Michele BannisterFour porokaiwhiri (pigeonwood), two kapuka (broadleaf) and a māpou planted into the little area of regenerating margin. Nine months of adding/transplanting seedlings there so far. Kapuka definitely the best survivor
Put most of the porokaiwhiri near an old one (maybe 80-100 yr? trunk is partly dead wood) that has no seedlings near. Different genetics I guess, but hopefully having the critical mass of a little grove might mean there's seedlings in a decade or so. Saw another mature one about a km away
Found a small stand of podocarps up the valley on a day tramp yesterday. Bushwhacked up to them and found it was seven #miro of various ages. Worth going back in April-May to see if any seed can be collected? Sounds like it'll take up to several years (!) to germinate, but would be neat to add seedlings with local genetics
Started on the plantings' maintenance today: delving into rank grass everywhere a stake marked a reminder of autumn's efforts. The strike rate of the transplanted seedlings is much higher than I'd thought! Coprosma sp. survival actually ~50%, and all but two of the beech survived.
Lot of matipō and kapuka coming away. Grow fast, shrubs. And found a few more self-seeded ones to transplant across out of garden beds in the coming days
Soft drizzle day ideal for further weeding of the native plants. Found yet more surviving kāpuka, and bonus Coprosma sp.! Long grass hides so much.
Treasures of Tane helpfully corrects me that Pittosporum tenuifolium is not named black matipo, but kōhūhū. Good to know the right kupu
20+ seedlings transplanted in to new clearings in the rank grass. Almost all were #kōhūhū and #kāpuka, which will come away fast judging by their autumn predecessors. Put a lot more effort this time into fully disrupting/uprooting the grass root mat to 50 cm radius before in goes the seedling. Hopefully easier weeding ahead...
Increased each seedling's plant-out area thanks to the helpful chapters from Tāne’s Tree Trust Technical Handbook: Planting & Managing Native Trees. Ch. 7.3 notes the alternative to herbicide (yeah, nah) is the excellently named #screefing: skimming off surface vegetation with a spade or cultivator. MUCH SCREEFING https://www.tanestrees.org.nz/resources/publications/
A #screefed area with its transplanted seedlings; trialling two for companionship on this one. Had only a few coconut mats, but a bale of raw wool: experimentation time!