What happened in June?
This is a round-up of our social media posts from June 2022. This collection is for those who don’t spend much time on Facebook or Instagram, and apologies to those who have already seen these. (Please do click on the gallery photos to see them in full size!):
Direct seeding video, our new electric side-by-side vehicle and the end of Buffel Grass hunting season
Revegetation using direct seeding
Our revegetation program on Raakajlim includes direct seeding (sowing seed directly into seeding furrows). We use mainly native Pine, Wattle and Saltbush in the seed mix. This year we also added pelletised worm poo to boost soil microbes @wormhitptyltd
10 kg of seed means over 30 km of seeding lines!
“The future is electric ...” Yep, I really said that. Loving our new electric side-by-side vehicle. Quiet, and no more stinky fuel or exhaust emissions. Now that we’ve charged the battery a few times, we’re confident the EV will work all day in the paddock. Then home to be charged from our solar panels.
Our local ABC did a great interview and story on electric vehicles in farming, describing our experience and also the Agriculture Victoria Ellinbank farm in West Gippsland: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-06-05/electric-vehicles-side-by-side-farm-inputs-environment/101121922
Good news! Buffel Grass hunting season has ended on a high.
I panicked when I heard about a 10km stretch of roadside, full of Buffel Grass near Robinvale in northwest Victoria. But, when I finally got out to have a look, I found only two BG plants (left). The rest was the similar-looking Windmill Grass (Chloris truncata - native, middle) and Feathertop Rhodes Grass (Chloris virgata - weed, right). When you're driving along the road the seed heads look similar but both Chloris species have an "umbel" flowering head (several short spikes). Buffel Grass has a single spike flowering head.
Buffel Grass is a nasty, nasty weed. Let me know if you think you've seen some, I love misidentifications! More here: https://www.malleeconservation.com.au/blog/buffel-grass