Bobartia grows in grasslands
Bringing trees back
One of the biggest problems with
re-planting trees in areas you’d like
them to grow again, is aftercare.
Nursery stock usually need extra
water to get established. There are,
of course, ways around this.
Some people choose to buy polymer gels that can be added to the
backfill when trees are planted,
holding water close to the roots
and improving your chances of success. I’ve seen that work very effectively in the Midrand, Guatueng
area with young trees that were
planted when they were still quite
small and relatively vulnerable.
Of course, planting before the rainy
season is in full swing is good ad-
Oscularia: play with succulents!
vice – unless you get hit by a
drought without aftercare, planting
new trees will always be something
of a gamble.
Municipalities get around this problem by choosing bigger trees – the
bigger and deeper the rootball, the
less vulnerable the tree is to
drought. Although this is an expensive option if you need a whole lot
of trees, you can also grow them
on into larger sized containers
somewhere near a water source.
But don’t put tiny trees in huge
containers right away. Plant them
from small sizes into slightly bigger
ones on a yearly basis until you’ve
got the container size you need
ready for planting. Feel free to
Weeds don't have to be ugly.
Kill them!
pamper them with a bit of fertilizer
and plenty of water, you can always harden them off by giving
them a bit of a tougher time before
planting out.
A few other ideas
Keep diversity high by planting up a
few of your area’s prettiest bulbs
and flowers – and play around with
succulents that root easily without
much fuss. An estate manager I
knew bought a few plants for his
wetland every year including his
region’s Rooiwortel (Wachendrofia)
Watsonias and Arums, Over a period of some years, he really achieved
amazing things! Rehabilitating natural vegetation takes time, but it
can be hugely rewarding!