Hi Jan.
I doubt if I could improve on your process. A few things do spring to mind - like frost protection, protection from hares, wallabies etc, and surrounding the plants with plastic tree guards to keep the humidity up around the young plants if the weather is dry - but perhaps none of these are relevant to you.
I also do wonder whether the dolomite and gypsum are necessary, but I suppose you have considered the soil pH? (remembering that rainforest plants like it acid).
Do you know what your land's pre-European vegetation would have been? Did it grow rainforest back then? If it did, then the soil mightn't need modification apart from an initial dose of fertiliser, and plenty of mulch. A lot of rainforest grows on shallow soils. As the hay breaks down you might consider a more lasting organic mulch.
But these are all only thoughts. It sounds to me as though you are doing a great job, and I wish you well with your project. I think you're setting yourself up very well indeed for many years of deep enjoyment.
Cheers,
Trish

Jan, all sounds well on what hard work you ae doing. Trish your suggestions are also extremely helpful, rainforset soil is mostly leaf litter decomposing.
my only suggestion is to perhaps create swales on your sloping ground, which will also retain any water runoff when it rains, and leaf litter collects behaind the swales. Do your plantings on the swales with mulch . great to hear people like yourself reclaming the landscape. much luck.
Sye

What is it they used to say? No good putting a $20 plant in a $2 hole - or something like that. Sounds like you're giving everything a great shot, and its amazing how quickly things can come away when given a good start. Hope you are keeping pics of your progress.

Hi Trish, Sye and Alison, Thank you for your encouragement, apologies for delay in responding (computer probs :-( ) Yes I get very excited every time I visit my block and see the growth of my 'babies'! Thankfully I haven't had too much problem with pests other than a few caterpillars but then it is land for wildlife. I have a family of grey roos but they seem to avoid the plants with just the occasional one that seems to have been knocked over. Alison I rarely pay more that $1.60 for a plant, more usually just a dollar if I haven't produced my own.
I always pot my plants into a 125 or 140 pot and they get planted as strong plants and don't usually look back. As a Pom I'm constantly amazed at the rapid growth that plants make in the sub-tropics; I year's growth over here seems to equate with three years in the UK!
Thanks again and happy gardening

Sounds like you are giving your plants a good start.

I am curious to know if the area you are planting into was, or is a rainforest community ? Have you had the land surveyed by the LFW experts ?

Are you putting in plants that are local provenance ?

I am not sure how closely you want your land to be rehabilitated, as these are issues I have pondered on myself, in the past.

Good on you for doing the planting, I hope you do get to enjoy your lovely rainforest.

Jan,
I woudn't worry too much about local provenance, all species are enriched by genetic material from others of their species. Thats why nature made sex such fun. Its your garden, select what you like from the species that grow in your region, but dont be put off if you like something from a bit further afield.
I started turning a cow paddock into rainforest 20 years ago and the process is still ongoing. I was there today and as I looked around the tall trees at lunchtime, I felt a swell of pride and attachment to the place. The phases your project will go through are inspiring.
Best wishes.

Thank you for the encouragement, interest and advice. A lot of the plants are of local provenance (many from regeneration) but as someone who has spent a lifetime passionate about plants, when I was gardening professionally in the UK, I do love variety as well! I am very lucky to have a couple of good mates who spent many years working for Fairhill Nursery before they retired and one of them, Phil, did a lot of their seed collecting; these two have been very generous in their knowledge and with 'special' plants so I do also have a lot of natives that are not of local provenance as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing this garden/wildlife plot develop and flourish - I just hope I'm around long enough to see it reach some form of maturity. Even now in these early stages (I do have quite a lot of mature trees as well) I get an immense pleasure from spending quiet times amongst these trees! At this point I would also recommend strongly the "Land for Wildlife Scheme" that is run through the local authorities. Thank you all for your interest and Happy Gardening. Cheers Jan

Hi !

Maybe you think I am crazy, but making the hole could be much easier:
Just blow it off !
If no animals get hurt/shocked, this would be the easiest method and much faster than anyone else.
Plus the vibrations of the explosions also crack up the underground and make it easier for the plants to root.

Best Regards !

I've found Melia azedarach (White Cedar) and Macaranga tenarius really helpful pioneer species in revegetation - Macaranga is like a nutrient mine - deep roots, fast growing, nutrient rich leaf litter and good early canopy. The White Cedar is bulletproof, fast growing and deciduous. Hope that helps.