This event is part of
Planting murnong (yam daisy) seed at indigenous food and fibre garden.
Many thanks to those who weeded and planted a week ago. We conducted our first trial of planting murnong tubers (Microseris walteri) that had formed in the pots where we direct- sowed seed in late February 2020. If the tubers grow again this year, we will have to protect them from the multitude of millipedes and other nibblies that live under and over the rocks on the site.
As a result of the weeding we all have been doing, we are beginning to reveal some native grasses that were sown in 2008 but were overtaken by drought, then flood, then weeds. We can now see windmill grass (Chloris truncata) and an increasing number of poas and a few spear grass plants that would have been from that planting. Persistent weeding will help reveal other grasses too and will help fill the site with plants that will reduce the need to weed.
This week we will again be at the Indigenous Food and Fibre site. We will do some direct seeding of Murnong into some new pots and into a small plot on the ground. We will have to "fence" that plot on the ground against millipedes and roos.
There is (of course) some weeding to do too. Apart from our site-covering weed Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum), one other weed that smothers the ground, Long Heron's-bill (Erodium botrys), is really getting going in this more open landscape and the sooner we can reduce it the better for letting native plants show themselves.... and you may find some gorse, deadly nightshade, thistles, flat weeds and other exotics to add to your removals list.
You can park at the start of the Leanganook walking track (close to where Happy Valley Road intersects with Verlin St), and walk 100 m along the track.
As per usual practice -
• don't come if you have any COVID symptoms,
• obey social distancing;
• wear stout footwear and gloves, plus sun-protection,
• bring your own drink/snack - we are still avoiding the sharing of tea/coffee for morning tea, but we will have a morning-tea break and chat. [If anyone wants to bring some goodies to carefully share, they would be welcomed!]