TERRACOTTEM SITE EVALUATION FROM CROMWELL IN CENTRAL OTAGO
During Nick's recent trip to South Island in February 2022, Nick met up with Adam Stastny from Natural Habitats Ltd and visited an installation that was completed using TerraCottem Arbor at Sandflat Road in Cromwell and how plants have thrived under the Otago conditions.
Client: Natural Habitats Ltd
Project Name: Sandflat Road, Cromwell, Otago
Evaluated by: Nick Patterson and Adam Stastny
Site Conditions: Sandy soil profile in hostile environment conditions
Other: High sunshine hours in the summer and extreme frosts in winter
Rate & Method: 1.5g per 1L soil
TerraCottem Product: TerraCottem Arbor
Which issues did you have to deal with prior to using the TerraCottem® soil conditioning technology in the above applications?
High losses in the initial planting stage and very slow development of the plants due to inclement conditions with dry and hot summers and alternatively dry and cold winters.
What did you want to achieve by using the TerraCottem® product(s)?
Increased survival rates and a healthier plant particularly over the initial planting period. In the past the mortality rate has been very high in this region with particularly tough growing conditions. The dry Central Otago climate mixed with very hot summers and very cold winters make for difficult planting conditions. The area planted needed to perform to fit the client’s requirement of establishing a grand entrance to a new upscale residential development currently underway.
Which Product benefits did you observe?
Initial establishing was much faster than earlier planting in this residential development. Plants did not go into shock as other plants have in the past, especially when planted outside the normal winter planting window as this installation was late in the season. Plants with TerraCottem grew faster than plants without TerraCottem. The native trees planted responded well and are now thriving. The plants were irrigated; however water was accidentally turned off over the Christmas break and it was evident that the plants with TerraCottem did not show any sign of additional stress over this period.
Adam said that he was initially skeptical of TerraCottem. However, he now has seen first-hand how good the product really has performed. In his words he said that “I was extremely impressed with the way TerraCottem assisted the establishment of this planting. I have not experienced an installation in this region that has performed so well”
Did you have a control plot (without TerraCottem®) in order to make a comparison?
Yes
