Phone 0428 130 769 spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au
In the Wild
www.brushturkey.com.au
with Spencer Shaw
What's in the Spotlight Apply to use public land for business Surf schools, coffee vans and beach equipment hire are some of the businesses that can apply for a permit to operate on public land. To find out if your business activity is eligible to operate on public land or to apply for a 3 year permit visit Council’s website or contact Council. Applications close Friday 2 October.
Saddle up for Bike Week 2015 Are you a road cyclist? A recreational rider? Maybe you’ve never ridden a bike. This Sunshine Coast Bike Week, October 10 – 18, there are a range of workshops, events and bike rides to join including Ride2Work Day on Wednesday 14 October. And, for every event you attend, you’ll enter the draw for a $500 bike shop voucher. Visit Council’s website for event details and to register.
Always Take the Weather with You
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HERE IS SOMETHInG intrinsic in many humans that regardless of the weather, be it hot, cold, temperate, wet, dry, moist there is always something to whinge about...too this or too that, but at the end of the day it is what it is. I love the phrase “always take the weather with you” and I take that to mean that we shouldn’t expect fine weather to follow you around like some divine blessing, but to rejoice in being alive and in the world and enjoy all of natures moods. We are often hitting a dry spell at this time of year, but it appears we on the coast and adjacent ranges are fortunate to be receiving quite decent regular rainfall. Soils are moist and temperatures moderate, so guess what it’s time to plant! It’s not just planting time either, it’s time to create habitat with nest boxes, piles of rocks, mulch and branches etc... It’s that romantic time of year for much of our fauna and extra habitat means extra nesting, shelter and romantic rendezvous to ensure the survival of their populations and maintain biodiversity. At our new retail nursery Forest Heart at 20 Coral Street, Maleny we stock a range of local native plants for South East Queensland that is growing (literally!) all the time. Our aim is to provide the widest variety of SE QLD flora and with over 3000 local native plants that’s going to keep
us busy for a while. not only can we provide for all of your revegetation needs, but we are increasing the availability of local native groundcovers and shrubs for gardens, bush foods (including some great Finger Lime selections available in november), cabinet timber and farm forestry trees. Growing local native plants for revegetation, gardens, agriculture and resources is good for us, good for the country, good for wildlife and of course biodiversity. We’re also your local agent for Hollow Log Homes nest boxes, who not only wrote the book on the subject but are the great innovators and educators for all hollow nesting fauna. Tip of the month is mulch, mulch, mulch and you guessed it more mulch. All organic mulches are good and help keep the moisture in, feed and regulate the temperature of soils. The main limitations are availability of mulch, cost and time and labour. Other than that, mulch solves many problems from erosion, to soil structure, to nutrient availability and many more issues and is also habitat for a whole host of little critters that have a world beneath the mulch all of their own and in turn provide food for some of our large local fauna.
Ride the road safety messages New high visibility cycling apparel—featuring lifesaving road safety messages—is now available from Council. The super-smart yellow bike shirts and shorts are designed to help drivers see cyclists riding close-by and are part of Council’s Road Safety Plan. Visit Council’s website to order your gear.
Food Safety Training If you are a food handler at a licensed food business or at a charity, hospitality or fundraising endeavour, Council’s free online food training course may be just the tool you need to ensure the food you provide is safe. The program is in an easy learning format and accessible 24/7 via Council’s website.
Apply anytime for RADF funding Council’s new Regional Arts Development Funding (RADF) program is now open to support creative projects across the region. The new process is flexible and simple. It has no closing dates so if you have a creative idea, visit Council’s website for details and to apply online.
Australia Day Awards open for nominations Nominations for the 2016 Sunshine Coast Australia Day Awards are now open. The Awards recognise and honour the achievements of citizens who make a difference to life in our region. If you know a person, community group or organisation worthy of recognition nominate them via Council’s website.
A Nasty Weed
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HERE’S A TALL and thorny woody weed flowering around the Range at present. It has large coarsely lobed leaves, whitish flowers and lots of thorns. Spines measuring 4-10mm are present on the under-surface of the leaves, mainly along the midrib and lateral veins. It’s hard to miss, especially if you attempt to handle it. Wear thick gloves! Its common name is Devil’s Claw Fig. The first two words are very accurate but it is not a fig. It is a member of the Solanum family, which includes wild tobacco, deadly nightshade, tomatoes, potatoes and other well-known plants. It is also called Giant Devil’s Fig and Devil’s Apple. A native of Central America, it is now naturalised along the east coast in higher rainfall areas from the nSW central coast to Queensland’s wet tropics and is usually seen growing along roads and in rainforest clearings. Globular orange fruit 20-35mm in diameter contain many seeds, which are
no doubt spread by various means once the ripe fruit falls to the ground. Unfortunately the shrub also has a spreading root system from which young plants can appear some distance from the parent. It is really important to get rid of it before it fruits and before it becomes too large and hard to handle, literally. Depending on growing conditions, particularly shade levels, it can grow to 2m. It is susceptible to herbicide but the removal method will depend on its size. Manually remove the young plants and bag and bin any fruit. It’s one of those weeds that has probably been around for a while but has become much more visible as numbers have increased, along with individual size. It is definitely one to remove now before it becomes even more widespread and increasingly difficult to deal with. Leaving elimination until too late is the common story for invasive
Council meetings Ordinary Meeting 9am 17 September, Caloundra 07 5475 7272 mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 34
HInTERLAnD TIMES – OC TOBER 2015
weeds and results in increasingly costly control measures. Sound familiar?
Barung native Plant nursery Phone 5494 3151
Porters Lane Nursery opening times: Wednesday - Friday - 9am -3pm, Saturday 9am - 12pm
Landscapes with Loors Landscaping ... landscaping the Range for the past 26 years
Blooming Beautiful
Sunshine Coast Art Prize celebrations There’s something for everyone at the 2015 Sunshine Coast Art Prize 10th Anniversary celebrations. There are stunning exhibitions, gala openings, music, public art, projections and more across the whole region till December 11. View the program of events on Council’s Gallery website.
Devil’s Claw Fig
FRANZ LOORS The use of the appropriate fertiliser at the right time and correct rate of application is most important for optimal results. All fertilisers have analysis numbers on their packaging. Example being, 15%n (nitrogen) 10%P (phosphorus), 12%K (potassium) and some may also contain a range of trace elements such as zinc, boron and manganese. In very simple terms, nitrogen promotes vegetative growth or top growth. Phosphorus aids in flower buds, fruit and root development and potassium builds strong healthy
Loors Landscaping
plants. Plants that grow fast and vigorous such lawns in summer require a fertiliser with more nitrogen than the other two elements. During the slower growing periods of the year, plants use less nitrogen but are still working slow and steady at laying the foundation for the following years buds, flower and fruit production. A fertiliser with an analysis such as 725-7 which is high in phosphorus will therefore aid in abundant bud and flower production. Fertiliser could be also applied as a liquid foliar spray where the nutrients are absorbed by the leaves.
It is better to under fertilise than over fertilise. Be sure to read your product information and use the appropriate fertiliser for the particular plant! Happy gardening!
Phone: 07 5445 7615
Mobile: 0412 680 801