Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: shan777 on February 14, 2012, 08:07:58 pm

Title: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: shan777 on February 14, 2012, 08:07:58 pm
Have a decent 10KGs from my first year girls, then just heard there is a chance for spotted gum blossom, even into winter??

I'm on Central Coast, just north of Sydney.

Can anyone confirm this? That would be a pleasant surprise!
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: Birdswood on February 15, 2012, 02:41:55 am
From all that I've heard and read, it flowers mainly between May and September, but might begin as early as atumn in some areas. But I understand that it only flowers every 4 years, but this may be incorrect and might be a regional thing.

Leigh
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: rawfind on February 28, 2012, 02:13:56 pm
From all that I've heard and read, it flowers mainly between May and September, but might begin as early as atumn in some areas. But I understand that it only flowers every 4 years, but this may be incorrect and might be a regional thing.

Leigh

Ive had my eye on a large planting of this at my place, been watching the buds fatten up, yesterday took a walk and noticed that there is the odd bud flowering now so i think its going to happen here! my girls are ready , they are already pulling in something so could work out to a good year for me after all. Hope your wrong on the 4 year thing! never took any notice about these trees until i took up beekeeping, suddenly ive developed rubber neck syndrome from looking up at the trees all the time! oh and for your reference we are northeast near kilmore vic.
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: Birdswood on February 28, 2012, 08:04:21 pm
Unfortunately everything I've read and been told about Spotted Gum says they flower evry 4 years, but that it is a prolific nectar producer, so it might pay to get ready for a bumper harvest.  :-D
Don't forget to write down somewhere that they flowered in March (near enough anyway) 2012 so you know when to look for them again.

Good luck with it.

Leigh
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: shan777 on February 28, 2012, 10:06:10 pm
yeah, very exciting!
In my area, 4 of them are out!
Harvesting what the girls got from the ironbarks this sunday to make room for them.
Apparently it is every 4 years, but if you think about it..... with many trees in your area..... there would be some that flower this year as I don't think they would all flower the same year.
Apparently they can flower through alot of winter, ..... now that would be nice :-)
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: Birdswood on February 29, 2012, 12:14:52 am
Yep, you're spot on Shan. Because the fourth year will not be the same for every tree, different trees will probably have blossom each year, just not the same trees.
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: rawfind on February 29, 2012, 04:16:30 am
Yep, you're spot on Shan. Because the fourth year will not be the same for every tree, different trees will probably have blossom each year, just not the same trees.

From what ive noticed about gums in general they don't always seem to give up all their blossom some seem to have immature bud along with the mature bud, i have some trees now that are giving me blossom now that flowered early spring.!
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: Lone on February 29, 2012, 04:22:41 am
That's great about the spotted gum.  
I wonder if this is the same tree as the lemon scented gum I planted?

Shouldn't the same type of tree flower in the same year in the same area?

Do any of you spotted gum area folks have photos?

Lone
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: rawfind on February 29, 2012, 04:29:30 am
That's great about the spotted gum.  
I wonder if this is the same tree as the lemon scented gum I planted?

Shouldn't the same type of tree flower in the same year in the same area?

Do any of you spotted gum area folks have photos?

Lone
there is some lemon scented gum flowering here too but its been a bit ahead of the spotted gum
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: shan777 on February 29, 2012, 07:18:52 am
That's great about the spotted gum.  
I wonder if this is the same tree as the lemon scented gum I planted?

Shouldn't the same type of tree flower in the same year in the same area?

Do any of you spotted gum area folks have photos?

Lone

Will take a pic tomorrow for you :-)
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: rawfind on March 11, 2012, 05:02:46 am
That's great about the spotted gum.  
I wonder if this is the same tree as the lemon scented gum I planted?

Shouldn't the same type of tree flower in the same year in the same area?

Do any of you spotted gum area folks have photos?

Lone
Pretty sure this is spotted gum Lone, its just starting here.




(http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5242/spottedgum.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/spottedgum.jpg/)
Title: Re: Spotted Gum soon?
Post by: Lone on March 11, 2012, 11:43:54 pm
Thanks Neil, that's great.