An Old Man Saltbush plantation is commonly established with seedlings. Direct seeding into the grazing paddock has very poor results because the seed germination rate is low and unpredictable.

There is no “best” time to plant saltbush as far as the seasons go, the optimal time to plant is when there is enough time and care available in the landholder’s program for the seedlings. Watering is the focal activity post planting in summer and in winter weed control is most important once the seedlings are planted.

Personally we prefer planting seedlings in spring, the weather and soil are warming and the seedling growth is most rapid. Also, in spring there is less competition from the smothering effects of winter weeds. Obviously this will all need to work in with each property’s existing schedule and conditions, therefore careful consideration in planning is most important.

If planting seedlings in the heat of summer the site will need to have been prepared particularly well, if not post planting watering must be sound and very frequent to make up for the soil’s low moisture profile.

The object of the seedling establishment exercise is to nurse the actively growing roots into the stored moisture of the soil. This way seedlings become independent as quickly as possible and grow with very little set backs. Establishment is quick and much easier when all preparations and aftercare are in order.

Winter establishment is acceptable too, but the seedlings may “sit” for a while and not appear to do much growing in cooler situations. Again weed control is the major consideration in winter.

It takes some commitment from the project manager to establish a successful Old Man Saltbush plantation. It is very easy to take short cuts in the early stages and skip the soil preparation but be warned, everyone soon regrets this act and wishes to go back to rectify the situation when it is too late. If there are doubts about the commitment in the early stages then cut down the size of the project until everyone involved is confident that the seedlings will receive sufficient post planting care.

Establishing an Old Man Saltbush plantation on a fertile site will give the greatest bulk production and show the best returns for grazing. As is the usual case, the best soils will produce the best results.

Soil preparation is best started at least six months prior to transplanting seedlings, in order to have the soil soft and weed-free, and with a good profile of moisture.

In most cases a deep ripping of the soil is necessary to begin with as early as possible. If deep ripping is done too close to transplanting, the soil will be very lumpy and full of large air pockets which inevitably dries the seedlings’ roots.

An Agrow-plow, or Yoemans type implement, put into the earth 30 - 50cm is ideal. This shatters any compacted layers without soil inversion. The shattered soil facilitates good infiltration of water into the subsoil for storage. It also allows the lengthy, heavy duty tap roots of the Old Man Saltbush to go deep into the soil without hindrance.

After ripping, the ground needs to be fallowed through to planting. If the soil is still hard, cultivation may be preferred; if the soil is soft, a chemical fallow may be appropriate, or even use a combination of cultivation and chemical. Which ever method chosen, the object is to have soft, weed-free conditions at planting.

For planting out large numbers of seedlings, a small seedling transplanter, or vegetable seedling transplanter is useful. Some have the ability to inject water around the roots of the seedling as it is planted (a water supply in the paddock at planting is very time saving).

For smaller numbers of seedlings, planting with hand-planters will be the most flexible method. These are a tube style planter with a beak that opens at the bottom, so no back breaking bending over is needed! An experienced operator can hand transplant several thousand seedlings a day into decent soil conditions in this way.

Watering of the seedlings once they are in the ground is the most important part of the planting out process! The first overhead watering each seedling receives must be as soon as possible once it is planted in the ground. Please take the time to ensure that each seedling receives roughly 500mls of water on and around the seedling, this can be time consuming but it makes all the difference to the results of the project. A missed seedling at this stage can be instantly fatal.

Equipment required is a water storage tank (or tanks) on a trailer or small truck, a water pump with hoses and a soft-watering nozzle/water breaker. Operate the pump at a low pressure to ensure soil is not washed away from the seedlings and roots are not exposed.
High pressure fire fighting nozzles are to be avoided at all costs; their force lifts the seedlings out of the ground or gouges the soil out from around the seedling’s roots.

The first overhead watering serves a very special purpose, it will “bed the seedlings in” by collapsing the air pockets around the seedling roots and making sure of good seedling to soil contact, and of course giving them a drink too. If excellent soil moisture is present, or if there is a lucky fall of rain over the seedlings at this point, this may be the end of the applied watering program.

OK, so no rain fell! Now a commitment to inspect seedlings every day for the first week is absolutely necessary for acceptable seedling survival rates. Feel the soil around a sample of the seedlings to gauge the soil moisture content. Look at the seedlings and visually assess their condition too. Before the first signs of dehydration apply an overhead watering to the seedlings! The frequency of watering will depend on the current weather conditions-the higher the air temperature and the stronger the winds the more water applications are needed. Fortunately the seedlings respond very well when watered in warmer conditions and will quickly grow to independence. Once the seedling’s roots reach the stored soil moisture it is self-sufficient and applied watering is no longer necessary. Continue to monitor the seedlings for a while after they are thought to be independent just to be sure of their condition.

Weed control is the next activity requiring consideration, once again regular inspection in the early weeks makes a huge difference in the long term. While ever the saltbush is obviously outgrowing the other unwanted plants around them all is well, once the competing weeds seem to look as if they will overcome the saltbush then quick action is necessary.

Roundup™ is used and sprayed right over the saltbush seedlings, weeds and all, up to a rate of 500ml/ha initially then up to 1l /ha only if absolutely necessary. Try a test strip first if it is difficult to comprehend this concept; most other operators have been in the same position. We needed to test it too because it was rather difficult to believe that the Old Man Saltbush seedlings were able to survive the chemical herbicide treatment. We were amazed to see the weeds fall away and die and the saltbush seedlings remain strong and healthy when sprayed with Roundup™ just few weeks after we planted them.

Seedlings from Inland Botanics are dispatched on a “first in, best dressed” basis. The available seedling numbers vary throughout the year. We endeavour to have a good supply of seedlings ready for dispatch for our customer’s needs but nursery growing is a fickle job. We do not take orders because we cannot guarantee to have seedlings available but we will seek to work our very best at all times.

A plantation of Old Man Saltbush can be a very profitable venture if established and managed properly. A commitment of time and effort at the start will lead to a very satisfying experience.