all at sea

In 2016 we received a grant of $750 from the Moreton Bay Regional Council to purchase 500 tubestock trees for our revegetation project here at Hyde Rd. With the summer being so very hot and dry I've been waiting for rain and cooler weather before getting stuck into things; at least the former has now arrived.

So I've been down removing snake weed in preparation for the 1st stage of planting but to be honest I'm feeling a bit lost with where to start. Firstly the patch is on a hillside. I'm very conscious of erosion and how heavy rain will flow down the hillside. I know I need to design the planting to compensate, but how?

Secondly, I really don't want to use weedicide. I do however need to grapple with weed competition around the plantings. Without spending a fortune I'm looking at a combination of weedmat and mulch but there may be a better way.

Thirdly I'm unsure about spacing of plants and also how to scatter different types of plant across the area - in clumps?, totally scattered?

Fourthly I'm hoping from advice from the nursery when I select the plants. Its a hot, dry hill, the soil varies and there's a strip on the border of the forest that gets more shade. What on my list will do well?

Of the 500 to plant probably only 100 will go in this space so there's a long and winding road ahead. Feeling just a tad overwhelmed at this point in time. Some support from the funding body would have been good or access to a support network in the very least.