Revegetation by direct seeding

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 10:23 AM

A little while ago I made some reference to direct seeding in a thread started by Grunt where he asked for advice on rabbit control.

I was then asked by another forum member for more details, and promptly forgot all about it. Sorry Cliff

So, some background first. We live on 25 acres in Central Victoria, are retired and this is our "tree change". The land we are on used to be part of a soldier settlement block which was sub-divided about 7-8 years ago. It is granite country and can be quite treacherous in winter, it will turn to slush without warning. However that hasn't happened for a while as rain is something we haven't seen for a while!

As part of the soldier settlement scheme the land was cleared for grazing, mainly sheep, and some cropping was also done. Next door to us is about 5000 acres that is still being farmed, again mainly sheep and some crops such as oats.

There are some large trees left on our block, which has a gully running though it, mainly River Red Gums.
The rest of the land has no trees, and a lot of onion grass (read weed), phalaris and cape weed.

As I grew up in the city and am originally an industrial chemist by profession, later a computer consultant, I had zilch experience of what to do with 25 acres. We spent the first year here living in the shed and building our own house.

During this time we joined Landcare and started to learn a bit what is involved in living in the country on acreage, quite an eye opener!

Also during this time Landcare organised a tree planting day on our place, using the inmates of the local women's gaol on day release. This was the start of our revegetation project, which is still ongoing.

This first planting used seedling grown by our Landcare group in Hiko trays, the one with 40 round holes, from seed collected by the group.
We used milk cartons as guards, and we quickly found out that they were not high enough to keep the plants safe from the local hares. We replaced most of the milk cartons with LEAN guards, the plastic sleeves over 2 wire frames type. You have to pick your time for this as the soil does a good impersonation of concrete for a good aprt of the year. During winter you can bury the frames to their tops without even trying!

The following year I planted out 1200 seedlings, back a back breaking task. I had prepared the ground by cultivating strips using my Kubota tractor and Kubota 1350mm wide rotary hoe. This cleared the strips of weed, broke up the heavily compacted soil (those sheep have a lot to answer for!) and made it a lot easier to plant the seedlings and put in the guards. This was done in June 2002.

The idea was to plant a mixture of native trees and understory, to eventually have a native seed orchard, for further propagation. This became more important as we were successful in getting a grant from Powernet SPI for the purchase of a direct seeding machine (I'm getting there Cliff

). These machines are made in SE South Australia and cultivate the soil and plant the seeds at the same time.

Picture 1 shows the machine behind the ute in our "top paddock", the other side of the gully..

Picture 2 A closer view of the machine, here being filled up with a mixture of native, indigenous, seeds.

Picture 3 Another view of the machine

Picture 4 This shows the plough disc that does the "scalping of the soil.

Picture 5 The "plastic forest" is clearly visible in the background on the other side of the gully. These are part of the 3000 seedlings planted so far.

to be continued....................

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 11:16 AM

Picture 1 shows the big wheel at the back of the machine, this presses the seeds into the freshly scalped soil after being dropped down a chute behind the plugh blade.

Picture 2 A closer view of the seed hopper and seed dispensing mechanism, this is quite tricky to set.

Picture 3 Off we go, we did about 5 km of direct seeding in out top paddock by repeatedly driving around and criss-cross.

**Cliff Rogers** · 18th April 2007, 11:24 AM

Beauty, where do you get your seed?

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Beauty, where do you get your seed?

Mostly collected locally by the Landcare group, but some purchased in from the Ballarat Seed Bank.

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 11:34 AM

Picture 1 This is 15 months after the seeding, shows the growth achieved in one of our direst years.

Picture 2 Ditto

Picture 3 Ditto

Picture 4 Ditto

Picture 5 This shows the gully where the ladies from our local gaol planted seedlings in 2002 (the taller stuff) and I planted seedlings in 2003 (area where there are still guards.
SWMBO in the background collecting seeds from some of the wattles (Varnish Wattle)

**Cliff Rogers** · 18th April 2007, 11:35 AM

So the machine is owned by your local Landcare group?

What did it cost?

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 11:40 AM

Anyone interested in direct seeding can get more info by Googling "direct seeding"

This is just one link:

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenin...256DEA00294B75

I will take some pictures today and show what the site looks like now.

We did a 4000 acre site about 4-5 kms away from here under the Sydney Olympics Landcare grants scheme in 1999. When I next go there I will take some pictures there and show what 8 years growth looks like. That site now produces a lot of our seed used. It is not unusual to go there with a group of 8 or so members and come away with 20kg of seed after a few hours work.

**Big Shed** · 18th April 2007, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

So the machine is owned by your local Landcare group?

What did it cost?

It is actually owned by 3 local Landcare groups and used by them. I should know how much it cost, I'm the treasurer, but forgot. Will look it up and let you know.

It was paid for by Powernet SPI, the local power utility that looks after the distribution network.

They have been very supportive of the Landcare groups in the area and deserve a plug

**Cliff Rogers** · 18th April 2007, 10:24 PM

Cool, thanks.

Now what is the process; does the seeding happen at a particular time?
Is there anything added to the seed mix?
I know you said that you had already prepared your paddocks but that was before you got onto this direct seeding machine. Would the paddocks normally be prepared first?

