Turning "Maintenance" edging into Restoration ... now is the time!

"Maintenance" edging becomes Restoration with a simple well-timed action accompanied by ongoing monitoring and hand-removal of invasives in the treated area.

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/14049940

Showing the surface soil cleared for regeneration of natives, by removing potentially live roots from a sprayed kikuyu edge.

Similar action along the length of the heavily sprayed edges would be likely to produce regeneration of native vegetation throughout, after a period adequate for the poison to breakdown sufficiently to allow life. The half-life of glyphosate is understood to be 18 months (from studies relating to the human health effects of handling the contaminated soil). However many plants can germinate and grow in it before then (kikuyu, for one!).

Carrying out the process illustrated (with appropriate safety clothing and processes) would result in reinvasion of kikuyu by stoloniferous growth from the edge of the mown area. However, if this regrowth were to be uplifted and pulled back on itself towards the mown area, it would not invade the cleared edge. If the pulled-back kikuyu is placed in a pile along the length of the edge of the mown area, the leaves rot, then the roots weaken. At the appropriate time, ie when it is found that the roots uplift easily, the entire pile can then be rolled back further, leaving a wider margin for native revegetation.

The revegetation will include any viable seed in the seedbank or newly arriving by air, so seedlings need to be monitored and identified as they develop.

By retaining non-harmful exotics (including many horticultural weeds) as well as any native seedlings, while removing invasive seedlings, stolons and rhizomes, the site curator can observe and support the spontaneous conversion, over time, of an area of kikuyu to a diverse native plant community.

Posted on July 4, 2018 08:50 PM by kaipatiki_naturewatch