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Wildlife Friendly Gardening
Tips for regenerating bushland

 

   

Regenerating bushland can involve some or all of the following techniques:

  • Weed control: Careful handweeding, especially around existing native vegetation. Techniques are described by the Bradley sisters, which entail starting in areas of best vegetation and gradually working outwards, never overclearing, creating minimal disturbance and always following up in successive seasons.
  • Herbicides are commonly used, either as a contact spray or as a stem injection. Their use must always be carefully considered as there is a risk of general environmental contamination.
  • Solarisation: Smaller areas can be covered by plastic for periods of time to kill existing plants. In very weedy areas this may be repeated after a time to allow for regermination of weeds prior to mulching and/or planting.
  • Slashing: This is part of a regular management procedure particularly for grasses and depends on seasonality. The aim here is to reduce the volume of weed seed entering the environment.
  • Planting: Usually tubestock is used, however, smaller plugs or even mats of plant material supplied from local sources can be used. The choice of species is important. In more degraded areas vigorous larger tree and shrub species are required, in unsettled areas fast colonisers are useful, such as herbs and grasses. In some areas, such as semi-intact grasslands, slashing may become a key regenerative technique, so planting may become a hindrance. Planting nitrogen fixing large wattles such as Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) may help this environment, whilst still allowing slashing management to be carried out. Planting recharge areas in salt affected areas can lower the water table.
  • Fencing: The exclusion of stock, feral animals and people is often important. Fencing simply to delineate a regeneration site may be useful.
  • Brushing: The placement of branches with or without seed over exposed areas can significantly minimise erosion processes, thereby allowing microclimates for seedlings to establish. This is particularly useful in coastal areas, but the concept of establishing smaller favorable sites for regenerating plants within a larger area is a good one.
  • Mulching: The quality of the mulch is essential here, especially when being used in high quality areas. Material from compatible native vegetation and free of weeds is important. In good areas it should be used sparingly, but is very useful where large areas have become exposed and planting is being done. Mulch creates a dynamic relationship with the soil and even attracts fungi from the air. It should generally consist of a mixture of plant species and contain leaves, sticks and small limbs, creating good habitat for ground fauna.
  • Scalping is a fairly extreme method which physically removes a thin layer of topsoil and weed material contained within it. This is stockpiled and the site is then planted or seeded and mulched.
  • Direct seeding: This entails spreading or drilling seed at a favourable time to densely recolonise the site. In some ways this is the most natural method of re-establishing plants. Planting tubestock can be viewed as direct seeding in some circumstances when the plants are expected to seed in the first year and broadcast onto similarly receptive sites. Problems with direct seeding are the lack of availability of local seed as a low germination result is often achieved and combating weed competition, especially without the use of residual herbicides.
  • Slashing can be timed so that seeding of introduced species is prevented, whilst seeding of indigenous species is encouraged. Slashing may be required for fire safety, otherwise it may be done less frequently. The height of slashing will also affect the ability of certain species to flower and set seed thus influencing the make up of the communities.


Taken from the web-site of the Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants ASGAP

Banner Photo Max Herford

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