Up here they try to prepare a paddock for planting by ripping with a 'winged keel' ripper, a kind of deep plough.
After that they mulch it & then plant in the wet season.

**dadpad** · 24th May 2007, 09:10 PM

cliff and big shed I've been away for a while but most interested in this thread.
Paddocks are usually ripped over summer to shatter the soil. There is some research now that this may not be necessary but does get the seedlings away to a good start. Research now is providing information on scarfing (remove the topsoil and expose the mineral earth layer) then plant without ripping. Plants seem slower to get away (a couple of years) but seem to catch up over the longer term.
Additionally as seed is generally planted in late winter/early spring rip the machine operator tends to end up getting bogged in the ripline. I've been proposing for some time that the seed should be planted then the ripping done but this does not seem to be acceptable to the movers and shakers, they may have a point as planting gets done in late winter/spring when the soil is really too wet for dozers and the ripping tends to be less effective in shattering the soil.

The most important thing about direct seeding is weed control, weed control, weed control. Two or possibly 3 applications of glyphosphate around meter wide.

There are two hoppers on the machine, one for fine seed and one for larger seed that can be calibrated to release the desired amount of seed some of the seed About 2/3 is "prepared" ie smoke treated or hot water treated as required y the particular seed before planting. The idea is that if the initial planting failed from lack of rain there is still seed in the ground that could come up over a period in time.

Seed can be obtained from local sources ie pick your own or get someone to do it for you or Greening Australia or the flora bank website http://www.florabank.org.au/ (just search QLD and take it from there ) hopefully they will have some local seed for you. High quality viable seed is vital and knowing how, what and whan to collect is crucial. Eventually I hope a network of commercial seed suppliers will develop and do away with the need to wild harvest. A component of this will be regular exchanges of genetic material and/or the introduction of new (wild harvested material) on an annual basis. to ensure diversity in the genetic basis. The way things are at present you are just as likely to get bluegum or black wattle seed from South Africa

Some people mix the seed with sand. This is supposed to spread the seed further. one of the problems with direst seeding is too many plants coming up. the acacias tend to out compete everything else and kill of the more sensitive plants that germinate.

Interesting to note bigsheds comment on the "back breaking task of planting 1200 seedlings in a day. I commercially plant up to 2000 a day using a puttiputki. I guess its what you get used to and the tools you use.
Well done Big shed for having a crack.

**Cliff Rogers** · 24th May 2007, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by dadpad

...I commercially plant up to 2000 a day using a puttiputki. I guess its what you get used to and the tools you use......

I'll bite......

Google has NFI what a puttiputki is.

**echnidna** · 25th May 2007, 11:13 AM

wot clif sed,

pics please

**Big Shed** · 25th May 2007, 11:20 AM

2000 seedlings planted in a day, on your own, and 2000 LEAN guards put on?

All I can say is that you are quicker and fitter (and younger?) than I am!!!!

I use one of those planters that cut a tapered hole the size of the seedling from the Hiko trays, can't remember what they are called, but not familiar with your term.

I have watched the commercial planters using the machine behind a tractor, now they plant some stuff in a day!

I sprayed with Roundup (glyphosate) before direct seeding and some areas that I sprayed didn't get direct seeding done. Interestingly, heaps of seeds that must have been dormant in the ground, mainly red gums, have now sprouted up. Obviously they relished the lack of competition from grasses etc.

Have noticed the same effect where I have sprayed areas to eridicate phallaris. That phallaris is a real pain, might be alright for sheep, but if not grazed it can easily get out of hand.

Later:

Just looked it up, mine is a Hamilton tree planter, see here:

http://www.treemax.com.au/revegetati..._planting.html

**dadpad** · 25th May 2007, 01:58 PM

Not guarded as well! jeez i'm not superman. with large forestry operations we dont bother with guards. 20 ha @ 1000/ha would be a very high cost if trees were guarded. better to reduce the pest animal population.
But 2000 trees is not uncommon if the going is good it's reduced substantially on steep or very rough terrain.

We work as a team of 4. 3 planters and a labourer/planter. The labourer lays out 2 trays of trees about every 200 m so we dont have very far to walk when we need trays. Then follows up to pick up the empties. The trays are hooked onto a padded belt on our waist/hips so we are carrying 80 trees and planting direct out of the tray. Plant one then as I walk remove one from the tray insert it into the planter, 2.5 steps and into the ground. Continuous operation plant insert/walk, plant inert/walk. once you get a rhythm going its actually quite relaxing.

Pic below shows a putti.

Insert the tree in the top, put the beak in the ground depress the foot lever which opens the jaws, remove the beak from the ground, press the soil around the root plug with your foot - one foot in front, one behind making sure the tree stays vertical. Close the beak with the thumb lever at the top and away you go again. New Zealand invention apparrently.

**Cliff Rogers** · 25th May 2007, 02:49 PM

Interesting device.
I reckon it would work in our soil up here but I'm not sure about going without a guard.
As soon as we disturb the soil at all, the bloody bush turkeys turn up for a look to see what is going on & they can't look without scratching.
They are a prehistoric neanderthal chook, I don't mind them roaming around BUT... they can be a pest in the garden.

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