Commenced:
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01/01/2005 |
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Submitted:
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08/04/2011 |
Last updated:
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16/02/2016 |
Location:
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Cherokee, Victoria, AU |
Climate zone:
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Cool Temperate |
(projects i'm involved in)
Project: Fernglade Farm
Posted by Chris McLeod about 10 years ago
Depending on your point of view, the weather in the Southern hemisphere is upside down – or the right way up. Late January to early February is the hottest part of the year here, so late July to early August is the coldest part of the year
So, it is hardly a surprise when it snowed here again this
morning. The snow didn’t settle on the ground, but it did put on a good show whilst
it was here. Within half an hour it was merely a memory though.
Apologies to fans of George RR Martin’s epic and lengthy story, but I couldn’t help myself with the title of the blog this week
The wild weather of the previous week which included strong
winds and heavy rain at times, meant that there was a substantial amount of
fallen timber on the ground. I’ve since spent 3 of the past 7 days clearing
this fallen timber in the orchard and from around the surrounding forest. The branches
and trunks are all cut into firewood lengths and stored in neat piles to season
for a few years. Seasoning refers to the process of letting the timber dry which
in turn also reduces the sugar/sap content. Without seasoning, the freshly cut
timber will not burn. All of the smaller branches and leaves were burnt off
though
As a fun fact, eucalyptus leaves contain quantities of
volatile oils. Those volatile oils can be extracted and as a bonus they are
widely used in Australia as both a household cleaner and a disinfectant. Tidy
work! The downside to this volatile oil is that the eucalyptus leaves are
effective against both bacteria and fungi in the top soil as well as in the
household. This is a bad thing because it is those bacteria and fungi which convert
organic matter (i.e. the leaves and sticks) into productive top soil. So the
leaves can sit on the ground for a few years, happily drying and providing fuel
for any forest fires which may pass.
Those leaves and branches sitting on the ground also tend to
produce a soil with an acidic ph., which is typical of eucalyptus forests
For the rest of the blog entry please visit: http://ferngladefarm.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/a-song-of-water-and-fire.html
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