Shelter

By R L Hathaway Soil Conservation Centre, Aokautere, Ministry of Works and Development, Palmerston North. Most growers agree that the provision of a well-designed shelter system is very important for the production of high quality horticultural crops in most parts of New Zealand. Considerable effort may be spent in determining the optimum design and species combination for the area and crop type to be protected, but of equal importance to design is shelterbelt management, especially in the first few years after planting. Failure to apply the correct management during this period can result in slow growth rates, uneven tree size, [...]

by R. L. Hathaway Soil Conservation Centre, Ministry of Works and Development Aokautere One of the major decisions to be made in developing a horticultural property is that of which tree species or species combination to plant for wind protection. For many growers, this is a difficult decision, despite the fact that considerable experience with trees for windbreak establishment has been gained over recent years in New Zealand. The main reason for this difficulty is that there is no single species or species combination that is suitable for all of the environments now being developed in horticulture. Major factors that affect [...]

Mr R. (Bob) L. Hathaway For some time since 1968 he had been the National Plant Materials Centre scientist in charge of the programme for introducing, breeding and selecting willows for soil conservation. Clones he has developed include the recently released fast-growing Salix matsudana x alba shelter selections "Tangoio", "Makara" and "Moutere". Mr Hathaway's other major responsibility was the selection of soil conservation species, mainly Eucalyptus, for seasonally dry hill country. His interests included tree protection systems, tree establishment methods and the potential of poplars and willows for stock fodder and biomass. He spoke to the Tree Crops Association's annual conference [...]

Growers establishing a shelterbelt often make one of these four mistakes, says National Plant Materials Centre* scientist, Bob Hathaway. • Inadequate weed control: This problem particularly affects the new horticulturalist or part-timers who haven't time for weed control. All new shelterbelts should be kept free from weeks for the first two years, either by cultivation or herbicides. Spraying with herbicides is the main method. • Irrigation not organised until trees are already suffering from drought stress: Many plant their shelterbelts before deciding to have irrigation. By the time they get organised the trees have already suffered stress. Growers should think of [...]

Scientist Bob Hathaway says four questions are usually asked about planting shelterbelts. Answers to these form part of the series of articles Mr Hathaway has written about shelterbelts. • What are the best species to plant in my area and situation? Salt-laden or very strong winds are the main limitation on what to plant. Otherwise you can grow almost anything. The situation and crop chosen also influence choice. • What distance apart should shelterbelt trees be planted — within the row and between the rows — in a multi-row shelterbelt? Distances depend on the species and whether the shelterbelt is an [...]

By Lynsey King - from 1983, timeless advice. Five summer months of strong salt-laden winds have taken their toll on shelter-belts. Scientist, Bob Hathaway has been studying the damage the winds have wrecked, particularly on poplar and willow shelter-belts in the Manawatu. Strong summer winds normally last only a month or so, but last summer's abnormal conditions has taught scientists several lessons. One lesson is that there are serious limitations as to where these particular species can be planted. Mr Hathaway says eight kilometres from the coast is a safe distance. The willows and poplars have suffered leaf-burn and die-back of [...]

First part of a series from Growing Today, July 1983 by R.L. Hathaway National Plant Materials Centre, Aukautere Provision of adequate shelter from wind is essential for the successful production of most horticultural crops in New Zealand. Good shelter not only results in improved yield and quality of crops; it often determines whether or not the crop can be grown at all. A large proportion of horticultural crops are grown in coastal areas, which are often more windy than inland areas. Most areas in N.Z. are affected by the prevailing westerlies, which lower temperatures and increase evaporation and transpiration losses. These [...]