What I've done recently.

Discussion in 'Members' Systems' started by S.O.P, Nov 11, 2013.

  1. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Thought I'd share a random photo or two every now and again. Criticisms or comments welcome.

    Click on the photos a couple of times to make larger.



    Last month, turning a weed (Broadleaved Pepper) into garden beds:

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    This week, turning bamboo clumps into something else. Not pictured is the pile of potential mulch that has been gathered from 3 x clumps (1 x Wamin, 1 x Vittata, 1 x Balcoa). The Wamin and Vittata are ornamental bamboos, the Balcoa has been mismanaged and is being clear fallen for re-management purposes.

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    And I've always like this shot, though it looks nothing like this now. Me attempting to stack biomass via the hope-and-pray planting method (no watering) and just not mowing as often versus a regularly mowed neighbour.

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    Sun hitting leaves on an early Winter morning:

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    A pleasant creek walk:

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    A running Bamboo forest:

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    My attempt at an anti-marsupial cage:

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  2. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Nice bamboo and a pretty creek! I'm jealous…..
     
  3. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Gorgeous creek, beautiful bamboo & lovely shot of the sun on the bananas, bamboo & black wattle :)
    Where's the property?
     
  4. NGcomm

    NGcomm Junior Member

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    Wooo that is nice S.O.P.!! And nice framing in the pictures too. What is the rain fall in your area?
     
  5. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Sunshine Coast. Blackwood is the wattle you may be thinking of, Black is A.mearnsii. Turns out after doing the Agroforesty last month, my ID may be off and it could be a large A.disparimma or Hickory Wattle. Who knows. It's a Wattle.

    At the moment, zero to pathetic. Where I am now is even worse than up there. Up there ranges from 1300-1700 I believe.

    Imagine the exact opposite of this. For example, the Syzygium to left of centre frame is 50% defoliated now, Comfrey gone, Pigeon Pea with minimal leaves. We have terrible soil here and zero soil moisture.

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    Here is a shot of an Asper which needs a serious tidy up but tidying up a 20m+ Bamboo requires quite a bit of work:

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    Daughter took one of the local street kids:

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    Tipuana to be one day nursing Eco's Coffee plants:

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    Brush Turkey protection on a Black Sapote. Needs more branches already!:

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    Monastery Bamboo that I am planning to transplant:

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    I'm not even going to talk about it:

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  6. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Awesome bamboo! What a little paradise you're working with!!
     
  7. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Tell mew that's not you on the hose…

    There's something spiritual about bamboo. Always makes me want to pause from life and be still to listen to the sound of the breeze in the leaves.

    And I'm glad that coffee is still going!
     
  8. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Mmmm ... I lurve the little hut in the bamboo :) I agree with eco - there is something sacred about bamboo :)
    And I lurve the wallababy :) They are just so precious :) Even when they are eating the shit out of my pasture :) Baby paddymelons are even cuter :)
    I dunno what the technical name of the tree is - it just looks like what I call a black wattle here :) Goats love it - cows don't mind it. And it burns HOT & yummy in winter with the most delicious scent.
    Gorgeous photos :)
    I lived in Palmwoods about 4 lifetimes ago & in Caloundra about 3 life times ago :) Nice place :)
    I don't suppose you sell bamboo? Stuff that is guaranteed (as in tried & tested in warm wet climates) to be clumping, not running bamboo?
     
  9. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I could sell Bamboo, I could even give it away if I felt like it.

    There are plenty of established bamboo experts on the scene now, I've had an opportunity to meet one or two.

    https://www.bambooman.com.au/

    https://www.bamboodownunder.com.au/

    https://www.earthcare.com.au/bamboo.htm

    https://www.bambooland.com.au/

    Pick a Bamboo that you like from any of these sites and I will tell you if I have access to it and what it's like.
     
  10. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Thanks for the links:)
    The most important feature for me is to be certain it's not going to run. I've seen a few horror stories & there is always someone behind them saying "But the guy at the nursery promised me it was a clumping variety!"

    There's a bamboo nursery in the next valley over from me, but I'm nervous :)
     
  11. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    https://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Gift-Oscar-Hidalgo-Lopez/dp/958334298X - this was recommended to me.

    I'd say your story is almost an urban legend by now, or by not using a reputable nursery.

    Use the links to ID a bamboo and with that ID, chase down your plant. Just remember, bamboo actually requires more maintenance than any other plant.
     
  12. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Yeah but that mulch looks like it is worth it… Can't wait till my baby plants get to a decent size. The 2 year old Timor Black put up 2 stunning arched stems (poles? trunks? what do you call them) last year. The others are gracilis textilis and Alphonse Karr.
     
  13. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Another shot of the Wamin, looking very bare:

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    The Balcoa that we've been dealing with. I cut down trees for a living and goodness, bamboo is dangerous (besides the light weight if one got you in the head). Remember people, yearly management!:

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    Nearly done:

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    As you are my witness, I hereby promise to never let this clump be mismanaged ever again!:

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    Looks across. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!:

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    WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!?:

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    Shot of Stricta and Vittata:

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    Anti Brush Turkey for Black Sapote redone:

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    Vetiver Prop Strip is moving along:

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    A very nice tasting White Shatoot with top cut out of it to encourage low hanging fruit. Bats and birds are into it now:

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    Who's a baby Jakfruit? You are!:

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    You can smell them from here:

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  14. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Lovely stuff! What will you do with all that bamboo? You could build a house with that much….
     
  15. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    One could. One could also sell some of the poles.

    But, all this is going under the mulcher to kill grass in other places. We saved 2(!) poles from that clump plus 2 or 3 bent poles (apparently that can be used as bed heads), embarrassing I know. The larger clump will focus on pole retention. I'm not a bamboo expert, construction or otherwise so we have a lot to learn. There is a large bamboo farm approx 200 metres from there, so that's hard to compete with.

    In reality, maybe 2/5ths of that clump may have been ok. Made up of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th year poles plus all the dead rubbish after that date. 3rd and 4th are the poles you want.

    That's why we decided to clear fell and re-manage. One, we get a lot of mulch. Two, we can shape the clump to prevent twisted poles. Three, while we are learning, we can write the year date on each pole for ease of harvest.
     
  16. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I forgot the Brush Turkey nest for NGComm:

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    And who could forget my favourite grass (tie with Lomandra hystrix). Crotolaria, please don't feel bad:

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  17. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Have you got a super duper mulcher or will a regular one cope? (She says dreaming of the day her bamboo is in need of a haircut and she can put it through the Greenfileds Piecemaker and turn it into mulch…)

    Nice vetiver.
     
  18. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Looks really good!
     
  19. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Posi/bobcat with mulching attachment.

    The poles are 100mm plus, your average garden chipper would struggle. Plus the high silica content blunts blades very quickly.

    It's not cheap unfortunately.
     
  20. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    I thought as much...
     

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