Date: 2/02/2017 00:29:34
From: roughbarked
ID: 1019092
Subject: February Chat 2017

May as well give it a run.

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Date: 2/02/2017 11:39:04
From: pain master
ID: 1019374
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


May as well give it a run.

looks like it is working well…

HP, can you share some details on the pressure canner? Make and model etc?

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Date: 5/02/2017 03:14:24
From: bluegreen
ID: 1020541
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Caught this sunset the other night.

 photo IMG_20170131_203629_zpsqbh1fmtz.jpg

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Date: 5/02/2017 03:15:59
From: bluegreen
ID: 1020542
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

First time I have spotted these birds here. I think they are Noisy Friarbirds.

 photo IMG_20170129_202704_zpsjl0excao.jpg

 photo IMG_20170129_202648_zpsbfadwpca.jpg

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Date: 5/02/2017 09:06:54
From: roughbarked
ID: 1020638
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


Caught this sunset the other night.

 photo IMG_20170131_203629_zpsqbh1fmtz.jpg

Gorgeous. I’m a big fan of sunsets and sunrises or ends and beginnings as I call them.

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Date: 5/02/2017 09:15:15
From: roughbarked
ID: 1020642
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

They are possibly the little friar bird. Better detail in the photos would help with more positive ID. Do you have bottlebrushes? They turn up at my place every year when the bottlebruhses are in flower and frolic in them. They are not seen or heard here at any other time.

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Date: 6/02/2017 02:44:22
From: bluegreen
ID: 1020854
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


They are possibly the little friar bird. Better detail in the photos would help with more positive ID. Do you have bottlebrushes? They turn up at my place every year when the bottlebruhses are in flower and frolic in them. They are not seen or heard here at any other time.

Yes, that was the other possibility. I have a few bottlebrushes and there is another tree in flower, a Broad Leaf Privet I think (yes I know a weed but it was here already.) I did think they were on the larger side but I could be wrong.

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Date: 6/02/2017 06:56:22
From: pain master
ID: 1020914
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


First time I have spotted these birds here. I think they are Noisy Friarbirds.

 photo IMG_20170129_202704_zpsjl0excao.jpg

 photo IMG_20170129_202648_zpsbfadwpca.jpg

I’m not convinced that they are Noisy Friarbirds, too much plumage around their heads but they do have a large Honeyeater look to them… there’s almost a Gape on the one left of the hills hoist.

A large Honeyeater in your area which maybe close is the Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater???

My first impression especially from the one right on the fence was that of a female Common Koel which are abundant in my garden at the moment, and the juveniles are similar. I would suspect that you are at the far reaches of their migration??? Did they sing at all, because a Koel has one of the most definitive voices in the garden???

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Date: 6/02/2017 10:56:44
From: roughbarked
ID: 1020981
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

pain master said:


bluegreen said:

First time I have spotted these birds here. I think they are Noisy Friarbirds.

 photo IMG_20170129_202704_zpsjl0excao.jpg

 photo IMG_20170129_202648_zpsbfadwpca.jpg

I’m not convinced that they are Noisy Friarbirds, too much plumage around their heads but they do have a large Honeyeater look to them… there’s almost a Gape on the one left of the hills hoist.

A large Honeyeater in your area which maybe close is the Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater???

My first impression especially from the one right on the fence was that of a female Common Koel which are abundant in my garden at the moment, and the juveniles are similar. I would suspect that you are at the far reaches of their migration??? Did they sing at all, because a Koel has one of the most definitive voices in the garden???

Excuse the big image but it will give a closer look at a spiny cheeked honeyeater which happened to like my persimmons.

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Date: 6/02/2017 10:58:13
From: roughbarked
ID: 1020982
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


pain master said:

bluegreen said:

First time I have spotted these birds here. I think they are Noisy Friarbirds.

I’m not convinced that they are Noisy Friarbirds, too much plumage around their heads but they do have a large Honeyeater look to them… there’s almost a Gape on the one left of the hills hoist.

A large Honeyeater in your area which maybe close is the Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater???

My first impression especially from the one right on the fence was that of a female Common Koel which are abundant in my garden at the moment, and the juveniles are similar. I would suspect that you are at the far reaches of their migration??? Did they sing at all, because a Koel has one of the most definitive voices in the garden???

