Class 9

Revegetation

Revegetation involves bringing plants or seeds into an area.
Used for:
- severely degraded areas where there is no existing remnant vegetation
- landscaping of high profile areas
- infill planting in areas with limited remnant vegetation to increase species diversity and/or extend size of vegetation cover
Any revegetation should occur between late Autumn and mid-Spring to allow acclimatization before summer.
Planting through the dry months is to be avoided unless thorough watering is possible, this will add to maintenance costs.

Planting of nursery stock.
Size of stock can vary from small cells through to advanced trees, forestry tubes are most commonly used.
Generally speaking the smaller the stock the quicker it will adapt to the new environment and the better the growth rate.
Smaller stock will be more vulnerable to environmental fluctuations and may require more initial care eg more frequent watering.
Advanced stock will give an immediate effect however they often take a long time to begin growing. Tube stock will generally take 3-5 years to catch advanced stock and will continue to outgrow them.
Planting density will depend upon the species being planted and the desired effect.

Direct seeding.
Becoming more common as indigenous seed is becoming more available.
Requires large amounts of seed and may take time for results if germination is slow.
Difficult to control outcome as seed viability can vary or seed may be eaten.
May need to treat seed before sowing to assist germination.

Transplanting
Can be used in an attempt to save plants from threatened areas eg housing developments, roads, golf course redesign etc.
The smaller the plants the better the chance of success. Trees and large shrubs should be avoided, as there is a good chance their root structure will be adversely effected leading them to fall over in the long term.
If transplanting:
- try to take as much soil with the plants as possible
- disturb the roots as little as possible
- have holes prepared before digging up plants, fill hole with water and allow to drain before transplanting
- pruning foliage will help reduce stress and encourage new growth, will depend upon the species e.g. grasses will thrive from a good hair cut, woody species may be pruned to approx. 1/3rd of their size.

Good preparation is the key to success and will depend upon the site.
Generally speaking the aim is to remove existing weeds and exhaust the soil stored seed.
Herbicide application for at least a year prior to planting will help achieve this but requires forward planning. Otherwise as a minimum there should be 2 applications of herbicide at least 2 weeks apart (the second should only proceed after weed seed germination has occurred).
Seed suppressants that stop seeds from germinating be used. Care must be taken, as some plants may be susceptible to these residual herbicides for up to 6 months.
Sometimes with particularly hard ground, ripping may be necessary. Remember it is difficult to use large equipment on wet boggy ground.
There are many planting techniques suitable for different sites e.g. shovel, hamilton tree planter, tractor arrangements etc.
Mulch, weed matting etc. can be used suppress weed re-infestation. These will add costs to a project (not only in purchasing but also labor.
They also trap moisture near the surface of the soil and encourage shallow roots.

Mulch
There are many types of mulch and some disadvantages of using them.
Weed seeds, especially tree species, may be present, especially if street tree prunings are used.
Different sorts of mulch vary dramatically in price and quality.
Fresh mulch may remove nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down.
May wash away on steep slope, or blow away in exposed areas.

Weed Matting
There are many forms of weed mat.
Plastic weave is best avoided as they don't break down, can hinder maintenance, and don't look crash hot.
Natural fiber comes in different sizes and materials. They will break down over time and look more natural.
Smaller areas may use newspaper and/or cardboard covered.

Tree guards offer the small plant protection from the elements and are claimed to enhance growth.
They are also good to define a site (protection from slashers etc.), provide protection from rabbits, cockatoos etc..
There are many types: plastic sleeves, woven sleeve that break down, solid plastic, cardboard and even milk cartons can be used.

Follow up maintenance is recommended especially if ground cover species have been used. May involve careful herbicide application and hand weeding.
As plants grow and thicken up maintenance will reduce, it will probably never be eliminated entirely.