Dombeya from Gauteng koppies
do regular follow-up to remove
sprouting aliens, I believe that this
far-sighted strategy will stand them
in good stead, hastening the restoration of the river and wetland ecosystem.
Restoring wetlands
This is a related topic, and one that
many municipalities – particularly
the City of Cape Town - have been
employing to good effect. If wetland plants have been removed or
destroyed, they are no longer able
to slow the flow of runoff and the
danger of flooding increases.
Luckily, tough marsh plants that are
able to tolerate drought in dry seasons are there to help us. The most
Merwilla: Easter Cape and KZN
Ericas for Fynbos areas
important question is to determine
which species would naturally have
occurred in the wetland area. For
example, in The Western Cape, you
can expect to find matjiesgoed
(Cyperus textilis) a type of sedge,
river pumpkin (Gunnera perpensa)
and palmiet (Prionium serratum) in
typical wetland and river ecosystems.
Once again, a project like this is
about small beginnings, but luckily
most wetland plants grow quickly
during the rainy season – and in the
end, it pays off to protect your land
from flooding by maintaining wetland and riverine vegetation.
Chrysanthemoides seeds await germination
Sorting out slopes
For large sloping areas, hydroseeding is probably the best way to
start. Ensure that the seed mix used
is appropriate for your area, and in
time, everything else will follow –
provided there is a nearby gene
bank that can seed itself into the
area.
If there isn’t, you can establish it for
yourself. Most wholesale plant
growers are willing to sell directly
to farmers, so if you need quite a
lot of plants to get started, you can
save. Choose plants that you would
normally expect to see in your area,
and plant just before your wettest
season to improve your chances of
success.
Brabejum likes to grow near rivers