AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SOCIETY (Formally SGAP) Warrnambool & District Group Inc. Newsletter July 2015 No 406

Transcription

1 AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SOCIETY (Formally SGAP) Warrnambool & District Group Inc. Newsletter July 2015 No 406 Incorporation No: AOO1312OX ABN: Web: Hi members, Correa reflexa Grannys Grave EDITORIAL I hope members enjoyed the propagation night last month, I know of a couple of you who have purchased your plastic crates and have your cuttings inside and are eagerly looking for the presence of roots protruding from the bottom of the pots. Be patient! It will happen. The best place to keep your crate is on the east side of your home, gets the morning sun but not the hot afternoon sun. Choose a place where you walk passed it often, not somewhere where you will forget about it! It s a bit hard to find any sun at the moment, but at this time of the year you can move it around to get as much sun as you can find. Even in the current cold weather, your cuttings will still grow roots, just take a bit longer. My apologies for forgetting to bring along a pot of struck cuttings to knock out and pot up. Instead, I will bring one along this month so that you can see how it is done. If you missed out on the night or would like a copy of my Propagation Notes, send me an at: ksparrow93@gmail.com and I will send it to you. Don t forget our Bunnings BBQ fundraiser is on this Saturday, please come along and buy a snag! If you aren t on our roster of helpers and can manage a couple of hours to help us out, please contact Bob Artis on This month, our guest speaker is Julie Eagles, Convenor of the Warrnambool Community Gardens which is located in Albert Park, opposite the racecourse. Julie will be showing us what they have achieved so far with the establishment of members permaculture gardens, building the HUB (Healthy Urban Building) and the plans they have (working with our group) to establish a native garden bed and aboriginal recognition site nearby. They have also been working on removing the weeds from the old quarry site next door and replacing them with local native species. (See our April 15 newsletter pages 7,8 and 9 for information about this) Please come along to hear Julie speak and don t forget to bring something from your garden for the Display Table. As usual we will be having a pre-meeting meal at the RSL at 6.30pm, Hope to see you on Friday 24th Cheers, Kevin The APS Warrnambool & District holds meetings on the 4th Friday of each month at the Mozart Hall Warrnambool at 8pm. DIARY OF EVENTS: 18th July - Bunnings BBQ 24th July - Julie Eagles speaking about the clearing and reveging at Community Gardens and the old quarry site at Albert Park. 28th July - Committee - Sparrows 19th August 7.30pm at HIRL at Hamilton. We are invited to attend their meeting where Cathy Powers will be speaking on diversity and distribution of native orchids. 28th August - Adam Miller speaking on Genes and Fragmented Landscapes. 19th/20th September WAMA Grampians Trip. 25th Sept - Brian Lacy Brian & Betty s Gardening Story 23rd October - Lisette Mill. Wildlife Motion Cameras 27th November - Rod Bird Xmas Breakup Date TBC Plants of the Great South West, book on plants of South West Victoria $20, available from Kevin Sparrow at ksparrow93@gmail.com Ph: Like us on Facebook Members Night: Friday 24th July from 8.00pm Speaker is Julie Eagles from Warrnambool Community Gardens who will tell us about their development plans Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

2 May Display Table Report By Kerry Artis John Berry started our showing with Eucalyptus maculata, the beautiful Spotted Gum, which is about 20 years old and very floriferous for the first time. Its flowers are mostly on the east side, the sheltered side of the tree, and many parrots are being attracted to the tree. Eucalyptus divyeri is a very straggly, hardy tree from NSW and its flowers are very good for bees. Acacia imbricata is a lovely, hardy plant that was grown from seed from Nindethana, Correa Candy Pink was bought at the Wail Nursery and always looks healthy. It is never watered and has a gorgeous flower. Marj Craig brought along a number of Acacias, Acacia terminalis is a new plant with sparse, pale flowers and its leaves fold up at night, A covenyi (Photo below), A iteaphylla flowers early and over a long period and A baileyana var aurea. Grevillea Robyn Gordon is never without a flower and just keeps on flowering although it is over 30 years old, Correa pulchella has pretty salmon coloured flowers and when the sun shines it is beautiful. Grevillea synapheae is a spreading plant 1m across x 20cm high. Mike Halls showed Correa reflexa John Amor that has a lovely, large bell, Grevillea Billy Bonkers flowers all the time, when you prune it you lose some of the flowers as there is always buds coming on. Hakea Burrendong Beauty has lovely long stems, is a ground cover and looking very pretty. Nine Banksias were flowering at Swan Reserve this month and Kevin Sparrow brought these along to show us, Banksia media, Banksia baueri, Banksia verticillata, Banksia spinulosa, Banksia menziesii, Banksia praemorsa yellow form, Banksia praemorsa in the red form, Banksia tricuspis and Banksia speciosa. These were all looking healthy and lovely. There were five Hakeas, Hakea scoparia (Below right), Hakea macreana, Hakea clavata, Hakea multilineata and Hakea laurina. Also flowering were Hardenbergia violacea in the white form, Eucalyptus preissiana in the prostrate form (Below left), Dryandra praemorsa and a Calothamnus species. 2 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

