Cape Honey Flower

In June 2018, several Cape Honey Flower (CHF) flower stems stood about a metre high throughout 2 or 3m of the mown kikuyu edge.

Closer observation revealed their many low curving stems were actually about 3mH, up to 4mL and densely covering c.10x10m, intertwined with honeysuckle, blackberry and kikuyu over a light ground cover of Tradescantia, seen here before intervention.

In early November all the CHF stems were sawn off at or near ground level by a contractor provided by the Community Ranger to assist us. The leafy tops were cut off and piled over the stumps for some weeks, this wood and foliage providing the only ground cover over large areas of otherwise bare clay during a not dry summer.

CHF Bank during kikuyu and honeysuckle control in 2018 after cutting down of CHF, and in 2019 with the first replacement vegetation at the top of the bank, and the lower bank after CHF control, with Tradescantia piled in places for its own control and to suppress CHF regrowth.
A few weeks after the stems were sawed off around November 2018, new leafy stems began to appear. Cut foliage had now dried and shrivelled, so the new CHF stems were allowed to grow on the exposed bank top over summer, shielding at least a small part of the ground from the hot dry sun and wind until alternate ground cover developed.

Regrowth of cut stunps was most quickly and easily controlled when heavily mulched with wet plant material eg Tradescantia.

Once exotic herbs became established the CHF regrowth was cut as it appeared. As CHF regrowth was vigorous, decaying plant material was scarce, and Tradescantia was dense a few metres further down CHF Bank and on the adjacent Flame Tree Bank, some Tradescantia was gathered and piled on the cut CHF stumps. This heavy mulch of Tradescantia was intended both to suppress the CHF regrowth and to maintain ground moisture for the surviving native trees through summer - karamu, mapou, and two kawakawa whose leaves had yellowed shortly after removal of the previous weed cover.

On the steepest part of the bank Tradescantia mulch was not used, as the mulch would have been unstable and its control time-consuming, particularly in winter run-off. On these steep banks, Regrowth of the CHF plants growing laterally from steep banks is being suppressed by ongoing removal of small shoots, with a little non-invasive mulch eg thinned herbaceous plants that can be "hooked" on the CHF stumps.

The cut CHF stems are hollow, presumably collect water, and are now now decaying. The growth of new stems from the roots has declined by about 90% since December, but we expect ongoing monitoring and regrowth-removal will be necessary for some time.

Publicado el martes, 16 de julio de 2019 a las 01:34 AM por kaipatiki_naturewatch kaipatiki_naturewatch

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