ELYSIAN AFTER 3 YEARS
The Elysian plots were first planted in the Winter of 2019. After three years, we wanted to share some reflections on how they are doing and what we have leanred.
Q: Will people show up?
Yes. Young professionals sign up and self organize via a google sheet to water weekly. Plus we’ve hosted semi-monthly “plant church” community events.
Q: What are your key lessons learned so far?
What questions are you thinking about moving forward?
Q&A with Jenny Jones / Oct 06 2022
Test Plot Co-Founder, Partner at Terremoto
Test Plot Co-Founder, Partner at Terremoto
The Elysian plots were first planted in the Winter of 2019. After three years, we wanted to share some reflections on how they are doing and what we have leanred.
Q: Will people show up?
Yes. Young professionals sign up and self organize via a google sheet to water weekly. Plus we’ve hosted semi-monthly “plant church” community events.
Q: What are the minimum inputs to establish a native ecosystem?
- We planted over 600 plants with 50% survival rate.
Only caveat on this stat is that we don't actually need ALL the plants to survive. The Micro Forest idea.
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Fencing, gopher cages, signage, signs of care, and programs help.
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Success in location. A lot of people see the test plots during their routine daily use of the park and reach out to volunteer as a result of this visibility
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Initial mulching and adding new mulch year to year, plus chop and drop from in-situ pruning.
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Planted while mounding berms for new planting to stabilize
- Enhanced watering basins for more efficient watering, seems to be working well.
Q: What are your key lessons learned so far?
- Method of watering has been adapted to the age and success of the plots. Watering with round diameter sprinkler at first, as plants age water changes to direct contact hose watering. Volunteers seem to prefer this method
- Dialing in the planting palette has taken years. We’ve monitored gopher activity and its relation to certain species and replanted those plants that were gopher resistant during the second/third years. The plant palette was quite broad and has narrowed over time to reflect what are the most successful species
- Seed plot was a mild success. Annuals did well, very few perennials or shrubs grew from seed and survived.
- Influence from neighboring trees (pine and eucalyptus) has played a role in the health of the plots
- Consistency of volunteer base has a lot to do with keeping up with community volunteer events. Sense of collaboration with others has been important.
- Some plants that were thriving in years 1-2 are now declining (Satureja). Shade plot looked amazing first 2 years, now has seen a little decline. Could be Pine Tree’s influence?
What questions are you thinking about moving forward?
- How to maintain a consistent and diffuse volunteer base so that the task of watering every weekend doesn’t get left to a handful of ultra-dedicated volunteers?
- Method of establishing new test plots while accounting for water restrictions and changing climate?
