Bushcare Hewitts Creek

Offer: Cut & paint Privet & Olive regrowth, plus Ted's Cassias in Manifest Destiny Lily digging along the south side of the dirt track Break up & strew the woodpile in Manifest Destiny Take on the flowering Honeysuckle east of the Cycleway Halt a new Turk outbreak near the start of the dirt track 2023 Gladdies for Edna? Coastal Gladdies will be first up tomorrow, followed by a general Lily search & dig, or a weeding return to Woodlands Ck. Coast Gladdies are very like Lilies in the removal technique (get the bulb). Choppers can be employed along the Stony Road if they need to chop.. 2022 Weed of the week - Ehrharta Our efforts will be; Honeysuckle regrowth beside Woodlands Creek - to be bagged, Ehrhata grass removal around plantings in Old Forest , Cape Ivy & grasses removal in SE Corner Disperse/spread fire evidence & deter Ochna & Lantana regrowth in newly planted area   2021 Plant of the week - Lomandra There is more to do in the blady grass

Found Heaps There is work for choppers, Lily diggers, serious weeders & even some repair work: The Old Forest has work for a couple of perspicacious weeders. I counted 8 different weeds between the bridge & the dirt track. Choppers could start on the big Banksia fallen behind Steve's Beach. Its lying across several smaller trees/shrubs & hides a bicycle.   Lilies are on the rise between the Stony Rd and the dirt track (25?) & there's another 15 on the south edge of the New Forest.  Our Native Hibiscus is a Deer Fatality so we should dismantle our protections around it. One of our nearby Cedars also needs attention & if salvageable, some more protection.  Both these are west of the survey line.    If that's not enough there's Manifest Destiny, but as you approach the ditch check whether the BushTalk film set is occupied. We should break up & strew our uncomfortably large wood pile. 2023 Perfect planting conditions Picked up 50 plants during the

Actions on offer include: the Stonecrop spot Honeysuckle flowering east of cycleway Lilies & Cassia just south of Woodlands Ck Cutting up a fallen dead Banksia near Condons Cnr Wading into the Cassia etc east side of Manifest Destiny Ditch edges 2023 Jobs  Conditions are good for getting in the face of that Honeysuckle Wall we noticed last week. Elsewhere there are small infestations of Stonecrop & Velcro plant . Velcro plant . Kikuyu is always into the Lomandra & is hiding numerous Lilies . The Ditch may await our Choppers if its dried out enough but they can look at the Honeysuckle first up. Some watering  may be useful at Woodlands Ck but showers are likely at the end of the week.  2022  Raining... postponed The rain was expected to confine our activities to the Cycleway edge , where our plantings need freeing. An increasing number of Formosan Lilies are showing along our west edge and they should be accessible by the mudrunners.  2021 Weed of the week Bidens pilosa

More to do We have some more to do in the SE corner and it will be timely to revisit Woodlands Ck to combat Honeysuckle regrowth.  Choppers can perhaps do a bit more at Woodlands site before an attack on The Ditch if its dry enough there, or, if not, return to Manifest Destiny . 2022 Priorities Priorities will be: Woodlands Creek edge - Honeysuckle , Cassia , Coolatai , Turkey rhubarb , the remnant weeds on Andrew's site , Cut & paint Privet & African Olive in Manifest Destiny, and the perennial Turkey rhubarb growth along the west edge of the Cycleway .  Turkey rhubarb (Rumex sagittatus) 2021 Weed of the week - Coolatai   Last year we had some fallen timber to dismember (saws useful), some big weed piles to chop/strew, a final clearance around the edges of Andrew's site and a check of the Woodlands Creek edge   for Coolatai , Turkey rhubarb , Cassia & Crofton regrowth. Spring growth means bags are required to take some enemies off-site.

Business as usual A bit of rain and some warmth will mean a return of the wrong plants in the wrong place. Priority will be to find native plants likely to be crowded out. 2023  Rise & Shine   It usually takes up the first hour and then it’s business as usual.  Both sides of the creek and back of the beach are usually the most productive. Creek edge could be gooey so don't wear your best shoes. A sunny 24 degrees is forecast so we will target the SE corner , Steve's Beach & Condon Corner after R&S . There are a few big Lilies on the up in the Kikuyu area for those inclined that way. 2022  Rubbish A rubbish survey on Friday showed rubbish on both sides of the creek and to the back of the beach. It will be a moderate high tide at 9:20am. Remember it’s 8.30 start. The site is pretty wet so weeding will be along the cycleway & up the back, with a re-visit of the Trad area also desirable.  There is a guerilla site soon to start on the south side of Flanagans Cre

Daylight Saving takes us back to 8.30 am start.  If you don't have a better offer  Take inspiration from this week in previous years. 2023 A Cool Holiday Weeding will be west of the cycleway beyond the Blady Grass & yes, there be Lilies sprouting.    If we have some saw equipped choppers there is more cutting & painting to be done in Manifest Destiny .  Our Bowerbird has moved his bower; still on the edge of Manifest Destiny but with a better view & drainage. 2022 Jobs on three sites   1. Woodlands Creek edge Japanese honeysuckle - see picture above (bag it) Turkey Rhubarb Cassia Coolatai (bag the seeds) - more of this grass is up the stony road 2. Andrew's site Privet Japanese honeysuckle (bag it) Morning glory  Crofton weed   Cassia    3. Manifest destiny Two large privets Two African Olives Also some Turkey Rhubarb in the Old forest, west side of the cycleway for the first 50m after the bridge. 2021 This week Offerings include an assault on baby Privets  

 Likely events Montbretia is shooting. Crofton and Fireweed are flowering. Turkey Rhubarb will soon flower.