From the Vault – August
This months ‘From the Vault’ is a short entry responding to a question that i saw posed at another blog back in 2007 – ‘Snails, Pests or Pals?’. Anyway, have a read and let me know what you think in the comment.
Snails, Pests or Pals?
Any one who reads that title will probably have the same initial response that I would have to the question, ‘pest, lets stomp on them’. Apparently, however, this may not be the case. Stuart over at Gardening Tips ‘n’ Idea’s says otherwise. His article ‘How garden snails can tell you which plants are sick’ has made me think a bit more seriously about the question.
I get many customers showing me plants that have OBVIOUSLY been attacked by ‘killer snails’. I also have seen many a vegetable garden that has gone from ‘leafy green’ one night to terribly damaged by morning. I always recommend to people to place baits around the plants to knock out those so and so’s. Perhaps, however, that is not the solution?
If snails mostly eat diseased and dying plants, maybe the appropriate response to snails is not necessarily to kill them, but to thank them for pointing out which plants need some TLC? Maybe they are just part of the overall gardening cycle.
I don’t know, I’ve grown up being taught ’snails are bad’ and I struggle to think otherwise, but until today I hadn’t even considered there was an alternate option! I am still not convinced that snails only eat diseased or damaged plants, but it is an interesting idea! Have a read of Stuarts article and work out for yourself, what do you think? Pest or Pal?
Plant of the Month – Beaufortia purpurea
Last week I featured the Beaufortia elegans, this week I am featuring the Beaufortia purpurea.
Genus: Beaufortia
Species: purpurea
Common Name: N/A
Flower Colour: Red
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Shrub 1m
Flowering: Spring to Summer
Though the flower colour is listed as ‘red’ it would be more true to call it a ‘red-purple’ colour, hence why this variety is called purpurea which comes from the latin word for purple, purpureus. This variety is a low growing shrub (maximum height is usually about 1m) which flowers from mid spring to late summer. This variety, like all the Beaufortia that I have featured, is native to Western Australia however like many of the other varieties, this one has been successfully grown in other cool and temperate regions of Australia.
The purpurea prefers a rocky or granite based soil and does well on rocky slopes. A great native plant to try in a sloping garden. Once again you can see why this genus is often confused with the Callistemon genus.
Be careful removing that pesky tree!
At AussieGreenThumb.com my main goal is to help YOU cultivate a gardening lifestyle today so that you can have a better garden tomorrow. As such there are often times when I come across advice written by other bloggers that I wish to share with you, my readers. One such piece of advice came to my attention the other day when I was reading gardeningtipsnideas.com. Stuart, the writer of this blog, is a fellow West Australian gardening blogger with some fantastic hints and tips. His latest article is all about ‘Why Trimming Trees Can Be Hazardous’. It is filled with fantastic hints and tips for you to consider if and when you decide to tackle removing that pesky tree or tree limbs from your garden.
I myself have had to learn this lesson, thankfully however not the hard way. I have had a few near misses though, especially once when I was trimming back an over-zealous Bottlebrush. I was at a clients place because they had a Bottlebrush that had grown so large it was starting to hang over the neighbours fence, placing pressure on the fence itself. This of course had merited complaints from said neighbour.
Rather than just lightly trimming the Bottlebrush to remove the offending limbs I actually suggested that the Bottlebrush be significantly trimmed so that it would have a few more growing seasons before it needed another significant haircut. The client agreed. So I set to work removing some rather large limbs, pretty sure that I had it all under control.
There was one large central limb that just had to go. I set my ladder up, made sure it was on a steady footing, grabbed out my weapon of choice (in this instance a hand saw, I would have preferred a chain saw but I did not have access to one at the time.) Slowly I worked my way through the limb, thinking I had worked out where it would fall. Unfortunately I had mis-judged this and when I got just over half way through, the weight of the limb caused it to suddenly start to fall straight towards me. By shear luck the limb just missed me. It did knock the ladder on the way down but not enough to cause it to fall over. In that instance I was reminded just how careful you do need to be when trimming small to large trees and tree limbs.
I don’t write this to scare you of trimming trees and limbs yourself but simple to point out how careful you do need to be. Why not head over to Stuarts blog to read more about ‘Why Trimming Trees Can Be Dangerous’.
Understanding Gardening Vocabulary – Part 8
Wow, part 8! I have already covered the definition of 27 terms this year and yet it seems like only yesterday I was starting this series. I do hope that at least one of the 27 words I have covered has been beneficial to you and that all 27 words have, individually, been beneficial to someone. Here is part 8.
This month’s terms are insecticide, organic, inorganic and drainage.
Insecticide – An insecticide is a substance used to kill insect pests that cause problems on plants. Insecticides can be found in many forms. They are mostly liquids or powders but can also be smoke or a vapour. Insecticides need to be used with caution because not all insects have negative effects on plants, and in fact many plants needs insects for healthy growth and reproduction. However many insecticides do not only kill damaging insects but also kill helpful insects.
Inorganic – A term applied to substances not containing carbon molecules, therefore meaning they were not formed by a living organism. In gardening terms, an inorganic substance is usually a naturally occurring mineral that helps plants grow or are manufactured chemicals made to help plants grow.
