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Author Topic: What's flowering: Queensland  (Read 144325 times)

Offline max2

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What's flowering: Queensland
« on: January 14, 2017, 03:13:20 am »
Well,
it has been hot here on the Sunshine Coast and even warmer not far inland.
After some severe hailstorms on the 1. and3. December 2016 we lost a lot of flowers and buds BUT the Rough Apple is flowering and the Lemon Myrtle is doing well. After some much needed rain some of the groundflora also is starting to kick in - Cobblers Pegs, always reliable and offering nectar and pollen.

Offline kanga

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2017, 03:20:26 am »
In the hinterland of the Gold Coast Spotted Gum has been flowering on some of the high ridges and have noticed several bloodwood trees in flower.

Offline SlickMick

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2017, 08:16:14 pm »
The Buckinghamia and the Leopard trees are now coming into full bloom and will keep the girls happy for quite a while around Carindale.
Mick

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2017, 11:48:16 pm »
Tes, Leopard trees er out here too and the Lilly Pilly's are doing well.

Offline Rhino86

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2017, 08:40:49 pm »
I was wondering when someone would create a what's flowering Queensland topic :)

On the ground cover plant with little blue flowers this morning, a blue bee with black stripes was working. How awesome I thought! a Blue-banned bee. My first encounter.
I've got a leopard tree and a yesterday, today and tomorrow in close proximity, I heard the smoothing hum of bees this morning, looked like the honey bee, not sure which variety.
Pumpkins have been opening their flowers early in the morning and close around 11:00 and tomato's are flowering.
Orange and lime are flowering.
Ghost gum (i think) I've got two large ones, too high for me to see the flowers with the naked eye, the rainbow lorikeets enjoy their early evening gathering as I read bee books. As well as Yellow crested cockatoo's

Back in September, my front yard was humming for approx. 4 days as 100's of honey bees worked on the olive tree. Thanks to their work, it's the best amount of olives I've seen in years.

Offline Kevcook

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2017, 03:05:24 am »
I live in a valley pretty much surrounded by native trees as far as I can see, the apple gum finished flowering a week ago and now there are heaps of iron bark in fill bloom.

Kev

Offline Kevcook

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2017, 08:26:20 pm »
I just wanted to add that the black wattle are now flowering and I read my last post which said 'iron bark'  :shocked: (senior moment) my mistake it should have read Blood Wood which is still flowering, the iron bark finished 3 or 4 weeks back.

We also have a few Brazilian cherry trees that are beginning to flower and the bees love them. 

Offline Lone

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2017, 11:42:13 am »
This is a big topic, Mr Max.  Queensland is a big state and it changes from one road to the next. 
There is not much out at the moment I don't think.  The bloodwood buds up at this time of year, but nearly every year the buds fall without flowering.  I've seen them flower twice.  I haven't worked out whether it's the rain or the dry which stimulate them, or something else.  Our bloodwood grows from suckers underground in any case, so they don't often feel the need to feed my bees.  They are the majority of the trees round here and I think they are the gum-topped bloodwood.  Ironbark has a few buds, and they are completely unpredictable.  Often the buds will fall too, but they can flower at any time of year or all year, and then not for a few years.  I think it's called narrow-leafed iron bark.  It's not even worth checking the grey box as that only flowers with rain (i.e. almost never).  There are no parrots around which is the main indicator of gums in flower.  Bees are living on stores I guess!  They have to be as tough as all other living things in this country.

Where are you, Kev?  Probably a little south of here.  I haven't checked the black wattle, but they are not far away, in the creek.  I think they are mainly a pollen producer.  What breed of bloodwood and ironbark do you have there?  Had any rain?  We had a couple of inches early Jan then only 3mm yesterday so things are drying off again.  There's still a month or two left of the wet season, so I won't be packing and heading north to Tully just yet.

Lone


Offline Kevcook

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2017, 10:58:33 pm »
G'day Lone, I'm 1.5 hrs north of Bundaberg, still plenty of blood wood flowering and the parrots are all over them atm. I went to Emerald on the week end and noticed plenty of blood wood in flower along the way, also some tee tree starting to bud up south of Rocky.

