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Newsbits
March 2010
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Visitors Welcome.
Next
Meeting:
Friday 12th March
7.30pm for 8.00pm start.
*Venue:
Horticultural
Research Station, Research Rd., Narara
*Guest
Speaker: Wendy G.
Speaker for
March
Wendy
G.
Wendy G. is passionate about native rats and considers them to be the ‘forgotten Australians’. She has worked as a zookeeper with native rodents for many years. Currently she is working on a project for her Masters Degree through University of NSW looking at whether bush rats use weedy edge habitats, and is focussing on lantana.
February Speaker – Deidrie J. Deidrie is proprietor of the Sydney Rainforest Nursery at Ourimbah. The nursery is involved in bushland management mainly in rainforest gullies growing local native plants for use at bush regeneration sites. Because Deidrie grows local plants her garden attracts a lot of native animals. Amongst the several species of resident frogs is the Peron’s Tree Frog Litoria peronii which is a particularly attractive animal with gold patches around the groin area and at the back of the thighs. Other species are the Red Eyed Green Tree Frog Litoria chloris, The Leaf Green Tree Frog Litoria phyllochroa, the Striped Marsh Frog Limnodynastes peronii and the rare Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea. Deidrie collects the spawn of these frogs and places it into a bin of water where the tadpoles can hatch which is probably why there are so many frogs living in her garden. We saw some amazing slides, photos taken by Deidrie around her house and garden of the various frog species. They also have a Diamond Python which keeps the bush rat population under control. Bush rats can become a problem living in the bush There are also plenty of bats at Deidrie’s place. February is the time when the baby bats start to leave home and the bigger bats start to head north. The Little Forest Bat Vespadelus vulturnus is a very important species because it pollinates a lot of native trees in the rainforest. Bats consume half their weight in insects each night which accounts for a lot of mosquitoes so without these little bats our plants would be in a whole lot of trouble. Lots of water dragons can be seen in February, the babies have all hatched they usually hatch around Christmas so this is the time of the year when we see lots of tiny babies around. Lace Monitors are also about they are very active at this time of the year they feed on Land Mullets which inhabit the gullies. Blue Tongues don’t reside in the gulleys.
Cicadas – Cicadas have a 7-year life cycle so just how many cicadas will be around during the current season is dependent on the conditions 7 years ago. Not all cicadas emerge at the same time the season extends to about 15 weeks. Most of their lives are spent underground where they eat plant roots. Adult cicadas have a short life span lasting only a few weeks and they feed on the plant sap of Eucalypts and on grasses. Some facts from the Sydney Museum – only the male cicada sings which he does to attract the female of his species. His song is distinct and only attracts the female of his kind. He also sings to drive off predators such as birds. The start of an engine or lawn mower will cause the cicada to raise its noise level which can be in excess of 120dB and very painful and damaging to the human ear. Australia is the centre of diversity for cicadas it seems that they evolved here and then moved out into other areas of the World.. There are over 240 species of cicada in Australia.
Cicadas are an important
part of the food chain and thought to be very tasty. Among their
many predators are wasps, frogs, spiders and birds. The Striped
Marsh Frog eats cockroaches as well as cicadas, the baby brush
turkeys eat cicadas and will also eat frogs and Potter Wasps and
Golden Orb Spiders are also predators. The Potter Wasp burrows
into the back of the cicada while it is sitting in a tree and
paralyses it sucking out the juices. It later it comes back to feed
on the sap from the hole where the cicada had penetrated the tree.
