Some councils are trying to return wet areas to there natural state. The first step is to remove the weeds ie willows
the ecological value of willows
- Thread starter StephenB
- Start date
yeah and those wet areas will erode dumping more sediment into the rivers and harbors.
incidentally there is a program up north here to get farmers to plant willows/poplars to help stop land erosion.
I've seen some perennially wet gullies that are fairly boggy/swampy erode though. Re-vegetation with natives from the bottom up definitely useful
The willows are an important part of our calender ...... willow flow about September 20 ..... free nectar and pollen that boosts bee build up.
They were planted as a means to slow down river bank erosion when we got more intensive in agriculture.
In this era of climate change when we are getting sudden rain events that dump 50ml of rain in the hill country in 40 minutes , the willows will play an importnat part in slowing that Tsunami of runoff.
And in an era of wanting to Save the Bees, the willows play an important part in colony buildup so that they can go out and save the planet.
As I have said many times before,the guys who make the rules in their concrete offices need to get out more.
It's a great idea to return NZ to it's pre colonial past ..... but the reality is that we have progressed and need to live our lifestyles with that in mind.
They were planted as a means to slow down river bank erosion when we got more intensive in agriculture.
In this era of climate change when we are getting sudden rain events that dump 50ml of rain in the hill country in 40 minutes , the willows will play an importnat part in slowing that Tsunami of runoff.
And in an era of wanting to Save the Bees, the willows play an important part in colony buildup so that they can go out and save the planet.
As I have said many times before,the guys who make the rules in their concrete offices need to get out more.
It's a great idea to return NZ to it's pre colonial past ..... but the reality is that we have progressed and need to live our lifestyles with that in mind.
willows are great here. however our turbulent spring weather makes it difficult.
i've only had one season where we actually took willow honey off the hives. the big problem is when the willows stop its swarm central.
if your not on your game a lot of your bees are going to exist stage left. it can be very difficult to hold them until the main flow starts.
i've only had one season where we actually took willow honey off the hives. the big problem is when the willows stop its swarm central.
if your not on your game a lot of your bees are going to exist stage left. it can be very difficult to hold them until the main flow starts.
one thing that sets off swarming is on/off flow in swarm season. after willows finish we can have absolutely nothing.
the bees natural instinct is to go make a new home.
once the main honey flow starts they forget about swarming.
so the willows are a blessing but also a curse.
Willows will be like hybrid cars and fluorescent bulbs. A necessary transition to something better
The wetland reserve at Tuamarina (between Blenheim and Picton) took decades. But the willows held it together till the natives were established & doing there jobs. Then they poisoned all the willows, and hey presto a fully functional wetland.
It is only the invasive varieties of willow (for instance, crack willow) that are a pest. There is a multitude of willow varieties that only reproduce by cuttings and these are the ones recommended for land stabilization and shelter. These varieties don't produce viable seeds.