Category: Planting and management

After being trained to do pest control for Auckland Council. I have joined the Selwyn Bush roster (only 14 traps sites). The people at Conservation Volunteers seem to do a lot to help but I should help them make a web app as the data entry is pretty painful. 

READY TO PLANT
1 Karaka Trees (grown from urban seed)

GROWING
2 Karaka Trees (grown from urban seed)
3 Locquet Trees (grown from urban seed)
10 Carex Lessoniana (bought – will divide)
8 Passionfruit plants (grown from stray seedlings)
1000 Pohutakawa seeds (grown from local seeds)

CLONING
16 Pear Trees (cloned from urban source)
6 Pohutakawa Trees (cloned from urban source)

GERMINATING
10 Puriri Trees (Wai O Taki Bay seed)
30 Cabage Trees (urban seed)
10 Nikau Trees (Maungatapere seeds)
10 xxx? Trees (Maungatapere seeds)
12 Karaka Trees (Mt Wellington seed)

I spent the morning removing Asparagus Weed from the Kepa Bush reserve in Kohimarama as part of the Forest & Bird Pourewa Restoration Project. I have a lot more work to do!

I have tried to find out who planted these trees but no one seems to know. Many are completely dead – it has been a very dry summer. I am trying to revive the rest with local creek water (only when the tide is going out) but I am worried about the salt content. I tasted it once and it was a lot less salty than the sea but I will not again, not since I smelt the waste water being pumped into the creek upstream!

UPDATE: It’s officially a drought. I have been giving each tree approx. 4L of creek water once a week. There is no noticeable return of any green leaves. Tho one of the Rewarewa with a tiny amount of green has not lost it. The creek water is getting smellier I am not sure how good it is for the trees. I am bringing my house water down for the only Kauri.

UPDATE: They all died. The drought was bad, but I don’t know why Auckland Council plants trees and does not look after them.