Organic – Organic refers to substances that are generally created by living organisms and usually contain carbon molecules. They are often used to add nutrients to the soil to help a plant grow. Animal manure and compost formed by rotting plants are prime examples of organic substances which may be added to a garden to make it healthier. Organic substances are not manufactured but are natural bi-products or living, naturally occurring processes.
Drainage – So you have bought a new plant and on its tag it says something about ‘drainage’. Does this mean the plant needs to be planted near a drain? Away from a drain? Simply, no. Drainage basically refers to how fast water will drain away around plants. It refers to how quickly water will soak into the soil when a plant is watered. Most plants require good drainage because too much water hanging around can cause roots to rot. Though plants needs good access to water, they mostly don’t want to be swimming in it. Good drainage means the soil will take in plenty of water but the surrounding plants won’t be unhappy with the amount of water hanging around the roots.
Previous entries;
Part 1 – annual, biennial, perennial & deciduous.
Part 2 – mulch, compost, manure/fertiliser & trace elements.
Part 3 – native, succulent, specimen plant and ground cover.
Part 4 – staking, pruning and grafting.
Part 5 – seeds, seedlings, germination and bud.
Part 6 – bonsai, dwarf, hybrid and topiary.
Part 7 – complete fertiliser, NPK, dead heading and thinning.
Plant of the Month – Beaufortia elegans
This month at AussieGreenThumb.com I am featuring the Australian Native Plant ‘Beaufortia’. Last week I featured the Beaufortia aestiva, this week I am featuring the Beaufortia elegans.
Genus: Beaufortia
Species: elegans
Common Name: N/A
Flower Colour: Purple
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Shrub 1m
Flowering: Spring to Autumn
The Beaufortia elegans actually comes in a couple of different colours (I definitely know a red variety exists) but I particularly like the purple variety. You can see the similarities between it and a Callistemon Bottlebrush (especially the red variety) but again, the leaves are a give away that this is a Beaufortia species.
This species will grow well in well-draining soils in a full sun to part shade location. It is also a plant that responds very well to pruning when it finishes flowering and can be shaped to suit your desires. The elegans is native to Western Australia but has been successfully grown in most cool to temperate climates around Australia.
Why not consider this plant when you are next choosing an Australian Native Plant to grow.
Thanks to Lullfitz Nursery for some of this information
Nurseries of Australia – Bushland Flora
This months featured Australian Nursery is ‘Bushland Flora’. I stumbled across them while I was doing a web search one day for Australian Native Nurseries and though their website leave’s much to be desired, I trust that is because they specialise in plants and not in web design. What they do have on their website in regards to Australian Native Plants impressed me enough to feature them this month.
From their website
Bushland Flora is an Australian native wholesale plant nursery supplying native plants that are drought tolerant, adaptable and hardy to Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and ACT. Bushland Flora is a major supplier of quality Australian plants. We provide a comprehensive range of Victorian indigenous and general native plants. Bushland Flora wholesale nursery supply plant lines in cell trays, 75mm,150mm, the new biodegrable peat tubes/pots, and 140mm & 200mm pots. Bushlandflora was first established as a wholesale nursery in 1989 by Ian Shimmen Bushland.
Any good nursery, in my opinion, should make their product list well known as for this Bushland Flora gets a tick. They have their entire catalogue available for download from their homepage. They obviously cater mostly for the South-Eastern States of Australia but this is actually a positive for me because it means they really can focus on making that niche work.
Bushland Flora is also available for plant design consultation if you are planning a larger job and have a long history of creating good outcomes for their clients which has included such places as the Melbourne Zoo and many schools. They are located over two sites and three hectares of land which gives them the ability the propagate a large variety of their own plants. They are also a wholesale nursery, providing stock to many local nurseries which is almost always a good sign for their quality.
Bushland Flora contact details
110 Clegg Rd
Mount Evelyn VIC
3796
(Ph) 03 9736 4716
(E-mail) sales@bushlandflora.com.au
My Gardening Story – Plants I grew up growing, Part 1
So far in this series I have talked about the key people in my gardening journey and last month I talked about growing vegetables growing up. Another key part of my gardening journey has been the choosing, growing and planting of various different annual and perennial plants to supplement my parents gardening ambitions. This month I want to look at two mainstays of the Australian cottage garden which I have had a lot to do with over the years, the humble Petunia and Marigold.
Petunia
The humble Petunia is found in countless gardens around Australia and in fact the world. It is one of many plants whose scientific name has also become its common name. Petunia is the ‘genus’ and then the different varieties of Petunia have different species names. Historically the Petunia is native to South America but the varieties that we have today are a far cry from those first discovered in the 1700′s to 1800′s. The dazzling colours and ability to grow in almost any climate have been bred into today’s Petunia’s which are basically all hybrid species.
