New life for native plant species
South Gippsland has very little in the way of remnant vegetation due to the effects of fire and farming, but efforts are being made to regrow a diversity of indigenous plants through Landcare and other revegetation programs.
Native plants specialist, Ian Starkey, told the Leongatha and District Historical Society’s September meeting that remaining stands of remnant vegetation were being well looked after, but the efforts of farmers through Landcare and similar programs were seeing sensitive areas, such as river banks, revitalised under new plantings of native vegetation.
Mr Starkey brought samples of local and regional indigenous plants for society members to become acquainted with.
His detailed knowledge is built up from over 30 years working as a native plant nurseryman in the local area, and working with farmers and revegetation officers.
Mr Starkey said that the better efforts at revegetation came from the co-operative efforts of farmers working together with neighbors to plant along boundaries and rivers.
He cautioned that farmers could waste effort if they planted windbreaks in narrower strips (three metres), saying that 10-metre windbreaks of at least three rows of plantings were the minimum needed for the effort to be effective.
He also said that funding authorities were now encouraging greater diversity in the mix of plants used in revegetation works.
Whereas 10-15 years ago, they may have allowed mono-culture plantings of eucalypts, now there could be up to 30 species in the mix, ranging from grasses or sedges up to the taller trees.