Excuse the big image but it will give a closer look at a spiny cheeked honeyeater which happened to like my persimmons.

oops.. the image

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Date: 6/02/2017 14:37:48
From: Happy Potter
ID: 1021089
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

pain master said:


roughbarked said:

May as well give it a run.

looks like it is working well…

HP, can you share some details on the pressure canner? Make and model etc?

Of course PM :)
Sorry I only just saw this.

Presto canner 21 litre. I got it from ozfarmers dot com. But I get all my jars and supplies from these lovely people. hubby and wife team. Nothing is ever too much trouble and cheaper. A tip, if you buy a presto, order a 2nd canner rack. You’ll need it. http://www.newgenerationpreservingaustralia.com/
I looked at the bigger AA canner but it’s way too heavy for me.

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Date: 6/02/2017 14:44:31
From: Happy Potter
ID: 1021097
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

We’re getting drenched. Tanks refilled :)

Just had the girls and families over for a big meal. Kiddies all ate well. Not a scrap of leftovers. Youngest grandbaby is still nursing and boy is he going to be a whopper! Already outgrown the pram. 3mth old, 10 kg, 70 cm length. I think mum and dad just need a good sized wheelbarrow to get him about LOL

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Date: 6/02/2017 14:45:42
From: roughbarked
ID: 1021099
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Thundering and lightning. No rain though.

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Date: 7/02/2017 02:04:27
From: bluegreen
ID: 1021202
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

pain master said:


bluegreen said:

First time I have spotted these birds here. I think they are Noisy Friarbirds.

 photo IMG_20170129_202704_zpsjl0excao.jpg

 photo IMG_20170129_202648_zpsbfadwpca.jpg

I’m not convinced that they are Noisy Friarbirds, too much plumage around their heads but they do have a large Honeyeater look to them… there’s almost a Gape on the one left of the hills hoist.

A large Honeyeater in your area which maybe close is the Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater???

My first impression especially from the one right on the fence was that of a female Common Koel which are abundant in my garden at the moment, and the juveniles are similar. I would suspect that you are at the far reaches of their migration??? Did they sing at all, because a Koel has one of the most definitive voices in the garden???

I don’t think it is the Common Koel. It was definitely a family group of four and they all looked quite similar where the male Common Koel is black. They are also much larger.

The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is around the right size, but has that reddish throat and bill which I don’t think these have. Rather they seemed to have a white ruff on their throat which is what leaned me towards the Noisy Friarbird. I can’t see the head clearly enough to see if the head is naked or only partly naked but the apparent lack of knob suggests the Little Friarbird. I couldn’t really get any closer to take a better photo without frightening them off.

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Date: 7/02/2017 08:06:04
From: roughbarked
ID: 1021437
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Well, they aren’t noisy friarbirds and they aren’t spiny cheeked honeyeaters. If they are any friarbirds at all, they are the little friarbird. Otherwise, look at the striped honeyeater?

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Date: 20/02/2017 02:58:08
From: bluegreen
ID: 1027513
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

 photo Dragonfly_zps2gg946pl.jpg

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Date: 20/02/2017 03:55:53
From: roughbarked
ID: 1027541
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


photo Dragonfly

Nice.
This is photo cicada.

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Date: 21/02/2017 02:34:17
From: bluegreen
ID: 1027905
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Very nice. I bet you didn’t take that one with your phone :)

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Date: 21/02/2017 05:30:28
From: roughbarked
ID: 1027994
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


Very nice. I bet you didn’t take that one with your phone :)

The phone camera doesn’t work. ;)

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Date: 22/02/2017 02:48:14
From: bluegreen
ID: 1028389
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

 photo IMG_20170219_195659_zpsjwwnffqf.jpg

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Date: 22/02/2017 09:48:12
From: roughbarked
ID: 1028627
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

You don’t seem to have fruit fly or coddling moth. That is all boding well for the apples to taste good.

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Date: 24/02/2017 13:55:30
From: buffy
ID: 1029749
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

 photo IMG_20170219_195659_zpsjwwnffqf.jpg

Damn you! I had some that looked like that…and then they all disappeared! I blame birds. I was thinking the espaliered snow apple was going to look amazing this year with red globes on it. Now I have to wait another year…

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Date: 24/02/2017 14:58:30
From: roughbarked
ID: 1029766
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

buffy said:


bluegreen said:

I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

 photo IMG_20170219_195659_zpsjwwnffqf.jpg

Damn you! I had some that looked like that…and then they all disappeared! I blame birds. I was thinking the espaliered snow apple was going to look amazing this year with red globes on it. Now I have to wait another year…

The ringnecks get all the good apples here. The good apples are the ones the fruit fly haven’t wrecked.

