasture production on marginal land and therefore a threat to livestock production by displacing preferred pasture species. It has the potential to become a problem in bush margins and will grow in a range of soil types. Thick stands displace native species ecosystems that are vulnerable and create large ungrazable areas in farmland. Dense infestations can block access for animals and humans and may harbour pests such as rabbits and possums. Fruit is poisonous and dust from plants can cause respiratory irritation.
It is likely to be found in scrub, poor pasture, wasteland, forest margins and sand dune coastal habitats, preferring warm sunny situations in higher rainfall areas, favouring maritime habitats and will grow in a range of soil types.
Small plants can be readily pulled or grubbed out as long as most of the taproot is removed. Large plants can be cut and the stems freshly painted with triclopyr 600 EC (100ml/1L) or picloram gel. Alternatively, plants can be sprayed with triclopyr 600 EC (60ml/10l).
https://www.weedbusters.org.nz/what-are-weeds/weed-list/white-edged-nightshade/
Regional Pest Management Plan 2018 - White-edged nightshade (marlborough.govt.nz)
Information on White-Edged Nightshade and Woolly Nightshade - Tasman District Council
Introducing Anna Bradley
Anna has recently joined the FuturEcology team as our Operations Administrator to assist with the daily management of the operational environment and systems and processes for all aspects of the business. Anna spent 20 years as a marine ecology technician for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research specialising in biosecurity and benthic monitoring surveys and marine invertebrate taxonomy.
After completing permaculture studies in 2021 she had a change of career and was office manager of a local landscaping business prior to joining us.
Having grown up in Nelson with a family that loved exploring nature she has a keen interest in revegetation and ecological restoration projects taking place around Te Tau Ihu and is excited to be part of a business that are recognised leaders in this field.
Outside of work Anna is a keen gardener, growing fruit and vegetable produce on her land in North Nelson as well as propagating native plants from eco-sourced seed. She loves spending time with her family, connecting with nature both in the bush and on the water.
Hello from Morocco
By Alvin Bartley
I have just arrived in Casablanca which is the starting point for my travels through Morocco, Spain, Portugal and England over the next 3 months.
The trip includes a month of exploring Morocco, southern Spain and Portugal before commencing a 1 month artist residency in Porto. Travels will then finish off in England spending time with family and meeting my niece.
With work in full swing, I will be checking emails once a week for the first month. After this I will join the team virtually for our Monday morning meetings and getting back into project work where I can help out remotely.
It has been an awesome couple of years helping to grow the consulting, planning and geospatial side of FuturEcology. It feels like a great time to reflect on this and think about how we can continue to improve and what we do when I get back.
Interesting Snippets
Honey-baked persimmons
Excellent way to use them up and enjoy the flavour! These are super yummy with French vanilla ice-cream and great on top of cereal served with yoghurt for breakfast the next day (if there are any leftovers).
Honey-Baked Persimmons with Vanilla and Cinnamon - Nadia Lim
Movie – Dan Arnold
Dan recently watched the 1992 classic “A River Runs Through It” starring Brad Pitt and Emily Lloyd.
The film is about two very different brothers with a common love of fly fishing.
The film is based on a true story and well worth a watch.
With the shortest day under our belts and the promise of longer days ahead, plus the Matariki holiday to look forward to, it is a great time to get your trees in the ground, spend time with friends and family, eat good food, read good books and watch good movies.
We have plenty of EmGuards in stock, so we can get these away to you as soon as you need for any of your upcoming projects. Keep in touch.
Happy planting!
Here’s to saving the planet one tree at a time.
If you have any photos or stories you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.