We haven't had much rain, enough to keep the place looking green but no run off yet, we need it as the dams are starting to drop fast.

Kev

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2017, 04:49:14 am »
We took some honey off today. Some hives where full but in most cases frames had to be selected with some care.
Lots of ground flora flowering but I can't see any euc's in our valley. The recovery will take a good while after the hail storms.

The bees where busy and calm - something is keeping the happy!What would we do without weeds!

Offline Rhino86

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2017, 05:05:11 am »
Last weekend was a cruel two days. 41 on Saturday and 42 on Sunday. The well watered Blueberry even was scorched and reduced  5-10mm from around the edge of the pot. Three pumpkin vines refused to live much more then a few weary green leaves.
Sunflowers love it though, hardy buggas. Least the king parrots haven't caught a look at them yet.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2017, 09:49:49 pm »
For people in Qld - if you wonder what is growing in your Shire, NP or forestry - have a look here: https://environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/report-request/species-list/

Brilliant!!

Offline SlickMick

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2017, 12:00:52 am »
I don't know what's flowering in the rest of Queensland, but around Carindale in SE Brisbane something with white pollen is. The girls have been bringing pollen and nectar in furiously and have backfilled the outside frames in the brood box. So are they building up numbers or building up stores. It's my guess that with our shortening days they are getting ready for our colder months.

Mick

Offline kanga

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2017, 05:47:45 am »
Driving around the Gold Coast & Hinterland today and noticed a lot of tea tree heavily in flower, might be where the white pollen is coming from.
Kev

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2017, 06:15:04 pm »
We had a little more rain and the temps have still been in the high 20' s of late. The weeds are still keeping the flow on. The wild Pepper is about to flower. I have a Paulownia and it  is flowering - very much out of season.

I'm still seeing the odd snake and they should really be tucked away by now. A sign of a warm winter ahead?

A chilly morning forecast for Friday and mild days ahead...the bees are still very busy.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2017, 07:00:51 pm »
We took off about 350kg of honey this week. No idea what is flowering? Anybody has an idea?
I have checked with other beekeepers and some have no honey while others are doing very well.My bees are near the Mary River - just km from the source.
Rain coming in a couple of days. Looks promising for clover in a few months time.

Offline Anybrew2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #16 on: May 17, 2017, 04:07:40 am »
Thats awesome Max2, what do you reckon you got per Super? I rob my Bee's a couple of weeks ago a bit later than usual and they are bring in loads of Nectar here to. Even thought about robbing again in a few weeks as the Iron Bark is flowering and some Gums.

Cheers Steve

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #17 on: May 17, 2017, 07:27:20 am »
We averaged about 16 kg per hive.

This will be the last harvest for the season. Winter here is very short and generally mild. They are telling us that we should get about 20 to 40 mm of rain in the next few days. This would be perfect as rain in late May generally means Clover in late Winter into Spring. White Clover here is great for nectar AND pollen and will stimulate the hives. We could start splitting as early as August - September.

I'm getting ahead a bit here but it looks like  a positive few months ahead.
I will be spending Winter making up more nuc boxes, supers and frames .

Offline Anybrew2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2017, 05:39:19 am »
16 kgs is awesome I was around 12 to 14 in my eight frame deeps. Its quite warm here and in the afternoon I can smell the Honey in the Hives. I will leave them alone so they can have an easy Winter and have a good start in Spring.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2017, 04:31:14 am »
A weird early winter here;

No frost so far and we are hoping for some rain in the next few days. Nothing serious but maybe enough to keep the clover happy.

Not much flowering but the bees where busy today. Checked on a few hives and the population is too high - to many moths to feed. A sign of a mild winter? Again!

If the hives can keep the population up it could mean a strong Spring - here is hoping.

Still seeing snakes around and the Swallows had their young out a week ago. Is this "Normal"?

 

anything