A few months later she collects the seed capsules containing thousands of, tiny, microscopic seeds that look like finely ground pepper and takes them back to her propagation facility in central Victoria. The previous winter she collected the associated fungi responsible for seed germination. The fungi and seed are brought together on petri dishes, the fungi then inoculates the seed and they grow into tiny fluffy protocorms (tuber-shaped bodies). Eventually, after many more steps and three-to-five years, the plants will be big enough to be transported back to the reserve for planting.
The seeds are then sprinkled onto the fungus, which inoculates them so they grow into tiny fluffy protocorms (tuber-shaped bodies). Eventually, after many more steps and three-to-five years, the plants are big enough to be transported back to the reserve for planting.
From 2014 to 2016, Julie did three plantings of Stuart Mill Spider-orchids at J.C. Griffin Reserve, with the help of volunteers from the Australasian Native Orchid Society,The St Arnaud Field Naturalist Club and the Kara Kara Conservation Management Network.
Their success is measured not only in the number of orchids that survived (60% to 80%) but also the flowering rates.
“Not all orchids will flower every year. Some might flower only one out of every three years, depending on weather conditions, but in 2016 I had a very good flowering rate of 50%,” says Julie.
For Jeroen van Veen, Bush Heritage’s Victorian Reserves Manager, the impact of the orchids on other species can be quite stark.
“When we fence off a small area where we raise these orchids, we see the density of wattles increasing and the bush peas coming back in high numbers,” says Jeroen.
Within the central Victorian region, Bush heritage has a focus on the Heathy woodland and Grassy woodland ecosystems that are in decline. Within these ecosystems threatened orchids are a Key Conservation Target. We aim to increase the number of viable populations within the Kara Kara to Wedderburn landscape by 2030.
Bush Heritage acknowledges the support of The R E Ross Trust towards our efforts to conserve orchids in central Victoria, as well as RBGV staff, who are working to reintroduce 200 more Stuart Mill Spider-orchids back into their broader range by 2020.