We spent the afternoon removing the watsonia and montbretia. We have been wondering if the flakey sections from the bottom of a watsonia bulb are likely to grow new plants, so we planted some and will keep an eye on the patch.

Will the sections from the bottom of a watsonia bulb grow if the are left behind??

Removing watsonia and montbretia

We continued to treat the watsonia this month adjacent to the road, manually removing as well as trialing a method where leaves are wiped with herbicide. We also had a look at the previous months bluebell creeper treatment site where a small number of small plants were observed (and hand-pulled) and the piles had died off.

Removing watsonia

Wiping the watsonia with herbicide

“Tying up” watsonia after applying herbicide

Piles of bluebell creeper dying off

Some of the group attended the ‘Fire and Bushcare’ half day workshop organised by the Nature Conservation Council and Blue Mountains Bushcare Network. Redgum Park was one of the sites visited as a hazard reduction burn is planned for the near future.

• discuss the challenges of re-introducing fire into bushland in the Blue Mountains and managing for ecological outcomes
• discuss the opportunities and considerations for bush care groups working on sites where hazard reduction burns are planned
• discuss the logistics of planning and conducting small hazard reduction burns

Mapping the Bluebell Creeper infestation has started using a GPS to map individuals and their approximate size, easier said than done!!

This month we spent the afternoon finding and tagging the Bluebell Creeper plants at the Genevieve Rd site. This weed has been climbing some of trees and shrubs, as seen on this young eucalypt.

Bluebell creeper smothering a young eucalypt (left) and how to flatten a large pile of Bluebell Creeper before treatment (right)

Our Bushcare day was rained out but the week before we had the pleasure of the Blue Mountains Conservation Societies Plant Study Group visit the site to do survey of the plants near the bluebell creeper site. Monica also organised the first monitoring survey, more plots too go.

Plant study group and the stem of a bluebell creeper.

A visit to the Centenary Reserve Bushcare site to see the monitoring program, thanks Paul!

This month saw a small group concentrate on pulling some coreopsis, agapanthus and planting seven Lomandra at the corner of Genevieve and Cottle Roads before a light shower sent us home after a cuppa. We were rewarded in the slightly wet conditions with the discovery of a Verreaux’s Tree Frog in the leaf letter (Litoria verreauxii).

Verreaux’s Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxii)

 Planting some Lomandra, among the orchid leaves.

First a walk down towards the swamp to see the areas of Bluebell Creeper (Billardiera heterophylla), a West Australian native plant and new weed to most of us, followed by a wander through the grassy areas near the swing and bike jumps to hand pull broom and carefully dig up some gladioli.

Bluebell Creeper flowers and pods (more info)

             Working near the bike jumps, finding lots of large gladioli