Cyclone 2-Prong Hoe | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

September 29, 2015

Griffith Mates Weed Attack

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Fox Gully Bushcare, Threats to Conservation Reserve | Tags: Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus, Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses, Cyclone 2-Prong Hoe, garden escapee, Golden-tailed Spiny Ant Polyrhachis ammon, Mickey Mouse Plant Ochna serrulata, Stick Case Moth Clania lewinii, TreePopper |
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Amanda launched her attack on Ochna

By: Michael Fox

Our Griffith Mates friends returned for Fox Gully Bushcare last Saturday.

The job for the day was attacking our three most invasive weeds.

Amanda launched her attack on the Mickey Mouse Plant Ochna serrulata. Ochna is a garden escapee that spreads when birds eat the bright coloured berries then fly into the bush, then spreads quickly as the shrubs get established.

Ochna is a particularly difficult weed to remove because of the deep tap-root. The Treepopper is the ideal weapon attack these woody weeds and you get a great sense of satisfaction as you pull these weeds out roots and all, and no poison needed.

Emmanuel attacks Asparagus Fern

Emmanuel launched his attack on another garden escapee – Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus – again spread by birds eating the red fruit.

Emmanuel used a Cyclone 2 Prong Hoe to remove the Asparagus Fern before trimming off the leaves and roots and collecting the crown for removal off-site. The crown is the brain of the Asparagus Fern, so removal means the plant will not regrow.

Tomorrow identifies Basket Fern from her visit to Cairns

It is a real pleasure to share the forest with our international visitors. I was particularly impressed when Tomorrow identified Basket Fern Drynaria rigidula.

Emmanuel and Tomorrow - team - 26 Sept 2015

Emmanuel and Tomorrow team up against Ochna

Emmanuel and Tomorrow teamed up to tackle the Ochna.

WOW! That is a big Ochna root

With Tomorrow digging using the 2 Prong Hoe and Emmanuel on the Treepopper the team managed to pull out the largest Ochna trunk I have seen.

Lantana team (l-r) Sienna, Amanda, Ho Yi and Sau To

Sienna, Amanda, Ho Yi and Sau To attacked the Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses again a garden escapee spread by birds eating the purple fruit.

The Lantana team cleared a large area of weed, raking it into swales to compost, control water runoff and reduce spread of weed seed.

Stick Case Moth Clania lewinii

A successful morning for all. Amanda filled her five specimen containers with a bush cockroach, butterfly and other insects for her university collection.

We also added Stick Case Moth Clania lewinii to our species list for the Reserve.

The shape and construction materials of a case moth’s portable home allow identification of the moth species. Stick Case Moths build their case moth bags using sticks of similar length. Similar bags are built the Faggot Case Moth Clania ignobilis with one or two longer sticks.

Meeting the locals – Golden-tailed Spiny Ant nest

How better to finish the day?

I showed how turning over a couple of rocks could expose a whole new world.

Golden-tailed Spiny Ant - 22 July 2014 - Alan Moore - close

Golden-tailed Spiny Ant up close

The Golden-tailed Spiny Ant Polyrhachis ammon really are spiny. Click on photo to enlarge.

June 16, 2014

Right tool for the job – Cyclone 2 Prong Hoe

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Mt Gravatt Environment Group, Threats to Conservation Reserve | Tags: Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus, Bushcare, Cyclone 2-Prong Hoe, Flex Tuff gloves |
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Asparagus Fern - 2 Prong Hoe - June 2014

Cyclone 2 Prong Hoe

By: Michael Fox

Garden escapees like Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus are one of three key threats to the long term future of the two hundred sixty-nine native plant species found in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

Weeding a 66ha reserve is a bit more of a challenge than managing the average backyard and the bushcare workforce are all volunteers. So getting the “right tool for the job” is critical for team productivity and workplace safety.

Asparagus Fern - 2 Prong - edges - June 2014

Waging war on weeds

The Cyclone 2 Prong Hoe is an excellent general purpose tool for restoration work:

light weight allows longer periods of continuous use; and
long handle reduces back strain by reducing bending and allows for safer access to weedy slopes.

Most important the 2 Prong Hoe is the ideal weapon for attacking the prickly difficult to tackle Asparagus Fern.

Asparagus Fern - seeds - close - 3 June 2014 - Alan Moore

Major source of re-infection

The strong narrow prongs easily hook in under the crown of the plant allowing the whole root mat to be lifted out in one piece. For larger plants where to root mat for one plant can be cover more than one square metre use the hoe to lift the root mat around the edges to reduce the weight before lifting from the crown.

Remember to wear gloves when you attack this prickly weed. I like the Flex Tuff gloves which offer good protection while allow a good sense of touch.

Asparagus Fern is highly infectious with dozens of seeds that birds love so every plant removed is one less source of re-infection.

April 24, 2014

Tree Popper cuts out infections

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Fox Gully Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Threats to Conservation Reserve | Tags: Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus, Camphor Laurels Cinnamomum camphora, Chinese Elm Celtis sinensis, Climbing Asparagus Fern Asparagus plumosus, Cyclone 2-Prong Hoe, Indian Hawthorne Rhaphiolepis indica, Micky Mouse Plants Ochna serrulata, Small Leaf Privet Ligustrum sinense, Tree Popper, Umbrella Trees Schefflera actinophylla, weeds |
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Removing Chinese Elm with Tree Popper

By: Michael Fox

Marshal and I tackled the Chinese Elm Celtis sinensis infestation in Fox Gully Bushcare this morning. Mature Chinese Elms can reach 20 metres in backyard gardens.

A Tree Popper is the ideal tool for this job allowing us to remove all but six larger Elms without using poison. The largest we removed with the Popper as about twice my height with an extensive spreading root system.

In total we removed 40 Chinese Elms, about 30 Umbrella Trees Schefflera actinophylla, dozens of Micky Mouse Plants Ochna serrulata, Camphor Laurels Cinnamomum camphora, Small Leaf Privet Ligustrum sinense and Indian Hawthorne Rhaphiolepis indica.

Chinese Elm with extensive root system

The Tree Popper is perfect for use in safely and easily removing these woody weeds in bush restoration sites. The jaws of the Popper clamp around the trunk and the long handle provides leverage to pull the weed roots and all. The Popper is particularly useful for tackling the deep-rooted Micky Mouse Plant.

Using Cyclone 2-Prong Hoe we also removed two garbage bags of Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus and Climbing Asparagus Fern Asparagus plumosus. The long handle and sharp prongs of the 2-Prong Hoe reach past the prickly leaves and the prongs get right under the crown of the plant allowing the complete weed mat to be removed quickly and easily.