Successful Revegetation Planning
Successful revegetation projects don’t just happen. Revegetation planning is the first step. At Wai-Ora, we offer full services to deliver a successful planting project. From consultation and plant supply to ecological contracting and maintenance, we have everything you need to make sure your project is successful. How do we define success? We guarantee 100% plant survival when using our full range of services on your project. Even if you use another contractor, Wai-Ora Nursery’s plants have had a 97% success rate across numerous projects in the last few years. These plants will go on to establish, grow, and reproduce, contributing to the restoration of native ecosystems. We don’t just implement restoration and revegetation, we plan, support and maintain. We take steps to ensure that landowners like you reap the benefits of your revegetation projects. To us, that is a success.
We’ve been working with Environment Canterbury and local councils for many years to support reforestation and wetland restoration projects. Canterbury is considered one of the country’s most heavily degraded regions, with most of the plains having ecosystem coverage of less than 5%. This demonstrates how important ecological restoration is for Canterbury. As such, numerous private organisations like the Summit Road Society and Styx Living Laboratory Trust work to complete successful planting projects alongside farmers and lifestyle block holders.
The key to these successful planting projects always starts with planning and ends with maintenance and monitoring. For a successful ecological restoration, plan thoughtfully and adhere to a strategic timeline. It is advisable to commit a minimum of three years to implement a revegetation plan. Preceding this would be a two-year lead time for project contemplation. We’ve put together a guide to help you along the way. You can conduct your revegetation at your own expense and at your own risk. But with a professional, you save time, money, and resources, and you’re assured of a certain degree of success.
Revegetation Planning for Success
You’ve decided to return an area of your property to its pre-colonial or even pre-human state. What a challenge! Not only do you have to get plants and dig hundreds (or thousands) of holes to put the plants into, but you need to know what plants to get and where to get them from. Randomly planting and disrupting the natural structure of the land on a revegetation project is not only imprudent but also results in a waste of resources. Preserving the existing native bush can pose challenges without meticulous planning.
When initiating your project, it’s crucial to take into account various factors such as the local climate, soil conditions, and altitude. Except for the foothills in Canterbury, the best time to plant is autumn. Winter tends to be the wettest months in Canterbury and most areas that people want to reforest are not irrigated. If the plants are in place before winter, they will be watered in and established through the spring in their new environment before the dry summer starts. Planting in late spring in the foothills is better because plants will acclimatise to their new environment before the winter frosts.
Begin your native restoration project by observing nearby reserves or native forests to understand planting associations. Consider the heights, colours, and shapes of different species and how they harmonize. Select a suitable area on your property that allows native plants to reach their full height. Take into account the possibility of obstructing sun exposure, views, or interfering with infrastructure like power lines and driveways. As part of your independent planning, you may want to refer to Eco-index, a tool to aid in ecological revegetation planning.
Create a detailed plan of the planting area, including existing features such as trees, paths, underground services, and overhead power lines. Envision your property in the next five to ten years, considering the growth of each tree or shrub. Plan for the future. Think about additional native plants that can thrive once the canopy provides frost and wind protection. Group plants with appropriate spacing, noting larger tree gaps of 2.5 to 3 meters and smaller tree, shrub, and herb gaps of 1.5 to 2 meters. Clearly indicate the name and location of each plant for easy implementation during planting.
Alternatively, Tiffany in the Nursery and Tom who heads up our Consulting team can work on a suitable plant list and create a revegetation plan for you. Wai-Ora have been doing revegetation planning for many years. We specialize in ecological restoration using eco-sourced plants. Our years of expertise and practical knowledge in the field of ecological restoration have established us as a trusted organisation by government organisations, farms, and major landowners for their restoration projects.
Procuring suitable plants
There are a few ways you can obtain plants, depending on the scale of your project. For projects over 10 acres, contract growing is your best option. While nurseries do grow plants well ahead of when customers place orders, getting the right mix and proportion of plants for your project is unlikely in high volume. At Wai-Ora, we focus on Canterbury eco-sourced plants. We look at your project location and choose appropriately sourced ines of plants.
You should contact nurseries during the first revegetation planning stage. The sooner they know what kind of plants you will need for your project, they can start production of those plants. For some species, this may be years in the making. In other cases, the source of the seeds for your project may not already be on hand. Seed collection is conducted during the summer and autumn seasons. Then the plants can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years to grow large enough for survival.
Nurseries operate on order indents. An Indent is an order placed well before the product is purchased. It allows nurseries to produce plants as needed. This prevents them from being left with plants that they cannot sell during the planting season. As plants have a lifespan, they need to be produced so they are at the ideal size for planting during the planting season. What this means for customers is that they should be contacting nurseries a minimum of six months before they plan to start planting. Ideally, indents should be placed eighteen months before they are needed.
