HOW TO GROW NATIVE TREES.

Forest and Bird, Issue 21, 1 July 1930, Page 4

HOW TO GROW NATIVE TREES.

(By Captain E. V. Sanderson.).

Our native trees require somewhat different treatment from many exotics, and flourish best in communities or groves. If you look at the nearest bush covered hill-top you will of course see that the indigenous trees grew there despite the exposure to winds and storms. Why? Because they came up en masse, one sheltering and shielding the other. Therefore let us adopt Nature’s plan. We first of all plant those trees which eventually shall be permanent. These should be placed sufficiently far apart so that they will mass upon maturity. As, for instance, a Pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa ) will cover a circle about twenty feet in diameter, while a Hinau ( Elaeocarpus dentatus) will similarly cover a thirty-foot diameter circle, a Kowhai ( Edwardsia microphylla), say, 15 feet. Such sufficient spacing will allow ordinary crown development when fully grown. Now fill the spaces in between these permanent trees with some suitable nurse plant, such as Taupata ( Coprosma retusa ), if on the coast; Karamu (Coprosma robusta), or such cheap and handsome shrubs as T.acebark or Houhere ( Hoheria populnea) , Mahoe ( Melicytus ramiflorus) , Rangiora ( Brachyglottis repanda), or other eimilar quick growing plants. All plants chosen should be suited to the local climatic conditions and soil, and one cannot go far wrongin this if species are chosen which grow naturally or once grew in the locality. As our grove grows the nurse plants must be kept from over-crowding the plants which are intended for permanence by cutting back or as time goes on cutting out altogether where necessary. The soil during the initial stages should be kept free from grass and strong growing weeds by merely keeping the surface stirred. Digging should be avoided because most of our trees are surface feeders and digging will damage the roots. In from two to three years the nurse plants, which should be spaced about six feet apart, will have closed together and all necessity for further cultivation is removed. All leaves, dead sticks, etc., should be left on the surface to form a humus covering. In the initial stages it is preferable to choose plants other than those whose habitat is the forest proper as these require shade. A forest has first of all its fringe or should have. This on the coast would naturally be usually Taupata growing right down to the water edge as it once did in many parts before the introduction of plant-eating animals. Inside this next comes the outskirters, Ngaio, Karaka, Tarata, Koheriki ( Melicopc ternata),

Titoki, Kowhai, and such like. Inside this initial shelter comes the main forest, Rimu, Kahikatea, and a host of other forest trees. It is necessary, therefore, to start with the outskirters before venturing on Rimu and such other inhabitants of the forest proper. The necessary shade will later be present to harbour these. Many of these outskirters will grow and look well as individual trees around one’s garden, but the growth of natives will be very much faster if grown on the grove principle, indeed many species will astonish those who are under the impression that our native trees are all slow growing. If planted amongst grass and in hard packed soil they will certainly be slow and struggle for years, but given free soil and above all good drainage quite different results are quickly in evidence. Thus the Ngaio has been known to grow 10 feet in twelve months and the Whau faster still. • :'Ji To prepare the ground for the grove it is best to cultivate the whole area and then let it lie fallow for a week or two. : All that is then required is to give it a rough rake over after rain, immediately weeds' show above ground. Each tree should be planted with care, puddling it in and then compressing the ground with the feet. Remember that people with big feet make good planters. See that the newly planted shrubs are kept moist for a week at least after planting and you will not have many losses provided that the roots prior to planting have not been allowed to become dry by exposure to sun or dry air. The best time to plant is in the late autumn or early spring. It is money well spent if those plants at least which are intended for perpermancy are procured from a reliable nurseryman as they will then have been properly treated prior to despatch. Our native trees are all rare trees as few of them are found wild in any other country, and owing to depredations of planteating animals, fire, and other causes they are yearly becoming less. Besides giving the grower much pleasure a stand of pure native trees will in the future be of unique value. The following is a list of berry bearing and nectar supplying plants. Foremost amongst these is the Poroporo or Bullibull as it bears the first year and grows with great rapidity in a moist situation. It only lives for three years but will seed itself. It was off this plant that the Maoris snared tuis in large numbers in former days. Birds are wonderfully responsive to sympathy,, but good results cannot be expected unless war is declared in no uncertain manner on such predatory animals as the house cat. The presence of cats and pea-rifles around our homes means the: presence of insect pests, since the birds that would keep them in check are either killed or driven away.