3 Earlier this year Glenelg-Hopkins CMA called for nominations for its 2015 Environmental Achievement Awards. I thought Kevin would make a worthy nominee in the Individual Achievement Category and so nominated him. The Awards were announced at a ceremony in Hamilton on 19 June. Judges chose Kevin as the winner from a short list of 8 people. The statement read out at his presentation said in part: For over 30 years Kevin Sparrow has provided practical leadership across multiple organizations dedicated to preservation of southwest Victoria s flora and fauna. Two editions of an important reference work on the southwest s native vegetation (Plants of the Great Southwest) have been produced. Nearly 2,500 copies have been distributed free or sold. This book provides an accessible and attractive resource for the community, particularly farmers, students and land managers. Recognition For Kevin Sparrow By John Sherwood Kevin s commitment to our native plants has manifested itself in active committee roles in the local Society for Growing Australian Plants group and saw him form a revitalized Friends of Ralph Illidge Sanctuary Reserve in 1998 and the Friends of Swan Reserve in Protection of biodiversity values and assets of the GHCMA region has been enhanced through Kevin s enthusiastic commitment as a volunteer across these and other organizations. Congratulations and thoroughly deserved Kevin! EDITOR: Thank you John for the nomination. 3 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

4 Our group has sponsored a new sign for Swan Reserve s Banksia Bed and it was installed this week. The sign features photos by Kevin Sparrow of the Proteaceae plant species growing in it. Below is the text used on the sign. This garden bed contains specimens of the Australian Proteaceae plant family. The Proteaceae plant family is ancient and has no close relationship to other present day families. They are thought to have originated from the Gondwana supercontinent where all the southern continents were joined about 125 million years ago. After Gondwana broke up to form the present day continents of Australia, Africa, India, Antarctica and South America, the plants evolved separately to form the plants that we know today. An example of this are the banksias, hakeas and grevilleas from Australia and the proteas and leucodendrons from South Africa. Australia has over 1100 species of Proteaceae over 46 genera. This garden bed was established to display some of these plants. The Banksia name honours Sir Joseph Banks, botanist on James Cook's ship, the Endeavour and were first collected by him at Botany Bay during Cook's first expedition in Banksias occur only in Australia (75 species) and New Guinea (1 species). New Sign Installed At Swan Reserve by Kevin Sparrow Please submit your articles for the newsletter by the end of the second week of the month President: Kevin Sparrow Phone: Vice President: Bob Artis, Brown St, Allansford. Phone: Secretary: John Sherwood. 26 McConnell St, Warrnambool Phone: jsher@deakin.edu.au Treasurer: Mike Halls, 127 Rooneys Rd, Warrnambool 3280 Phone: mandehalls@bigpond.com Newsletter Editor: Kevin Sparrow 35 Swan Street, Warrnambool. Phone: ksparrow93@gmail.com Publicity Officer and Librarian: Vacant Public Officer: John Sherwood. Phone: APS Reps: vacant, History Book Coordinator: Joyce Sparrow. Other Committee Members: Kerry Artis, Laura Weedon, Louise Sheba APS Warrnambool & District is a District Group of the Australian Plants Society (Vic) All members are required to also be a member of APS Vic. 4 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

