Biorch plantations blog - Biorich plantations – mimicking nature to integrate conservation & production

Spring planting of the hut's timber species and more endangered banksia

19/10/2021

We topped up patches around the southern 5ha of the biorich plantation after the spring bird survey – with 40 black wattle, 20 silver banksia and 20 messmate stringybark.

Gary had sprayed the grass twice with glyphosate and marked the various locations for planting. The long sleeves and the bendy fibreglass poles were purchased from Rowan Reid and are designed to deter bouncing roos and grazing wallabies. Hopefully, the sleeves are not too narrow for the banksia's spreading form. The ground was saturated, with water pooling after being dug into in a few spots. Will the tubestock drown? Like the long sleeves, yet another real life experiment.

The black wattle and messmate are both timber species used in our 21C drop slab hut. The silver banksia is a locally endangered species that seems to thrive at ImLal. We hope to establish a seed orchard for the silver banksia (Banksia marginata) with Seeding Victoria.

We ended the morning's events with a barbecue in the clearing next to the newly completed 21C drop slab hut. No doubt, the first of many such enjoyable occasions.

Preparation for spring planting in 2021

5/5/2021

To combat the bouncing roos and the nibbling wallabies, we've purchased extra long flexible fibreglass poles and guards. They're the invention of Rowan Reid. The poles can absorb the bouncing and the high guards prevent the wallabies from nibbling.
Pictured are Campbell and Gary banging the poles in place, then Gary sprayed to get rid of the thick grass mat.

In spring, we'll spray once more with a knockdown glyphosate and plant out 40 black wattles, 20 messmate and 20 silver banksias. We're experimenting with using half the black wattles as a nurse crop for the messmate. Campbell has had great success with black wattle on one south-facing site. So much so that we're using it in the flooring of the drop slab hut – visit step-5-a-shining-red-black-wattle-has-an-ill-deserved-reputation.html

Over 1,000 trees and shrubs went in on 2017 spring planting day at ImLal

18/9/2017

On the spring 2017 community planting day, ten of us put in a total of 1,050 shrubs and trees, although truth be told, Phil Kinghorn planted a good 200 trees on his own around the hill the next day. The chosen Sunday was sunny – a pleasant change from the driving wind and rain we have experienced since August. We had a barbecue lunch next to the repurposed pine and OSB wooden container that once carried railway parts. Phil gets these for free from the Ballarat railway station yards. He and Neville weatherproofed the container with 2nd hand gal and it offers a shelter and focal point for site visits, right next to the pruned and thinned farm forestry clumps of shining gum and Sydney blue gum.

We guarded the casuarinas as the wallabies love to snack on them. The other shrubs we simply staked to ID where they were. They were planted on a 2-3m wide strip that had been sprayed with glyphosate and simazine, with this strip arcing around to the north of the current biorich plantation. We debated slashing, but in the end weather defeated us and we decided, anyway, that the long grass could hide the shrubs from wallabies and rabbits. The grey box, black wattle and manna gum and other forestry trees went on a northern aspect on the hill and around the central dam. Some went on the perimeter around Footrot Flats, which went underwater last year and only a few trees from the previous 2015 spring planting had survived. Forestry trees were donated by Central Highlands Water, Steve Murphy who helped run the day, donated 40 drooping sheoak. AFG gave $750 to the branch.

We put in more of the locally endangered provenance of Banksia marginata. That along with another endangered shrub, Hakea decurrens, flourish on the hilltop. The biorich plantation is acting as a seed bank, as well offering habitat and farm forestry resources.

Endangered hakea is surviving in harsh conditions

26/6/2017

Locally endangered serrated hakea (H. decurrens) was planted on the hilltop and has survived the harsh conditions. The hill is actually a mullock heap, left over from the original Imerys quarry. It consists of clay and is exposed to the elements and a marauding band of kangaroos.

To the rear of the line of hakea, you can see self-seeded blackwoods sprouting up across the hilltop.

Not sure how this mix of plants is going to work!?

