weeds and did we mention the rabbits?

cutting weeds
Cutting the Patterson's curse to size
One of the ongoing jobs on our property is the control of weeds, and also rabbits. After twenty years of neglect, the weed growth and also the resulting seed bed of seeds, was truly outstanding. One of the first areas to receive attention was through the remaining trees of the cherry orchard.
 
We used a combination of brush cutting and slashing first, then raking into piles and burning, but even when slashed to ground level, a new carpet of repeat offenders was ready to take over.
 
weed control
Burning the weeds

 Not only this constant regrowth, the orchard was infested with rabbit warrens, making access a challenge all the way. We also discovered that most of the cherry trees were beyond rejuvenation, the suckers and root stock had over grown the grafts, the trees were all split and riddled with ants and borers.

About this time we became aware of a local programme that offered funding for re-vegetation work on a large scale. The idea of the scheme was for the provision of wildlife corridors that could connect remnant areas of native vegetation.
 
We quickly made up our mind on this, our western side of our property was by virtue of its inaccessibility relatively untouched, and had generous areas of the  original endemic native vegetation. it was time to remove the old cherry orchard, carry out some rabbit warren control and get read for replanting.

removing cherry trees
Removing the cherry trees

We allocated a fifty metre wide by 450 metre strip of land that connected the existing native vegetation on the west, right across the northern boundary of our farm to the dam and then continued up the eastern side for another 400 metres.
 
Part of the grant also provided for rabbit control work by removing the rabbit warrens using an excavator, not only in the are to be re-vegetated, but up into the rocky slopes of the hill above these areas.
 
removing rabbit warrens
Removing the rabbit warrens

 Finally we had achieved a major goal, cherry tree removal, rabbit control and areas for the re-vegetation to take place shortly.
 
part of the area for revegetation
Part of the area ready for re-vegetation work
 
At this stage we had already planted approximately 1000 native trees complete with tree guards around our boundary fences in previous years, we were well on our journey into turning this farm around.
 
cats paw grevillea
Native cats paw grevillea


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