another fallen oak

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I didnt make the connection, just asumed this was u.k!

 

interesting, so whats the PH of this volcanic soil?

[Taupotreeman]

Sorry Hama, off the top of my head I wouldn't know. I'll do some sleuthing and get back to you on that one unless Drew knows. The Pumice here can be up to 100 feet deep in places from eruptions from Taupo caldera and the other volcanoes in the area. Apart from the top soil the rest (sub soil) is just grey pumice in most places. seems to make good farming but it's easy for water to wash it away. The local rivers are dirty grey after good rains because of the wash off. Auckland is built on a different type of volcano (about 52 of them I think) but still has issues with poor soils in many places with much of the city being built on old lava flows.

[Taupotreeman]

Well a quick search seems to indicate Ph levels of around 5.6 acorss the areas farms.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

well thats not bad, an unusal situation I guess a young soil with little humus or fine particles to aggregate, is there lirerarly no apex layer? I mean A-Horizon?

[Taupotreeman]

There is definately the A horizon ( all new to me) but you can see in places that it is only a couple of inches deep. There are several layers of Ash deposit which can be seen along several parts of road cutting. It depends how far away from the major eruptions you get and in which direction you travel but you don't have to dig far to reach it. Most of the ash deposits run right out to the coast and in some places the Waikato river has carved its way through the same deposits. The King country is well known for its good crop land but it still needs to be limed to keep the soil PH up. The ash deposits themselves look like sedimentary rock with distinquishable layers visble from each eruptive deposit.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

So given the conditions, why are oaks planted rather than native pioneering types?

[DrewB]

I believe the domian is the oldest oak grove in nz-the early settlers tried to mimic what they left behind. The main parks in auckland are predominantly european trees for this reason.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I believe the domian is the oldest oak grove in nz-the early settlers tried to mimic what they left behind. The main parks in auckland are predominantly european trees for this reason.

 

Typical english!

[Taupotreeman]

I believe the domian is the oldest oak grove in nz-the early settlers tried to mimic what they left behind. The main parks in auckland are predominantly european trees for this reason.

 

Ha! A certain Council member in Taupo has had Pin Oaks planted EVERYWHERE!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Ha! A certain Council member in Taupo has had Pin Oaks planted EVERYWHERE!

 

in this day and age, and awareness what on earth are they playing at!

 

work with native flora and fauna for petes sakes!