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Date: 25/02/2017 02:50:37
From: bluegreen
ID: 1029979
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

buffy said:


bluegreen said:

I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

Damn you! I had some that looked like that…and then they all disappeared! I blame birds. I was thinking the espaliered snow apple was going to look amazing this year with red globes on it. Now I have to wait another year…

This is the first year they have developed any fruit. A friend netted it for me or there would not be any left. As it is the cockatoos got the ones that were close to the top of the net. So far we are fruit fly free here but there is no guarantee that will last of course.

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Date: 25/02/2017 03:16:28
From: roughbarked
ID: 1029993
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


buffy said:

bluegreen said:

I’m happy with how my apples are developing. I hope they taste as good as they look!

Damn you! I had some that looked like that…and then they all disappeared! I blame birds. I was thinking the espaliered snow apple was going to look amazing this year with red globes on it. Now I have to wait another year…


I suppose it occurred to you that a frame to keep the net far enough from the fruit would help?

As for fruit fly: http://www.areanews.com.au/story/4433624/fruit-trees-well-worth-fighting-for/?cs=673

I’ve known Jeff most of my life as my father and he both worked together running a farm machinery shop for about a decade of my early life. I’ll give him a call and get the full details I think.
This is the first year they have developed any fruit. A friend netted it for me or there would not be any left. As it is the cockatoos got the ones that were close to the top of the net. So far we are fruit fly free here but there is no guarantee that will last of course.

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Date: 25/02/2017 03:19:04
From: roughbarked
ID: 1029995
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Damn you! I had some that looked like that…and then they all disappeared! I blame birds. I was thinking the espaliered snow apple was going to look amazing this year with red globes on it. Now I have to wait another year…

This is the first year they have developed any fruit. A friend netted it for me or there would not be any left. As it is the cockatoos got the ones that were close to the top of the net. So far we are fruit fly free here but there is no guarantee that will last of course.

I suppose it occurred to you that a frame to keep the net far enough from the fruit would help?

As for fruit fly: http://www.areanews.com.au/story/4433624/fruit-trees-well-worth-fighting-for/?cs=673
I’ve known Jeff most of my life as my father and he both worked together running a farm machinery shop for about a decade of my early life. I’ll give him a call and get the full details I think.

m.. fixed?

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Date: 25/02/2017 23:10:32
From: pain master
ID: 1030365
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

thems some good looking apples.

Our Chocolate Pudding tree bloomed for the first time last year… small insignificant flowers that fell off before they were pollinated. This year, the buds were more prolific and of bigger size. It looked like a few might have had a chance at pollination, but our wet season is not quite wet enough for this tree and again, the flowers have all but gone. We are growing this tree out of its comfort zone, but ‘tis a lovely little tree and a lovely shape.

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Date: 26/02/2017 02:17:22
From: bluegreen
ID: 1030378
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:

I suppose it occurred to you that a frame to keep the net far enough from the fruit would help?

Yes, but not within the realms of possibility for me atm.

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Date: 27/02/2017 11:58:25
From: buffy
ID: 1030823
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

I meant to report last week about the amazing abilities of the cabbage white butterfly/moth to “smell” a plant in the cabbage family. I knew they were about, so I set up the netting first. Then I got my punnet of baby cabbage plants out of their secure little frame…and instantly I had company. They flew with me up the yard and I had to keep batting them away while I planted out and make sure none were enclosed when I put the bricks around the base. Buggers!

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Date: 28/02/2017 02:43:32
From: bluegreen
ID: 1031043
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

buffy said:

I meant to report last week about the amazing abilities of the cabbage white butterfly/moth to “smell” a plant in the cabbage family. I knew they were about, so I set up the netting first. Then I got my punnet of baby cabbage plants out of their secure little frame…and instantly I had company. They flew with me up the yard and I had to keep batting them away while I planted out and make sure none were enclosed when I put the bricks around the base. Buggers!

Buggers indeed!

