Comparison of long-stem and standard tube-stock performance five years after planting in a rainforest edge on the Central Coast of NSW

Adoption of the long-stem planting technique in riparian and nonriparian environments is increasing, despite few scientific studies examining whether the technique improves restoration outcomes. Here, we report on the results of an experiment that compares the performance of long-stem and standard tube stock planted within a rainforest edge. Our results showed that planting technique had no significant effect on the growth and survival of Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi) and Scentless Rosewood (Synoum glandulosum) individuals, 5 years postplanting. Our findings suggest that long-stem planting does not enhance tube-stock performance of these two species, at least under the relatively benign environmental conditions of this study. We recommend that further tests of the technique should focus on habitats where inputs of physical energy are dominant (e.g. rivers, coastal foredunes) and in locations where (and when) growing conditions are particularly harsh.