Zandvlei Trust

Task Team - BOSSIES

A working relationship with Zandvlei Trust on City of Cape Town land.

    We urge all communities to adopt this concept and introduce it in your area.

Planting the centre island of Prince George Drive.

Background

The ZVT Exco members in consultation with the Manager of the Zandvlei Nature Reserve applied for funding to upgrade the Prince George Drive centre island in Muizenberg with local indigenous plants. The project will have a few phases. Phase one will start on the centre island and extend northwards.
The objective is to create corridors of local indigenous flora linking Bokmakierie Park, Grysbok Park, the pavements leading into Muizenberg East and also along the coastal strip down to the False Bay Ecology Park and beyond. The plants will be planted out in April / May 2011. Some of the hardier plants may be planted before if temporary irrigation can be arranged.

Brief project description

Neil Major reports "The proposed project comprises the propagation of 2000 locally indigenous plants and the planting out of these plants at the middle islands of Prince George Drive. The plant species are according to the plant lists of the Zandvlei Nature Reserve and Coastal area as well as Muizenberg East vegetation. Site preparation involves the clearing of alien vegetation from the site.

Nursery preparation involved cleaning of the misting tables in the greenhouse. Plant propagation involved the purchasing of materials. These were: cutting trays, rooting hormone, 6 pack trays, rooting mix and expanded beads. The collection of plant material from Bokmakierie Park (the nearest piece natural veld). The team was trained to do propagation from tip-cuttings. The team filled 42 trays each containing 120 plugs. These will now be under mist irrigation in the greenhouse until their roots can support transplanting into 6 packs. Certain plants are planted straight into 6 packs, like pelargoniums".

March and April 2011    updated 06/04/2011

Neil reports the project is going well so far and all is on the planned schedule. We are approaching the season to plant out the 2000 plants on the island. After the winter rains have penertrated and cooled the ground we will be ready to do the planting.

photograph by Neil Major

 The proud team members with what they have achieved under Neils guidence.

photograph by Neil Major

The roots have developed well and are through the holes in the seeding trays. Time to transplant them into bigger bags.

photograph by Neil Major

Potting soil having to be carefully mixed with selected soils and compost. The larger trays being filled so the seedlings have more room to develop the root system.

photograph by Neil Major

Plant trays being stocked with seedlings from the propagation trays. 

photograph by Neil Major

Potting bags being filled with soil so that the well established plants can be transferred. 

photograph by Neil Major

After all the bags are filled they go into a hardening area where they will await the correct time of season to be put out in the centre island in Prince George Drive.

This process has taken 6 months to date, and the plants are not yet ready to go into the designated pavement area.  Few people understand how much effort time and dedication it takes to get the plants growing to this stage. Hopefully this helps to illustrate the point.

December 2010

Neil reports he has had success in growing cuttings of Nylandtia spinosa (Tortoise berry or Skilpadbessie). His previous attempts had yelded 10 out of 1000 cutings taking root. After only 3 weeks he now has 2 trays of 120 plugs each,  which most are showing root growth beyond expectation. He has spoken to others in the industry who grow indigenous plants and they have battled to get Nylandtia spinosa to grow. Some taking up to 1year to root.

Cuttings of Nylandtia spinosa.                              Root formation after 3 weeks. This is very encouraging.

Some of the 6 pack trays planted out, Neil explaining to Robin and Pat the species selected to be planted.

Closer look at the tiny cuttings which have to establish themselves in the next 5 months during the hot summer months. They will be planted out just before the winter rains start in 2011.

Debating which species this is.                                 These plants are in the hardening area and are being
                                                                              weeded.

The weeds!!

October 2010   updated 01/12/2010

photograph by Neil Major                                                            photograph by Neil Major  

Collecting plant cutting material of Pelargonium       Collecting Otholobium bracteolatum
capitatum

photograph by Neil Major                                                            photograph by Neil Major  

Preparing the nursery for new plants                        Doing tip cuttings of Ruschia marcowannii

photograph by Neil Major 

Zandvlei Nature Reserve nursery greenhouse full of cutting trays

Contact  Neil Major   on  076 473 7095  or   021 706 0153

• He can sell you local indigenous plants at very reasonable prices, and 

• also landscape your pavement or garden to help create biodiversity corridors with

• Strandveld and Sand Plain Fynbos plants promoting the biodiversity of all local species.

The Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery sales is at;

•  Rondevlei Nature Reserve - No 1 Fishermans Walk, cor Perth Road, Grassy Park.