The planting team ram a poplar pole into the ground Photo: Supplied
There's often little that can be done to prevent erosion of farmland, but the roots which grow from trees like willow and poplar are one way to help secure land that is at risk of slipping and slumping.
For Jamie McFadden and his team from Hurunui Natives Plant Nursery hard at work planting poles on six farms in the Blythe Valley, the roots run deep indeed.
He was brought up in the Blythe Valley and his brother is still on the home farm that their parents bought in 1966. This is where his interest in plants began.
"They protected the areas of the bush and put in a poplar pole nursery to grow poles for planting around the farm."
Jamie McFadden Photo: Supplied
Now, after 25 years of running Hurunui Natives, Jamie has built up a clientele of about 300 farms.
"We just love working with with farmers and giving them solutions to some of these environmental issues. It's really rewarding," he said.
"We grow plants from seed source from all around the district." he said. "In the winter months we do the poles and then the rest of the time we're doing native plantings."
Farmers applied for funding from ECAN's Soil Conservation and Revegetation Programme [SCAR]. Jamie was then contracted to plant 100 poles on each farm.
The terrain can be challenging and crampons are sometimes used when planting poles Photo: Supplied
It doesn't take long for the lateral roots to take hold Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
"Through SCAR the farmers get roughly a 75% subsidy on the poplar or willow and sleeve," he said.
The poles, that come from the Baynons Nursery in Clarkville, are rammed deep into the ground. When the roots start to form, they grow out from the side of the pole in the top 30 centimetres of soil.
"There are no roots when you plant them so the planting technique's really important. If the pole moves in the wind the roots break off."
When it comes to understanding where to plant the trees, Jamie is an expert. He's been holding up hillsides for 40 years.
Job done and on to the next site Photo: Supplied
One of the key things he's learnt is that micro-siting makes a massive difference.
"You can have poles a metre apart and one will survive and one will die, so careful siting of where you put your poles is critical."
So where is the right place to put them?
"In a spot that they can maximise the moisture, so you're looking for wet spots above a slip or within a slip, little hollows that will hold water longer through the summer," Jamie said.
Because it's dry hill country, he also makes a scoop around the poles to capture water when it rains.
Smoko time - Jamie and his crew enjoy the view Photo: Supplied
Poplar and willow poles planted up an erosion prone gully Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
