Island Planting

Karaka planted on this small island
Karaka planted on this small island

Fist tree out of my Nursary is a Karaka that accidentally sprouted in my Garden a few years ago. I planted it on this little ‘Island’ near Wai o Taiki Bay. Hopefully it helps hold it together.

Pest Control

Rat

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. 

My Nursery

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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)

Watering on Omaru creek

Dying Rewarewa
Dying Rewarewa

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.

Map of Tamaki erosion sites


View Tamaki erosion sites in a larger map

After a very muddy swim, my son (8yrs old) and I have started mapping local erosion areas. It looks like there are lots of obvious places where we can fix tracks, plant trees and build retaining walls. I would like to help get the silt and mud out of the Hauraki Gulf.

Check out a large version of the map here