Most people place their indents with the nursery in November the year before they plan to plant. This works well if you’re flexible with what plants you require or if you require less than 1,000 plants. This gives the nursery time to make sure they have enough plants to fill your order during the busy dispatch and planting season. Waiting until February or even March leads to certain disappointment. Yet another reason why planning is key.
Prepare the planting area
Prepare the planting site well in advance for optimal plant growth and survival. For optimal results, especially in the context of an average home garden, it is recommended to remove the grass cover, a practice that proves advantageous in the long term.
The preparatory steps involve a systematic approach. Begin by cutting or mowing the existing lawn or grass area to create a clear and manageable canvas for the upcoming planting activities. A spot spray with Glyphosate or similar defoliant spray will mark where each hole and plant needs to be placed once the existing vegetation (like grass) dies off. If you’re doing this in your home garden, fully lifting the turf is preferable and you will be glad you put in the effort in the long run. However, for large revegetation projects, this is not feasible and will likely increase the presence of weeds.
No matter the size of your project, you will have to maintain weed-free conditions. Keep the planting site free from weeds in the period leading up to planting. Native trees, in particular, face challenges in competing with weeds for moisture and nutrients. Maintaining a weed-free environment creates an optimal setting for the newly introduced plants.
Ongoing weed management is essential even after planting. Native trees thrive when given a competitive advantage over weeds, ensuring they receive the necessary resources for healthy growth. Once the plants are taller than the potential weeds, they will shade them out and out-compete those weeds. Shade is helpful for the strong growth of most of our natives. However, if their roots compete with greedy weeds, they will not receive the nutrients they need to do so.
Planting out
Choose the optimal seasons for planting—either during the autumn months (April to May) or late winter to spring (August to September). Avoid bright sunny or windy days to prevent plant dehydration. Ensure the site is moist but not water-saturated before planting. Dig holes wide and deep enough for the roots to spread comfortably. Cover roots with fine soil, firming layer by layer, leaving the surface with a loose texture, and water thoroughly.
Working with a three-year planting schedule, you can often get started with your planting the first year that the site is ready. In most cases, you’ll need to go back and put more plants in the ground the following years. But getting the first round of plants into the ground the first year helps establish a protective canopy and wind barrier sooner to reduce exposure to extreme conditions at planting.
Although committing to a three-year plan may seem overwhelming, it alleviates pressure and guarantees the selection of the most suitable species from the appropriate sources. The phased approach allows for thorough and well-paced implementation.
In the first planting year, the focus lies on starting with the available species. The second year is the primary planting phase, during which approximately 80% of the intended planting takes place. This aligns with the schedule established in the first year, maintaining consistency and efficiency in the implementation process. The emphasis on the second year as the main planting period ensures a concentrated effort. This maximizes the impact of the restoration project.
The third year is for the inclusion of slow-growing species and any additional plants that may have been unavailable in the initial phases. This thoughtful and phased approach allows for a comprehensive and adaptable strategy. It accommodates the specific needs and growth rates of different plant species. It also provides the opportunity to address any gaps or unforeseen challenges that may arise during the earlier stages.
The three-year commitment facilitates a well-rounded and meticulous restoration process. It also allows for the dynamic nature of ecological restoration projects. By strategically allocating tasks over this timeframe, the restoration effort stands poised for success. It ensures the longevity and resilience of the re-established ecosystem.
Protect your investment
Native trees and shrubs grow naturally with a deep layer of forest duff covering the ground around them. To simulate this natural litter, it is advisable to mulch the planted area. This will protect roots, trap moisture and control or suppress weeds. Our Ecological Contracting Team can install CombiGuards when planting, or you can purchase them yourself. The wool mats are great for weed suppression. There are many types of mulch you could use, newspaper and cardboard work well, too. Keep mulch away from the stems of the plants.
By following good planting practice and applying much, watering will only be necessary in dry, hot conditions. If needed, you should water thoroughly but not often (once a week maximum). If the planting schedule follows as suggested, this should be unnecessary unless the winter is particularly dry. In Canterbury, we need to monitor rainfall carefully, especially on the Low Plains and Banks Peninsula.
During the initial phase of plant establishment, 2 to 3 years, actively manage weeds. You could also periodically replace mulch until the plants achieve adequate growth and coverage. A protective canopy eliminates the need for ongoing weeding, and the possibility of spontaneous germination of native plants becomes more likely.
Upon reaching a satisfactory height and spread, typically around the third year after planting, the established trees and shrubs can offer sufficient shelter and shade. This marks an opportune time to introduce more delicate plants underneath, such as ferns.
By following these guidelines, you create a conducive environment for the healthy development of the planted flora, mimicking the conditions found in natural ecosystems.