Once these seedlings receive their 23l of water in the initial planting they are never watered again as the wick system controls the subsurface water discharge over three to six months.
COCOON trees have been planted in over 10 countries around the world, with survival rates varying between 80 and 95%. Late last year, 1000 were planted alongside the Western Cape’s Berg River. Now, in partnership with Living Lands (a not-for-profit organization for conserving and restoring living landscapes), and the Stellenbosch River Collaborative (a stakeholder group which aims to restore health to the Eerste River catchment), it is Spier’s turn to pilot COCOON along the Eerste River to compare results with those along the Berg River. This growing technology promises an exciting, water-wise and low-maintenance approach to regenerating land that has been cleared of alien vegetation.