Plant of the Month – Beaufortia aestiva
Welcome to August! The plant of the month for August is the Australian Native Plant ‘Beaufortia’. This is another genus, like the Melaleuca, which is often confused with plants from the Callistemon genus, or more commonly called Bottlebrush. The reason for this confusion is that a number of plants from the Beaufortia genus are ALSO called ‘Bottlebrush’ so the confusion is valid. None the less, all of the varieties that are featured this month will be Beaufortia and NOT Callistemon. The first variety that I am going to review is called Beaufortia aestiva.
Genus: Beaufortia
Species: aestiva
Common Name: Summer Flame
Flower Colour: Red
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Shrub 1m
Flowering: Summer to Autumn
The Beaufortia aestiva is probably the ‘most’ Bottlebrush like of the Beaufortia genus. It is a relatively low growing variety, about 1m in height and approximately grows to 2m in width. The key difference between plants of the Callistemon genus and the aestiva is in the leaves. The aestiva has much smaller leaves than most species of Callistemon bottlebrush.
The aestiva is native to Western Australia, predominantly Northern WA, and grows mostly in coastal area’s where the soil has a higher sand/limestone content. This species is extremely waterwise and is also bird attracting. It requires very little upkeep but will respond to pruning. Best results will occur when pruned after it has finished flowering in Sunner to Autumn. Like many Australian Native plants the aestiva requires little to no fertiliser but if you are going to fertilise it, make sure the phosphorous value in the NPK is low and preferably use a slow release fertiliser.
Monthly Gardening Tips – August
The month of August means that Australia is just about through its winter months. As such, August is all about getting ready for the next season, Spring!
Hopefully you have used your winter months well already to prepare for a great showing from September onwards but there are still plenty of tasks that you can do during August to make sure you have a fabulous garden to look at and immerse yourself in come Spring.
If you have not already, now is the time to finish of pruning your dormant plants, especially rose bushes. From late July to August they will start to grow vigorously again ready to absolutely take off once the weather starts to warm up. Remember, try to always prune at a 45 degree angle because this helps the plant heal better and therefore limits the chances of pests or diseases taking hold of your freshly pruned plant.
There are two other key tasks to complete during August. One is to make sure that you apply a good fertiliser, preferably a slow release fertiliser, to all of your plants and to also make sure you apply a good lawn fertiliser over all your grassed areas. You want your entire garden to be able to take advantage of any late August rains and then the warmer weather which comes around Mid September.
Sharing Fruit Growing Knowledge
As you may be aware I recently ran a competition to win some Fiskars gardening tools. One condition of entry was to email me some idea’s of articles that you, my readers, would like to read. In my most recent newsletter I covered one such article, how to level your uneven grassed area. However the overwhelming response seemed to be asking for hints and tips on growing fruit trees. As such over the next few months I will have a few articles on growing fruit trees here and there but to kick it off I thought I would ask Daley’s Nursery to share a little about what they do with fruit trees. In case you didn’t know it, Daley’s Nursery is renowned around Australia as one of THE BEST Fruit Tree nurseries there is so I am sure this information will be beneficial to many of you, my readers.
Sharing Fruit Growing Knowledge by Kath Kermode
Sharing Fruit Growing Knowledge
Daley’s Nursery specializes in subtropical fruit and nuts and has a mail order service that enables us to ship fruit trees across most of Australia, though unfortunately at this stage quarantine prevents us from sending as far a field as Tasmania and the Northern Territory. However, as our market expands to encompass most of Australia we have also expanded our product range to include more cold climate and a wide range of tropical and unusual fruiting plants that we are able to propagate and grow in Kyogle, Northern NSW. We sell everything from Abiu to Yacons, a wide range of native bush foods as well as the better known fruit trees such as peaches, nectarines, apples, mulberries and pecans.
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/fruitindexa-z.htm
A part of what we are aiming to achieve here at Daley’s Nursery is to set up communication space where passionate, knowledgeable or eager amateurs can exchange information about what they are growing and how they are growing it or what problems and questions arise from backyard orchards around the country. This includes all the trials and tribulations of growing produce in Australian backyards as well as the successes and bumper harvests from across the nation.
To achieve this we firstly we set up a forum which is a public space where anyone can ask and answer questions as well as upload pictures. Our forum has been designed for both ease of use and to encourage interest in fruit growing. It has proved to be an interesting space and we have some very passionate and informed people who regularly participate in the online forum.
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/
We then expanded our ideas further and developed My Edibles; this is an information sharing section on our web site. My Edibles allows individuals to upload information and pictures about their orchard. Each tree or productive edible plant in anyone’s orchard can be uploaded onto My Edible’s with the data on when it was planted, how it is grown, fertilized, pest control, harvest and yields. It also allows anyone to search for orchards or trees in any area to see what other people are having success or challenges with and how individuals achieve the results that they do. Every backyard will present different challenges to the grower such as sunlight, rainfall and soil type as the more obvious essentials, to hungry native visitors, birds, bats and possums, not to mention the beastly world of bad bugs and the beneficial bugs that follow and feed on them.
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/my/myedibles/
If you have a fruit tree in your back yard and have not already had a look at our web site, log on and check us out, I am sure you will find something new to inspire you to get out into your own backyard to dig and prune and get growing your own home grown produce, nothing taste better.
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/
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