From Farmland to Forest: Growing an Indigenous Forest at The Old Mushroom Farm

12 minutes ago

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There’s a lot of digging going on at The Old Mushroom Farm at the moment. Nick and his team have been clearing invasive plants and preparing holes on the south-facing slopes of the valley, making space for a new batch of indigenous trees donated by Forest House Farm, Food and Trees for Africa, and Inspiration Travel and Tours.

For Arbor Week, we’re celebrating the growing indigenous forest at The Old Mushroom Farm; a long-term environmental rehabilitation project that is slowly transforming the slopes and valleys of the farm.

What is Arbor Week?

In South Africa, Arbor Week takes place from 1–7 September each year, with Arbor Day falling on 7 September. It’s a national reminder of the importance of trees and the role they play in healthy ecosystems, from providing habitat and food for wildlife to protecting soil, storing carbon and improving water systems.

It’s also an invitation to plant, nurture and appreciate trees; particularly indigenous species suited to our local environment.

Restoring the land, one tree at a time

The Old Mushroom Farm, as we hope you know by now, was once a working agricultural business. Many years of farming operations left parts of the natural ecosystem degraded and invasive plants have gradually crept into areas of the property.

Just as we’ve chosen to restore and repurpose the farm’s existing buildings rather than build new ones, we’re taking a restorative approach to the land. By controlling grazing, clearing invasive species and planting indigenous trees, we’re helping the natural habitats of the farm re-establish themselves over time.

We’re seeing it happen already. Five years ago, this patch of the farm was very different. Today, there’s a young forest growing in the valley, tall enough to form a canopy, shady underneath, and already attracting birds, buck and other wildlife. This spring, we’re adding another batch of indigenous trees to the mix, giving a young forest the conditions it needs to establish itself, then, after a few years, allowing nature to do much of the work.

Recently, Forest House Farm, Food and Trees for Africa, and Inspiration Travel and Tours collectively donated 65 indigenous trees to The Old Mushroom Farm. These new additions will help us expand the forest, including forest bush willow (Trichilia dregeana) and Natal mahogany (Trichilia dregeana), among other species.

Nick is particularly fond of the Natal mahogany.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” he says, pointing out one of the new additions. “And it gets the most amazing flowers.”

We’ll have to be patient for those. It will be a few years before these young trees are mature enough to put on their spectacular display.

Making space for the forest

Last week, Nick and his team prepared the holes for the new trees on the south-facing slopes of the valley. The area was cleared of invasive plants in preparation for planting. Bramble, bracken and other invasive and alien species have been removed to make space for indigenous saplings and give them a fighting chance to establish.

Down in the lower part of the valley, you can already see what this work is destined to become with a little time. Nick points towards a section of forest that is now around five years old. The young trees have grown into a leafy, canopied forest, a shady green refuge.

Once a forest has developed a canopy, it becomes less vulnerable to competition from invasive plants. The mature trees shade the ground below, making it harder for sun-loving invasive species to take hold. In this way, the forest begins to create its own little ecosystem.

Take a detour on your next farm walk. As you pass the dam, take a right turn into the forest. It’s particularly beautiful down there, with the little stream flowing through the valley bottom and the canopy overhead. Keep an eye out for the birds, buck and other wildlife that are beginning to make use of the space.

Spring is for growing

Nick loves growing things, and he particularly loves spring. There’s something about this time of year — the warmer days, new growth and anticipation of the summer rains — that makes it feel like everything is ready to get going.

With the holes dug into the rich Midlands soil, Nick’s method is simple: add organic fertiliser to the bottom of the hole, plant the sapling, and give it a good start.

Behki, The Old Mushroom Farm’s gardener, has done much of the planting and will continue caring for the young trees, keeping them watered until the summer rains arrive and the KZN Midlands bursts back into its familiar lush green.

A forest for the future

One of the things Nick takes the greatest pleasure in is standing in a forest that he planted and tended himself.

The small saplings of a few years ago are now tall enough to walk under and companion species have begun moving in. The forest is becoming less something that was planted and more something that is alive in its own right.

That’s the real reward of restoration: watching a place become more itself over time.

In celebration of Arbor Week, take a walk through The Old Mushroom Farm’s indigenous forest and see the transformation for yourself. And perhaps, as you stand beneath the canopy, you’ll be inspired to plant a tree of your own.