As promised last Sunday, here is a good control method for Arum Lily (per Anthony). This is based on the active ingredient glyphosate (eg Roundup) and doesn't require any metsulfuron-methyl (eg Brushoff) which is expensive and poses a high risk of off-target damage to native vegetation.

Firstly...

Effective control requires:
1. Preventing seed set by removing the short-lived soil seed bank.
2. Killing the significant below ground rhizome which can be resistant to above ground control measures.

The thick waxy resistant leaves mean foliar applications of herbicides have very little effect on the underground rhizome. However, cutting the plants off at ground level and swabbing the soft stumps with herbicides containing glyphosate is an effective way of killing the rhizome with very little off target damage to the surrounding vegetation. This can be achieved with relatively little effort.

The Method...

Tools
• Sharp knife to cut stems
• Spray bottle with adjustable nozzle (to spray), or sponge-topped plastic bottle (to swab).

Herbicide mix
• Glyphosate (1 part) and water (5 parts). Buy the 360g/L product.
• penetrant (see label for dilution rates)
• dye (e.g. EnviroDye)

Important to mix well.

Method
• Cut the stem(s) close to or at ground level.
• Apply the herbicide mix (spray or swab) to the cut stems within a few seconds of cutting.
• Take care near water to avoid contamination

When to control
• Control can occur any time between June and September before plants begin to set seed.
• Ideally control should commence as the first flowers appear.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Where to get ingredients for the herbicide mix:

Coopers - Mylor
258 Strathalbyn Road, Mylor, SA, phone (08) 8388 5304
http://www.coopersrural.com.au/

Macspred - Wingfield
7 Rosberg Road, Wingfield SA 5013.
Tel. (08) 8262 6944

Factsheet: "Using Glyphosate"
http://www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/Portals/2/pest_animals_plants/RCU_-_Using_Glyphosate.pdf


All the best!
Tim

In what was one of the best turnouts for a while the PHBG was fortunate enough to have gorgeous Springish weather and a jolly turnout at Lot 18 yesterday. Attending their first weed war day were Alison & Steve along with their gorgeous kelpie Ellie who kept herself bust checking on everyone as they spread out along the creek in the hunt for Arum Lillies and the odd bit of Broom and gnarly Gorse (way to go with those 'Man Gloves' Justin!). James also backed-up for his second war drive and put in a man sized effort. Thanks to go to Lyndall, Tim, Justin and Sam (for the brownies).

The enemy & WMDs


The Winter rains had put some decent water in the creek and the frogs were lovin' it...

An ally in the war



A great day, thanks all!

A sighting from Tim: 

Last Sunday morning (21 August), while walking through a PHBG member's property at the northern end of the Bull Creek Range, a bird similar in size to a blackbird caught our attention, only 5 metres from the edge of the track where we were standing.  We recognised it as a Scaly Thrush (also known as a Bassian or White's Thrush).  This species is rarely seen nowadays in the Mt Lofty Ranges due to declining habitat.  It is also a very secretive bird, preferring dense cover. The plumage has striking black scaling or mottling on a pale background – see linked video and image:






And at the same location and time, we were lucky enough to hear and see a pair of Peregrine Falcons – which didn't seem to concern the Scaly Thrush - in the tops of some tall pines.



Tim

The  Bush Management Workshop ably run by Anthony Abley went off with a bang (or is that a cut 'n swab?!?) on a chilly Thursday night in the Prospect hill Memorial Soldiers Hall. Anthony put on a jam-packed presentation condensing a two-dat workshop into 3 hours. A great turn-out included Tony Randall from the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association as well as groupies Paul, Jenni, Lyndall, Justin, Matt, Tim and new kid on the block James! Ant also gave out Weed Warrior show bags (well, buckets actually). A pic of said show bucket and its contents will be posted soon(ish). Thanks Ant, we learnt a heap and traded all sorts of info. A nice precusor to September's two day Bushland Condition Monitoring workshop by The Nature Conservation Society...