5 Committee Notes and Other Stuff Our group is planning to apply for two grants this year, the first from Warrnambool City Council to fund a brochure educating the public on Warrnambool s coastal plants. The second to fund a number of signs to be located around Warrnambool, again educating the public on our coastal plants. We are looking at a GHCMA grant for this. Our speakers and visitors often find it difficult to find the Mozart Hall, the address is Gilles Street but this runs from Timor Street through to Merri Street. Mozart Hall is on an extension of this street. Perhaps an A Frame sign put out on the night would help with this with our new APS name and logo on it. Something to think about??? The Friends of Warrnambool Botanic Gardens will be holding a dedication ceremony for our Lone Pine Tree on the 100 years anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine. Members are welcome to attend at the tree in the gardens on Thursday 6th August at 4.45pm. RSVP: Mandy The Friends of Botanic Gardens are also holding their Annual Meeting on Wednesday 22nd July from Noon. Conference Room, Level 3 TAFE building, Timor Street. APS Warrnambool & District members are especially invited to attend. The Orchid Societies Council of Victoria will be holding their 22nd Annual Melbourne Orchid Spectacular 2015 which will be held at the Boxhall Pavilion, KCC Park, 655 Westernport Highway, SKY, Victoria. Melways Ref: 128 J12 As well as the orchid show featuring around 25 large displays, there will be sales of orchids and other plants and products. Contact is: oscovmos@gmail.com or Phone: The Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) Biennial Conference 2015 will be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Bruce, Canberra, ACT on 15th - 20 November For more information see: Botanical Name: Banksia candolleana Common Name: Propeller Banksia Origin: Comes from the sand plain county Western Australia north of Gingin. Description: Banksia candolleana is a many stemmed lignotuberous small shrub to 1.5m x 2.5 m wide. The unusual propeller shape of the seed cones (above right) combined with a compact growth habit and attractive flower heads make for an interesting plant for your garden. The flowers open in a golden yellow colour and age to grey. The attractive green linear leaves are up to 40 cm long divided to the midrib into neat triangular lobes. Flowering occurs in autumn and early winter. It is also suitable for growing in a pot or tub. It requires a dry, well drained soil for best results. This plant is growing and flowering in the Banksia Bed at Swan Reserve. Why don t you call in and check kit out. Flower photo by Kevin Sparrow, seed cone taken from the internet. Plant of the Month 5 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

6 Coastal Connections By Jarred Obst Hello and welcome to the May/June edition of Glenelg Hopkins CMA s Coastal Connections . I hope everyone is keeping warm and well with the cold and wintery weather served up to our coastal region over the past two months. This said however, autumn rains have unfortunately not continued into early winter as hoped with June rainfall totals well below long term averages. Forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology also predict that this trend may continue, with below average rainfall, average to low stream flows and warmer than average daily temperatures expected all aligning with a strengthening El Nino pattern. Please refer to this weather link for further details. Due to below average rainfall in June, freshwater inflows into our estuaries have unfortunately not increased relative to seasonal patterns. Current stream flows recorded on the Glenelg River at Dartmoor are 180 ML/day, while at the same time last year they were 4600 ML/day. The Surry River shows a similar pattern with current stream flows of 6.6 ML/day at the Woolwash Heathmere, compared to 1200 ML/day at the same time last year. A snapshot of current estuarine conditions can be seen through the attached Estuary Update. Awards & Grants Programs; I am very pleased to announce that the CMA s Coastal Community Grants program for 2015/16 is now open! This project aims to increase knowledge and coastal community group capacity to protect, enhance and manage the unique vegetation and waterways within our coastal region. Full details of the program can be seen on the attached flyer; please note that Expressions of Interest (EOI s) close 31 July The Glenelg Hopkins CMA hosted the Environmental Achievers Awards on Friday 19 June at the Hamilton Exhibition Centre. This was fantastic evening and congratulations to all nominees and winners, especially coastal representatives Kevin Sparrow, Mark Grimshaw and Nelson Coastcare Inc. A particular mention must also go out to a good friend of mine, Leila Huebner of Nelson, for being presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Leila s passion, dedication and advocacy for the environment can be a lesson to us all; congratulations Leila! Full details of the night can be viewed at this link Volunteer & Engagement Opportunities; Winter weather aside, the coming months continue to provide a vast array of activities to become involved in. Here is a quick summary, please refer to individual attachments for further details; Birdlife Australia are holding an Orange Bellied Parrot Volunteer Workshop on 4 July at Yambuk, along with an upcoming winter count on the weekend of 25 and 26 July. The Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA) is holding an Estuaries to Oceans public forum in Geelong on 6 July. Conservation Volunteers Australia are holding an Volunteer Information Session in Warrnambool on 21 July, along with several hands-on volunteering opportunities in July and August. Finally, nominations are now open for the 2015 Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence. These Awards provide an opportunity to recognise the commitment and contribution made by individuals and organisations to our unique coastal and marine environments, please follow this link Coastal Awards for further details. 6 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

