Preparing a planting site

Outcomes

Students will have a better understanding of what needs to be done before planting out seedlings and shrubs. THey will also learn how to mulch an area.

Background Information

Schools need to address the following two key issues in preparing their site for planting: How to remove weeds and control weeds growing over time, and What is the best solution to hard compacted soils? Once weeds are controlled, many new tubed plants will grow surprisingly quickly producing stunning results. Unless the weeds (including introduced grasses) are controlled, any new plants will struggle and your wildscape will take much longer to achieve results.

Materials

Roundup, protective clothing (gloves, mask) rotary hoe (if necessary), weeding tools, shovels, wheelbarrows and rakes.

Let's begin

The most common method for controlling weeds and grasses is to use a herbicide called Roundup. This product is used because once the chemical touches the soil it becomes inactive and will not damage the environment. The spraying of any chemical must only be performed by adults and children shouls never be present.

To rid your planting site of weeds, you will need to spray the weeds twice - two weeks apart. The area must then be left alone for another fortnight before the area can be planted. Roundup needs two or three dry days to work effectively. It also works best when the weeds are actively growing. Once the weeds have died, the soil can be topped up with new soil or dug over with compost.

Rock hard ground (compacted soil) is very hard for children to dig. Hiring a Rotary Hoe is one option for loosening the soil to a depth of 0.5-1m. One drawback to using a Rotary Hoe is that unwanted weed seeds and roots will be brought to the surface. Only dig-up the ground if really necessary.

Mulching your planting site is the final step before planting. Most people tend to mulch their gardens once their plants have been planted. In our experience, it is better to mulch first then plant otherwise, plants get buried and lost or trampled over. Mulch will retain moisture in the ground, slow down the invasion of weeds and make the pulling of weeds much easier. Mulch needs to cover the area to a depth of 10cm.

Commercial mulches will not create any problems. Council and roadside mulching services provide mulch at a minimal cost. The drawback to using these mulching services is that mulch product can contain seeds, berries and weeds.

Students are the best spreaders of mulch. Shovels, wheelbarrows and rakes are required and to maintain interest and enthusiasm, jobs (collecting the mulch and spreading it) should be rotated Hand shovels can be used by smaller children to move the mulch.

Useful references

Most general Gardening books have a 'how to' section on preparing planting sites. See what your students can find at home, in the library or on the Internet.

links

The Gould League: http://www.gould.edu.au