Plants and planting

We will be planting around 14000 endemic submerged, filter zone and dryland plants. This is approximately 5 to 6 plants per linear metre in and along the water’s edge and 5 to 6 plants per square meter in the filter zone and dry area around the dams.

Submerged 1.5 per square metre 3000
Edge 5 per linear metre 1400
Filter zone 5 per square metre 3600
Dry zone 5 per square metre 5000
Shrubs

Scattered

300

While Seeds & Plants Australia are supplying most of the plants above, ACT Parks & Conservation have also offered a number of recently propagated grasses and shrubs.  All plants are grown from locally collected seed and cuttings. The planting is being done by the Friends of Mount Majura and other volunteers, with help from Seeds and Plants Australia and ACT Parks and Conservation.

A diverse range of local species have been selected in an attempt to provide a robust and well-balanced habitat.
List of plant species

Our first planting day was on the 9th of October and we planted about 9000 aquatic, edge and riparian plants. The dryland plants and shrubs will be put in later, after propagation, in November 05 and again in February 06. This also gives us the opportunity to fill in any gaps in previously planted areas. We expect to have some losses, but probably less than 10%. The recent rain will unfortunately encourage some competition from weeds.

We start with the aquatic plants and work outward to the dryer areas. Most of the plants are supplied as virocells. Planting holes are made with a drill planter, except in compacted areas where a pick is used. Water crystals and slow release fertiliser are added to each hole before the plant is plugged in. With riparian planting, a humid column of air below the plant encourages deep rooting. Plants are being watered by FOMM volunteers as necessary.

FOMM members had a trial run on Saturday 25 September  2005. The drill planter is operated by Will from Seeds & plants Australia. Water crystals and fertiliser are inserted with a kind of big syringe.

Our second planting was undertaken over two weekends in late November. A small group of volunteers planted 3000 grasses, forbs and shrubs in the dryer eroded areas around the dams. Some extra riparian plants were put in to fill some gaps.

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