7 Community Gardens Organic Weed Control Trial Report Below is taken from a report by Peter Austin. Thank you to Community Gardens for permission to print it. This report will detail the response to various organic weed controls, both commercially-available and home-made, on two grass species and general broadleaved weeds. The weed control trial was developed to offer organic alternatives for the control of persistent weeds of the community garden area including Couch Grass, Kikuyu, and assorted herbaceous broad-leaved species such as but not limited to Mallow, Lily of the Valley, Rapeseed etc. The weed trials indicated clearly that Pine Oil, White Vinegar, and Rock Salt sprays were most effective on all weed groups and that like any organic remedy needs to be repeated at 3-4 week intervals for established weeds. Herbaceous juvenile weeds in garden plots typically require only a single spray. Above: Kikuyu treated with White Vinegar Spray before and after 14 days Below: Kikuyu treated with Rock Salt Spray before and after 14 days 7 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

8 Community Gardens Organic Weed Control Trial Report General Weed Control Information How weeds outcompete most plants deep-rooted (access nutrients deeper than typical plant root zone), leach root/leaf exudates (grasses most inhibitory it s only competitive advantage), superior growth (PHS C4 and CAM plants), reach maturity thus seeding quicker, grow from pieces, the seedstore/long-lived seeds/propagules, opportunists (sticky seeds, runners, burrs etc), bird attracting/berries spread, windblown. Target weakest stage of lifecycle spray, smother, outcompete, shade weeds need light! * Disturbance = Weeds. * Continual follow-up. * Beware the whipper-snipper! * Weed hygiene critical import of soils, soils/seed on implements, pieces/seed in plant materials brought on site, vehicles driven onto site this should stop! * Organic controls sprays only knockdown mulch following day. * Use of compost if pulling weeds and adding to compost bins should be cooked (black plastic) to kill weed seeds (6 weeks summer, weeks winter) weeds high in nutrients as they draw lost nutrients deeper in soils profile even placed in black garbage bags in sun (water, handful blood and bone). Organic controls are non-selective be careful also need to follow-up with mulch/smother etc to be effective * Beds must be separated by well-mulched pathways otherwise share neighbours weed issues * Border suppression/exclusion planting lemon grass/comfrey * The power of mulch - Mulching and a lot of it is the key added benefit moisture storage, humus formation, improve soil structure, easier to remove weeds, CEC/nutrient storage sites * Beneficial soil microbes (from mulch breakdown/hums formation) predate weed seeds * How organic controls work out-shade, smother, outcompete, burn, desiccate (acids), oil smother, cook (solarisation/steam/boiling water), natural leachates (acid mulches), invasion suppression etc, effective weed hygiene (soils, implements, boots, imported plant material) 8 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter

9 Community Gardens Organic Weed Control Trial Report General Weed Control Information (Continued) Any effective weed control should be based on an understanding of a particular weed s growth habit. As can be seen from the diagrams if we hand-pull Couch or Kikuyu without follow-up mulching (smothering) the weed easily regrow s from adventitious growth. We also need to target the weakest lifecycle stage by removing/smothering/spraying weeds in their juvenile growth phase. No weed control is ever effective unless we keep soil-stored weed seeds undisturbed and smothered. The following are some tips to keep in mind when attempting to reduce weed impact to your garden plot: * Out-compete plant preferred plants thickly to crowd-out and out-compete weed species. * Smother mulches, cardboard, hessian, pine/she-oak needles, no-dig/layered garden establishment. * Reduce spread foreign soils, poorly stored composts, poor garden hygiene. * Weeds added to compost - must be solarised (black plastic) or not added at all. * Avoid bare earth the weed seed-store utilises high light levels. * Disturbing soil and leaving soil unmulched - promotes weed infestation. * Avoid over-fertilising/watering this favours excess weed growth. REPORT BY: Peter Austin trading as LANDTECH Consulting ABN: B Sc (Env.Sc), Grad Dip Env Health, Dip Horticulture, Dip VET, Cert IV TAE DEPI VQA Habitat Hectares accredited (HH257) Ph peteraustin.landtech@hotmail.com 9 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group July 2015 Newsletter