Have You Ever Heard of a Live Stake Nursery?

By Cindy Rogers

Nearly a dozen members of the Westmoreland, Indiana and Armstrong County Master Watershed Stewards group got together on the rainy day of October 16, at Getty Heights Park in Indiana, PA to plant a live stake nursery. The nursery includes 6 different varieties of trees and shrubs and totals 90 plants. Funding for the nursery came from a PA American Water Grant that the statewide Master Watershed Steward program received to establish multiple live stake nurseries across the state.

There are a variety of things we can do to help protect and stabilize stream banks and improve the health of the streams. One thing is to plant a "riparian buffer" which is the planting of native trees and bushes along the sides of streams and up to 30 meters on either side of the stream to prevent erosion and help improve water quality. These trees not only help hold soil in place, but also soak up nutrients, absorb rainwater, and provide habitat for wildlife.

Live Staking is one way to put plants directly in the places that need them most along the stream banks. Using live stakes can be a much lower cost than buying trees and plants for the plantings. Stem cuttings taken from trees during their dormant season (before the trees bud out in the spring) are put directly into stream banks. These cuttings, referred to as "live stakes," will eventually grow into new trees and are an easy way to establish a root network in the stream banks and help prevent further soil erosion.

This newly planted live stake nursery will be maintained by local Master Watershed Stewards who will help with watering and weeding the area. A partnership with White Township allowed the Watershed Stewards to use a part of Getty Heights Park for the project, and the township assisted with digging the initial holes for the plantings. The trees and bushes for the nursery were planted in the holes, ground cloth was used to prevent weed growth, and wire cages were installed to protect new trees from deer browsing. The plantings were placed at a distance apart that would allow easy mowing between the trees.

In a year or more, Master Watershed Stewards will be able to harvest twig cuttings for future plantings of riparian buffer zones in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Armstrong counties.