First post to introduce myself. In process of buying 5.5ha in Northland with a view to long term revegetation with natives. After having searched the forum I'm not sure I'm in the right place as it seems to be much more about stock and farming than trees and planting.
However, if there are Northland locals who are able to provide a complete novice any advice on revegetation, I'd welcome the opportunity to meet up and shout you a coffee.
Would also be interested in thoughts on gear/machinery. The land is steepish (basically a big hill) and there's only one decent fence on the property, and that one is not on the boundary, so lots of fencing to do. Plenty of gorse. I'm planning to get someone in to do the fencing but might end up clearing benches for it myself.
I have been contemplating a small (micro) digger (cant afford a big one!) but see that many on here have minimal gear themselves and hire stuff in when they need it. Leaning that way at the moment.
Would welcome any suggestions, comments.
At the bottom of the learning curve, looking up!!
Cheers
Richard
The following user(s) said Thank You: Ferrit47, Rampe
Hi Richard and welcome to the forum and Northland Where about (roughly) in Northland are you?
The native trees will revegatate themselves whether you plant them or not. The gorse is an excellent nursery crop, it protects the young native seedlings then as the natives grow taller they shade out the gorse which will kill it.
Why do you need to fence? What's on your boundary? We have large areas of our block unfenced as they're QEII covenanted and bordering other covenants.
Not an expert on machinery, it's often more economic to hire an expert and a machine than hire or buy one and learn on the job.
Fencing is mostly to keep other people's stock away from my probably very expensive seedlings.
I understand that if I just leave it the bush will eventually regenerate itself but I wont be around to see that so want to give Ma Nature a bit of a leg up. That way I'll get to see a few trees grow too hopefully.
Plus if I want to graze any of it I will need fences.
Native trees do grow amazingly quickly but planting would definitely help. I'll wrack my brains to think of someone doing that locally....
You say your land is hilly in which case you may be able to get some help from the NRC's planting on erosion-prone land scheme
. We had a bad slip last year and after talking to NRC they helped us to plant about 120 trees in our paddocks. They give advice and pay a contribution towards the costs of buying and planting. We found them very helpful and knowledgeable. We planted fodder trees as we have stock in there.
Thanks again, a chat later on would be great. Will be a month or two before I can actually do very much.
I've been in touch with NRC about other things and they have been super helpful. So yes, will follow up on that with them. They also have a few good revegetation references downloadable from their website.
A lovely area, I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time there.
Welcome Richard, my only urging would be to source your plants locally, not bring plants in from out of the area.
I planted a bare paddock area with seeds I'd grown myself from trees already here and it's been an absolute delight to see it all grow up.
You say fencing to keep neighbours stock out.
If fencing to go on boundary neighbour is liable for half the costs. They have to keep their stock in also. not you keeping them out.
If they wont play ball maybe wrong area to be buying in
You say fencing to keep neighbours stock out.
If fencing to go on boundary neighbour is liable for half the costs. They have to keep their stock in also. not you keeping them out.
If they wont play ball maybe wrong area to be buying in
Keeping animals in is part of the Keeping Animals bylaw Act by the District Council (I recently found this out as I made a submission to our Council's review of the Act) and the Fencing Act is administered by the Min of Justice through the District Court system.
But wherever anyone ends up, you always end up with a mix of characters for neighbours. :lol: :lol:
I haven't read enough yet about the whole regeneration thing but I have already read many times its good to use seed from where ever you are, for many good reasons. That's part of the plan (such as it is, job 1 is probably to make a better plan) but as I mentioned above I am also looking at some more mature planting in some areas.
You live in an interesting spot, I've ridden through Waiotehue Road from Kaitaia on the way to Kohukohu but not yet down Diggers Valley. Ill get in touch if I'm coming that way and pop in if that's ok. Would be good to see what you have been able to do
And thanks also. Not my preferred way of introducing myself to the neighbours I'll see what I can do with cake based diplomacy first, lol. My experience is that you get the neighbours you deserve, for the most part.
I agree its likely that I will have all sorts of different experiences, wherever I ended up buying. Just need to roll with it and do the best I can.
Where about (roughly) in Northland are you?
I'll see what I can do with cake based diplomacy first, lol. My experience is that you get the neighbours you deserve, for the most part.