February is the peak season for all these creatures, the frogs are
breeding there’s spawn everywhere, and they need our local endemic
plants without which the whole complex system breaks down. Bolwarra Eupomatia laurina is flowering in the bush at the moment with spectacular flowers that look as if they’ve been carved out of wax. The flowers have a gentle perfume which are followed by yellow to purple fruits resembling rose hips. Ficus fraseri is also fruiting at the moment. This is a deciduous tree that can reach 10m. Ficus coronata and Trema tomentosa [at right] are both fruiting and these two trees are the trees most visited by birds. Davidsonia pruriens or Davidson’s Plum grows its fruit straight off the trunk, they ripen just a few at a time and need to be collected to beat the Bower Birds. The pulp can be collected and frozen then made into jam but don’t forgot to save the seeds. Dianella and Cordylines are also fruiting at the moment. Garden Jobs - In February it is too hot to do much in the garden. There are jobs that can be done however such as cutting back foliage after flowering is finished. Also look for the unwanted arrivals – privet, camphor laurel, etc., cut back vines and take the seed heads of annual weeds. When the weeds are around in large numbers cutting off the flowers and seed heads and disposing of them prevents them spreading. The plant itself is not the problem just the seed. DON’T USE POISONS – allow the fauna and insects to work for you. Check for storm damage and trim off any damaged limbs, check mulch and break it up if necessary to allow the rain to penetrate. Look for areas where erosion may have occurred and drop in a Lomandra or two to help stabilise the soil. Getting Ready for Autumn – Prepare planting areas. Plant while the soil is still warm and moist which will allow roots to settle in and establish before Spring. When planting add fully expanded water crystals don’t throw them in dry. The crystals will last for 5 years before they break down, they will absorb rain as it passes through and keep the root area moist giving the plants help to establish. Vandals have been pulling out the newly planted trees at Putty Beach. Deidrie has been working on this site and they have now used 3m high established trees and planted them deep down in the ground with only 6” of the plant above the ground. (Let the vandals knock themselves out trying to pull these ones out). They can be broken down of course but experience has shown that they will re-shoot from under the ground. She has also been involved in dune plantings. A 1m hessian sausage is made and wrapped around the stem of the plant and under the hessian adventitious roots form in advance of the trees being planted into the sand dunes giving them an extra start. (A variation of the long stem planting technique).
Specimen Table
Presented by Graeme I. Goodenia ovata – [at right] There are two forms of this plant – the upright form grows to 1.5m and bears large yellow flowers in spring and summer. It’s a hardy free flowering plant that grows in most soils and prefers some shade. The prostrate form is a fast spreading ground cover that flowers well in sun or shade and bears yellow flowers over long periods. Likes a bit of moisture. Both can be propagated from seed or cutting. Scaevola aemula is a spreading plant that likes a sunny position with good drainage but does like a bit of moisture. As it spreads along the ground it will put down roots. Some forms are short lived but the plant is easy to strike from cutting and should be replaced after about 2 years. They do well in a hanging basket and don’t mind an occasional feed.
Westringia
‘Wynyabbie
Gem’ grows to
about 1.5m and bears mauve flowers throughout the year. Easy to
strike from cutting. Needs a sunny position and will remain compact
if given a hard prune. Orthosiphon aristatus [at left] or more commonly known as ‘Cats Whiskers’. This plant grows in North Queensland and is easy to grow from cutting and will even strike roots in water. It can also be propagated by layering. The plant grows to about 1m and bears terminal white or mauve flowers in spring and summer with long curving stamens; it requires a warm sunny position and doesn’t tolerate frost. These can be grown as an annual or a perennial - simply cut the finished stems down and they will shoot again. The mauve form of the plant is not as common but can also be propagated from cutting.
Buckinghamia
celcissima
or Ivory curl [see below] flower can be seen flowering along the roadside
outside Coles at Wyoming and they’re looking spectacular. This is a
plant that can grow into a small tree or remain as a shrub depending
on the aspect. When its finished flowering cut the dead flowers off
and prune it into shape. This is another plant from Queensland and
it does quite well here on the Central Coast. Propagation is from
seed or cutting.
There were two Melaleucas Melaleuca thymifolia [pictured above right] at right, is a local plant that will grow to about 1m and bears deep dark pink flowers mostly in summer. Does best in full sun, will tolerate wet conditions and most soils and can be propagated from seed or cutting. Melaleuca erubescens grows to about 1.5m and bears mauve flowers from late spring to summer. It is tolerant of poorly drained soil and can be propagated from seed or cutting. The best time to strike cuttings for these two Melaleucas is in February and March. Eucryphia moorei is a cool climate plant that will grow into a small tree. It bears white fragrant flowers and needs well composted soil and a cool moist position in the garden. It’s propagated from cuttings. Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ is a low growing shrub and it bears dusky pink flowers in summer and autumn. It’s happy growing in sun or shade and likes a cool root run. This one also strikes readily from cutting.
