Mansfield Ridge Lines 2009

2/6/2009

Jamieson Rd , Mansfield .

The 'depreciation meter' on the seeding machine was spinning as we grinded and bumped our way down this unfriendly ridge line . Justus hates ripped sites!

The site was ripped by a large bulldozer to prepare for seeding . The dozer shattered large rocks , bringing many to the surface making our progress difficult .

Surprisingly we managed to sow 4 ha with the machine . Jude & Deb hand seeded the steepest parts , I got out and helped them , it was too rough & scarey in the car.

In many places we direct seeded at right angles to the deep rip lines .

Jude Hill / Cathy Olive DPI Grant .

2010 : Checked the site with Jim & Cathy . Growth reseasonable . Varnish Wattles & Lightwoods going well . The best germination was in these damn rip lines . Hand seeding also worked.

Owner pleased.

Brightly at Miepoll 2009

14/8/2009

Is it possible to over prepare a site ?

Probably not if you are a seed but as a direct seeding machine operator I would have to say YES.

Tony had prepared well . Strong fences surrounded the site , the whole site had been blitzed twice with herbicide , ripped lines had been added to break up the soil and capture
maximum moist .

Yet we found it a difficult site !

The ripped lines had captured too much moisture. A heavy duty tractor had done the ripping .The ripped lines were so deep that when we straddled them we were sowing the seed into mid air. We ended up sowing between the rip lines but they were spaced so that each wheel of the toyota was travelling along a ripped furrow.

The photos tell the story .

7 rows of 700 metres = 2ha