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Date: 28/02/2017 05:23:56
From: buffy
ID: 1031099
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

And while I’m about, the Iochroma has Lazarused yet again. I chop it down. It grows back. I chop it down, it grows back. I will chop it down again. But it is a beautiful rich colour never the less.

 photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum1 27Feb17_zpsdhntkday.jpg——- photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum2 27Feb17_zpsvxoalujg.jpg——- photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum3 27Feb17_zpsyekmxbuh.jpg

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Date: 1/03/2017 00:01:39
From: roughbarked
ID: 1031356
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

I have to bag the bunches with onion pags but the black sultana is soo sweet right now. The white sultanas are too.

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Date: 2/03/2017 20:49:22
From: pain master
ID: 1032347
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

buffy said:


And while I’m about, the Iochroma has Lazarused yet again. I chop it down. It grows back. I chop it down, it grows back. I will chop it down again. But it is a beautiful rich colour never the less.

 photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum1 27Feb17_zpsdhntkday.jpg——- photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum2 27Feb17_zpsvxoalujg.jpg——- photo 2017 Iochroma cyaneum3 27Feb17_zpsyekmxbuh.jpg

that is a lovely colour!

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Date: 12/03/2017 02:24:36
From: bluegreen
ID: 1036454
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Starting to pick them apples. Yum!

 photo IMG_20170310_195325_zpsj1gr5xl9.jpg

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Date: 12/03/2017 06:56:04
From: bluegreen
ID: 1036589
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

Wooly aphids, my apple tree has an infestation. Organic control recommendations?

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Date: 12/03/2017 14:19:23
From: roughbarked
ID: 1036762
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


Wooly aphids, my apple tree has an infestation. Organic control recommendations?

Wire Brush and Dettol.

Really, they hate being rubbed off.

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Date: 14/03/2017 01:29:54
From: bluegreen
ID: 1037533
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

Wooly aphids, my apple tree has an infestation. Organic control recommendations?

Wire Brush and Dettol.

Really, they hate being rubbed off.

Will metho do?

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Date: 14/03/2017 04:59:27
From: roughbarked
ID: 1037737
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Wooly aphids, my apple tree has an infestation. Organic control recommendations?

Wire Brush and Dettol.

Really, they hate being rubbed off.

Will metho do?

Because they are woolly it is difficult to achieve total cover with any solution. Most aphis and scale are easily killed by coating them with oil or fat, because they breathe though their skin, this suffocates them. Meth may work. I’ve never actually tried it. Physically rubbing them off does kill most.

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Date: 15/03/2017 01:32:40
From: bluegreen
ID: 1038207
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Wire Brush and Dettol.

Really, they hate being rubbed off.

Will metho do?

Because they are woolly it is difficult to achieve total cover with any solution. Most aphis and scale are easily killed by coating them with oil or fat, because they breathe though their skin, this suffocates them. Meth may work. I’ve never actually tried it. Physically rubbing them off does kill most.

I’ve started rubbing them off on the stems but was thinking a brush and metho for the crevices. I don’t have detol but have read that metho works so will give that a go. Fortunately my tree is only small.

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Date: 15/03/2017 04:40:01
From: roughbarked
ID: 1038248
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Will metho do?

Because they are woolly it is difficult to achieve total cover with any solution. Most aphis and scale are easily killed by coating them with oil or fat, because they breathe though their skin, this suffocates them. Meth may work. I’ve never actually tried it. Physically rubbing them off does kill most.

I’ve started rubbing them off on the stems but was thinking a brush and metho for the crevices. I don’t have detol but have read that metho works so will give that a go. Fortunately my tree is only small.

If you have good water pressure you casn hose out crevices.

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Date: 15/03/2017 22:10:25
From: pain master
ID: 1038639
Subject: re: February Chat 2017

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Because they are woolly it is difficult to achieve total cover with any solution. Most aphis and scale are easily killed by coating them with oil or fat, because they breathe though their skin, this suffocates them. Meth may work. I’ve never actually tried it. Physically rubbing them off does kill most.

I’ve started rubbing them off on the stems but was thinking a brush and metho for the crevices. I don’t have detol but have read that metho works so will give that a go. Fortunately my tree is only small.

If you have good water pressure you casn hose out crevices.

I always start with the physical removal and the hose…

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