Well, after a bit of a hiatus news posting-wise, the PHBG is back! Kind of. The current Blogger set-up is proving somewhat inadequate for an embedded page like this, so towards year's I'll be looking at alternative so that EVERYONE in the group can post here. There will of course be lots to report as we gear up planning and expending the first round of the NVC grant. What we'll attempt to do is diarise the structure of the group as it changes and the way on which we develop the project over the next three years so that other bushland groups can have a crack at doing this themselves.

But 'til then, please enjoy some sporadic posting on all things bushland and groupie...

Craig

Thanks to John from Team Dingo for removing the wreck and scrap metal fencing material dumped by some delightful people down the old quarry road (and in the bush itself!) on Mt Mag. This area can now be sealed off and allowed to regenerate. A general cleanup followed and the remaining rubbish, tyres etc will be gone shortly. The access road was then blocked by recycling some pine posts (also dumped) and setting them across the entrance ways and down the track itself. All this added to the last working bee where some Watsonia, Gorse (the only infestation on the property) and Soursobs were poisoned will see this area transformed over the next few seasons.

Bush Regenerators 1 Illegal Dumpers/Trailbikers 0

Today we received news from the Native Vegetation Council that the SEB grant application for funding over the next three years has been successful and that $191,500 has been offered to the Prospect Hill Bushland Group. The Agreement will be reviewed by the group over the next two weeks and a response forwarded to the NVC. This is great news and a resounding slap on the back for all the hard work by private landowners committed to improving and preserving the biodiversity of their local natural environment.

In particular the Prospect Hill Bushland Group would like to thank Anthony our tireless Bush Management Advisor from the Department of Environment & Heritage, Tony from the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association and Danielle C for their resolute support and work on behalf of the group.

The Prospect Hill Bushland Group is in business!

Well perhaps not but it's up there and they're just starting to flower...

So sayeth the Grass Tree Girls

Wet wet wet and the darlin' little winter orchids are pooping up all over the place. From the two loners spotted near Mt Mag Rd a few weeks ago we now have multiple sightings all over the place. And they're coming out...

From this...



To they're coming out...







Common they may be, beautiful they definitely are.

It's wet! (although never too wet). But wet & winter = fungi. Here's an odd one for Mr Fungus to have a squizz at and see what he thinks [well I've never seen this one before]

A big thanks to the death and destruction team who fronted at Jenni's for what was literally a glorious day of follow-thru Arum Lily slicin' and a'swabbin'. We covered a fair patch of land and combined with the previous blackberry spraying and clearing the area is really starting to take shape. Pics to follow [hint hint to those that took some. I just saw the green mist and failed to take any]

Many thanks to all who came for the weed-up at Andrew & Justin's yesterday. We attacked the hillside in a flanking manoeuvre with vast numbers of Broom falling before our pulling might - and we were attacking up hill. Imagine the dent we'll be able to make should fortune favour us with the NVC SEB grant. Herewith some pictures taken by Tim of interesting fungi found in the liberated territory and a 5th column caterpillar found merrily munching its way through Broom leaves. Tim is trying to identify it lest we be able to enlist it as a biological weapon in future campaigns...

A short note to say a big thanks to Anthony, Danielle and Tony for making time to come and talk to us about grants and share some hot food and room temperature wine (thanks Ant!) at the Claredon Inn last Thursday. A robust discussion was had and the group is looking forward to the possibility of some focussed long-term funding under the new Native Vegetation Council SEB Grant scheme. Lots of work ahead to make the deadline and we're all looking forward to a celebratory second dinner in due course!

Due to the cancellation of Andrew & Justin's weeding day on Sunday May 30th due to inclement weather (hey at least it was raining!) this coming Sunday's event will be rescheduled. Google calendar will be updated shortly and hopefully not send multiple emails like the last time. Paul & Sugina's weeding day will be slotted in later in the festivities.

Sunday May 2nd saw the weed warriors at Lyndall's where a sweep was done on the Broom (if you know what I mean). In attendance also was Anthoy from the DEH who pitched in and shared the knowledge love on all manner of invasive species including non-green ones. Here are a few pics from Lyndall;