Spotted gum gets a second chance

25/10/2014

We're giving spotted gum a second chance up on the biolink ridgeline. All the spotted gum on the flats below have succumbed to frost. Guarding might help too, especially as Phil and I spotted a roo on the ridge when we arrived early in the morning to plant three clumps and a total of 40 altogether. If at first you don't succeed, try again (at least once!)...

Phil brought along 20 swamp gums ( a gift from Central Highlands Water): "Why do we want any more of those?" I complained. But they're the local dominant woodland tree species, so for consistency of design, they need to be brought back everywhere on site.

Adding locally endangered species for seed collecting

22/10/2014

A group of us met with Steve Murphy and Matt Pywell from Wild Plants (on right) to discuss details of the mix of plants to go along the biolink ridge. Matt came up with the brilliant suggestion of the ImLal biorich site becoming an ark for locally endangered species. The ridge will be suitable for clumps of local species of coast banksia (B. marginata) and serrated hakea (H. decurrens). Matt says both are under pressure from seed collectors and command seed prices of $1,500-1,600/kg. Becoming an ark for locally endangered species adds another commercial option for biorich designers to explore.

Funding received to build biolink between north and south biorich sites

13/8/2014

BRT has received funding from the Communities for Nature program to build a biolink between the south and north sites.

The 50m wide corridor will go from the top of the hill around the ridge above the west flank of the dam to join the swamp woodland remnant. Steve Murphy and Gib Wettenhall are pictured on top of the ridge inspecting the four rows of rip lines. The contractor Jensan has also sprayed with simozine.

We have grant funds of $5,770 to purchase a multi-layered mix of 2,000 indigenous plants and hold a community planting day. Steve has drawn up a list of 24 different species from 12 plant families. Imerys has pledged 500 trees, which we intend to use to purchase forestry trees – perhaps to form a clump at the southern base of the hill.

To offer high quality, predator proof habitat, 50m is considered the minimum width for a reveg corridor. The corridor will be 350m long.

Preparing for biolink to connect south and north sites

9/5/2014

Phil Kinghorn, Gary Featherston and I marked the outer edge of the proposed 50 metre wide biolink, which will connect the south and north ImLal sites. The biolink will sweep in an arc from the hill around the ridge along the western side of the central dam.

Imerys is contracting Jensans to respray the gorse and rip four rows approximately eight metres apart.

We have applied for Communities for Nature funding and will know the outcome in June. In the meantime, we have to take our chances and prepare the ground if we are to plant the mixed bag of selected indigenous species of shrubs and trees this spring. The CfN grant is for 2,000 plants, which Imerys will top up with another 500.

Species selected for the biolink were chosen by Stephen Murphy.

Direct seeding of wet area in ImLal South

11/12/2012

Finally – two years down the track – Geelong Landcare Network co-ordinator Bronte Payne (pictured) and Steve Murphy were able to carry out the direct seeding at ImLal South last weekend. It's always been too wet to get into this low-lying area, but last weekend the planting conditions were perfect.

"Plenty of soil moisture and the soil was loose and friable when the disc cut through it," reported Steve. "We planted local Swamp Gum, Blackwood, Silver Wattle, Prickly Moses, Prickly Teatree, Woolly Teatree, River Bottlebrush, Native Hemp, Grey Everlasting, Silver Tussock Grass and some Tall Sedge.

"The whole process took about three hours with half the time taken preparing the seed and calibrating the direct seeding machine."

With the good soil moisture and warmth, Steve reckons that the seed should germinate within four weeks.

Planting day on north ImLal site on Sunday 28 October

8/10/2012

We're having a planting day of indigenous species and forestry trees, filling in gaps on the north site.
Starting time is 9.30 am, meeting at the display sign at the Lal Lal Falls Rd gate. Please register with Ian Penna on 0419 016 815 or via email: ipenna@bigpond.com
We're offering morning tea, lunch and free copy of 'Recreating the Country' to all planters. Equipment provided.