Corymbia
calophylla
is a small tree that is about 6m high and it bears large pink
flowers mainly in summer that are followed by large bell-shaped
gumnuts. Leptospermum squarrosum [at left] is a local plant that can be seen on the Van Dahl trail at Patonga Ridge getting down into the gulley. The pink flowers appear on the stems of old wood in autumn and winter so hard pruning will reduce next years blooms but will keep the shrub more compact. It can be propagated either from seed or cutting. Synoum glandulosum the Scentless rosewood grows to about 3m high and can be found in the bush at the foot of Kincumba Mountain and on the side of Sun Valley Road at Green Point where Barbara & John have their Bushcare site. This plant also grows at Katandra Reserve and has been used in the long stem planting trials. Birds spread the seeds around the suburbs. Solanum aviculare or Kangaroo apple is a large shrub to about 4m that bears large open purple flowers in spring and summer that are followed by egg-shaped orange/red fruits. A fast growing hardy plant that attracts birds such as the Bower Bird and Catbird. The leaves resemble a kangaroo paw which is why it is called ‘Kangaroo apple’. Morinda jasminoides is a climber that grows in rainforest on the NSW East Coast and in Queensland. Its white fragrant flowers are followed by small orange fruits. Glochidion ferdinandi is native to eastern Australia and can reach 15m in height. Flowers occur at various times of the year and are followed by pumpkin shaped fruits that when ripe split open to reveal bright red seeds that attract birds. Its considered to be a valuable tree for use in bush regeneration sites and this is another one that grows at Katandra Reserve and has also been used in the long stem planting trials.
Janice's Moon Cake (recipe requested by members at the February meeting)
The Sydney Rainforest Ourimbah Wholesale Nursery is holding a plant sale over the Easter long weekend Friday 2nd until Monday 5th April.
The next meeting of Plants in Pots will be on Sunday 28 March 2010 at the Melville’s home. We will be meeting at the later time of 3.00 pm. We do not have a set topic this month, however it is time to check progress of our Acmena smithii plants. We potted them up in March 2009, one with a combination of rock dust + blood & bone, one without these products. We will also have a show & tell segment where members are asked to bring along a potted plant growing really well or very poorly. Sharing advice on success or otherwise is part of what makes our group ‘tick’. Other APS members are always welcome to join us at our 3 meetings each year. Please phone 4328 1005 for more information. Afternoon tea will follow the meeting. Barbara M.
Plants in Pots Interest Group –Who are we? The Plants in Pots sub-group of the Central Coast Australian Plants Society had their first meeting in November 1994 with the idea of learning about growing Australian plants in containers. As a group & individually we have experimented with many plants and learnt so much. Some of us prefer a formal method of studying the potted specimens, others are content just to grow & discuss the progress of our plants. PIP meetings are usually held 3 times per year on a Sunday afternoon at various homes. We discuss our group activity and encourage each other with our individual plants in a segment we call Show & Tell. This is not always about successful growth.
Visitors to our group have spoken about the use of Rock Dust and a commercial brand of garden products. Some of our plants have created huge challenges to keep alive while many have thrived. Along the way we have discussed pros and cons of many subjects. Some of these are; Hanging pots, Water-well pots, drainage, watering, pruning, shaping, root pruning, pests, diseases, attempts to keep proper records, fertilisers, suitable positions for pots, growth habit of many plants including ferns, quality of tubestock, propagation, insulation of pots (one inside the other), plants not flowering as expected, suitability of plants for long term container growing, insect attack, orchid mixes, feed our plants more, air pruning, plant more than 1 plant of a species for better effect, plants that grow better in pots than the ground, heat damage, hail damage, fungal symptoms, division of plants, PH levels, air porosity, choosing the right plant for a shaped container, polystyrene foam use, bonsai, use of tea leaves & coffee grounds, re-wetting plants after drying out, pot saucers, mosquitoes, brush turkeys, repotting, weeds, root development, worm tea & probably many more subjects. At the conclusion of our meetings we enjoy a social time together around the afternoon tea table.
Katandra In February At Katandra in February Mothvine and Turkey Rhubarb were in flower and seeding giving the Bushcare team plenty of work to do. Mothvine Araujia sericifera was introduced from South America for its ornamental features. Its attractive bell like flowers appear in clusters in summer and are followed by large green-grey choko-like fruits. Each fruit contains several hundred seeds that are dispersed by wind as the fruit splits open. The seeds will establish in sunny or shaded situations, thriving in damp soils such as in rain forests and riparian areas, and once established can withstand hot dry spells. The leaves are opposite and the stems exude milky latex when cut which can be highly irritating. Mothvine can be easily mistaken for some of the native Marsdenia species which have similar leaves and also exude latex from the stems.
Information source Bush Invaders of
South-East Australia by Adam Muyt.
On the 2nd May the Australian Plants Society together with the Environmental Trust and Gosford City Council will be launching a guide on the long stem planting method. A field demonstration will take place at Katandra and morning tea will be provided. This is a free activity helping to promote the use of deep planting in bush regeneration and Landcare sites so come along and join in on the day. Bookings are necessary for catering purposes - contact Audrey on 4323 3986 by the 23rd April to book your place.
February Bushwalk The weather forecast was not looking good, but we had a good turnout for our walk in February in Bouddi N.P. 20 walkers gathered at the Mt. Bouddi picnic area for an easy walk through the forest. The ground was still damp, but only a few leeches appeared. The undergrowth was quite lush in places after so much rain. There were lots of vines - Cissus antarctica and C. hypoglauca, Glycine clandestina and a few mauve flowers of Desmodium varians. Dioscorea transversa had clusters of new and old seed pods. Ground ferns included Doodia aspera, Pellaea falcata and P. paradoxa, and Adiantum formosum. Asplenium flabellifolium and Pyrrosia rupestris (pictured at right) were found on rock surfaces. The taller trees included several rainforest species - Synoum glandulosum was in flower; we found a lovely specimen of Scolopia braunii, the Flintwood, as well as Wilkiea huegelii and Notelaea longifolia, both with very thick and tough leaves. There were many grass trees, some starting to put up flowering spikes. A large rambling Port Jackson fig, Ficus rubiginosa, had a few small green fruit. Our most interesting find of the day was a tiny plant of the lily Arthropodium milleflorum - with delicate little white flowers on the ends of fine wiry stems, leaning out over the path. These were very hard to photograph, but several of us tried. On returning to the car park we sat around the edges to eat our lunch, and managed to all leave before the rain started again. Diana
Membership Renewals This month members renewing in the March Quarter have received their reminder notices. The forms show the options for renewing, either for 1 Quarter only, to June 2010, or to June 2011. Most of our Group members are now financial to June in either 2010 or 2011. New members who joined since last June will get 1 full year's membership before being asked to renew. Many overdue members have still not advised whether they wish to renew. It would be very helpful if those not intending to renew could also advise, by ringing Diana on 4372 1120
Sunday 14th March
Meeting Time and Place: 10.00 am in the car park of Girrakool picnic area, in Brisbane Water N.P. Directions: The entrance to Girrakool is off the Old Pacific Hwy, Somersby. From the Central Coast Hwy at Kariong, take Wisemans Ferry Rd, and then turn left at the first roundabout. The sign-posted entry road is about 1km along the old highway, on the left, and passes under the Freeway in a tunnel. Parking fees apply. (Pensioners can get free passes from the N.P. office in Gosford). Description: The pool and waterfall can be reached by one of 2 tracks from the car park. The creek banks have tall trees such as Cedar Wattle, Coachwood and Callicoma (Blackwattle), as well as Tristaniopsis laurina (Water Gum), Lomatia myricoides, and Austromyrtus tenuifolia. Fuchsia Heath, Epacris longiflora, and Epacris pulchella, should be in flower near the lookout over the waterfalls. Crossing the creek we can walk some of the way down the track beside the creek. We can return via the paved track or beside the hanging swamp if it is not too wet. Lunch will be in the picnic area near the cars. Bring snacks and water for the walk, as well as insect repellent and hats. For lunch time, bring chairs if you can. This walk is fairly easy, and shady beside the falls, although it is uphill on the return. Hopefully the weather may not be as damp and hot by this time. All members and visitors are welcome. For last minute information, ring Diana on 4372 1120 before 9am on the day, or Elsie on 0408 653140 after 9.30am. Diana D.
CD - Native Plants & Bushwalks of the Central Coast
Many years ago Alan created a list of plants that the group had identified while on their monthly bushwalks. This list was passed over to Diana & Barry a few years ago and it was then converted into a data base. Over the past 3 years a great many more plants have been added to the list and now 800 plants are included on the data base. Photographs were also collected along the way some taken by Diana & Barry and others taken by some of the keen photographers amongst the group members. From this data base and collection of photos a DVD was produced to run on the coach for the Sydney Tour of the ASGAP Conference last year. This particular tour was subsequently cancelled due to lack of numbers but a seed was planted and the thought of a CD began to grow. After many hours spent at the computer the CD is now complete. It contains over 400 photographs and lists 24 bushwalks in National Parks, State Forests and Reserves of the Central Coast region and each bushwalk has a listing of the plants which may be found along that walk. In some cases maps are included. The disc is available for $15 plus $2.50 postage (within Australia only) The CD can be purchased at any of our monthly meetings.
or if you wish to order
a form is available from this website.
The Committee and members would like to thank Diana and Barry for all the effort and hours spent in producing the CD the profits from the sale of which will benefit the group.
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