Tend nursery plants - wk 15

This morning as part of our tending nursery plants and propagation units we are divided into two groups. First up for our group is some propagation of Asplenium Ferns. The lovely Megan takes us out to the shade house where we start collecting bulbils which are basically small little ferns attached to the branches of the main plant. We want to select the biggest ones to get a head start on growth of course and the biggest ones are definitely on the bottom lower branches of the fern. Megan points out we would usually only select material for propagation from the top of the plant as a usual practice, due to the fact the most soil contamination is on the lower branches.

Asplenium bulbils soaking in a bleach solution.

Once the bulbils are collected we must soak them in a bleach solution. One minute for healthy material or 3 minutes for material with any pests present. Jarrod finds a crawly or two on our bulbils so we make it 3 minutes just to be sure.

After this it's a good rinse off under cold running water.

Our group at the propagation table, ready to start.

We fill our punnets with a mix of pearlite, river sand & coir. This is a perfect cutting mix. The pearlite is very porous and holds water and nutrients for the plants to feed on as well as having a rough surface that the roots can easily attach to. Donning gloves, as hygiene is most important with propagation, we make small holes with a thin dibber and twist the bulbils into a point and insert them deep enough to anchor in to the mix.

Here's some bulbils with healthy new roots
that were propagated about 12 weeks ago.

Once finished we label, water in and put the punnets in the humidity room at the end of the glasshouse. Next we rotate up to the Orchid shade house to do some Cymbidium divisions. The orchids have prolific roots systems unlike anything I have seen before and you have to cut the old pot off as there is no prising these out at all!

Using a pruning saw to divide the clump.

Once out of the pot we use a sharp pruning saw to pick a half way point that will cause the least damage to the bulbs in the middle. Again hygiene is most important and every tool and secateurs must be sprayed with a metho solution before each cut and gloves worn.

Margot demonstrating a good division.

The pruning saw makes light work of dividing the clump in half. Then we tease out the roots as much as possible to give them a good start in the new mix. Orchid mix is very coarse with lots of big chunks of woody fibrous material. Our group makes good progress dividing and re-potting a plant each. Any back bulbs - the ones that have stopped producing flower spikes can be cut off at this point and potted up again. Once they are not competing with the larger newer bulbs they will come into flower again. Although Margot tells us it may take 6 yrs from back bulb to flower spike.

Some rescued back bulbs given a second chance at life!

A little bo peep around the orchid section reveals some large seed pods that Margot is very excited about. She will collect and attempt to propagate these as soon as they are ready. And that's it for today. It's been a fun nursery propagation day all up with lots learnt and stored in the memory banks (hopefully!)

The large orchid seed pod.

pottager garden - wk 14

We are back in the pottager garden today for some getting our hands dirty prac work. A few weeks ago we did some soil renovation on some of the beds and now we are turning our attention to the rest of the beds. We start with a general tidy up, raking up leaves, trimming edges, and weeding between the hedging plants.

Time to don the tools.

Over on the lawn area to the side we set up lines of leaf litter topped with the yellowed celery cuttings. The idea is then to use the mower to cut it all up and collect it in the catcher with the grass cuttings to make a lovely blended nitrogen layer to add to the compost. This is another good opportunity for everyone to run through the correct start up procedure of the mower and think about right PPE for the job - earmuffs, and safety boots a must.

Our rows of leaf mould and green waste
before we attack them with the mower.

Back in the pottager Marcus takes us through building a no dig garden. We have buckets of spent grass hay soaking in water and first step to building the garden is making lovely wet twisted hay ''sausages to line the outside edge of the bed. 

Hay sausages!

After filling in the centre of the edges with a fluffed light layer of hay it's time for the nitrogen layers. A sprinkle of fertiliser in the form of chicken manure or 'Seamungus' pellets, then some rock dust before a light layering of compost, taken right up to the edges and evenly across. A good watering in is next.

Pav adding the rock dust whilst Jane neatens the edges with the rake. 

First layer complete.

After this we repeat the layer again to finish with a second compost one. All done. These will be planted out later with broad beans in the centre and parsley around the edges. We mark the holes out to fill in with a little compost for planting. Marcus is very happy with our efforts, so it's time to move on to the other beds. In one of the larger triangular beds we do a thin strip around the edge and leave the centre free for a flower display.

Sarah sprinkles some compost on the second layer of hay.

Same procedure here, start with the sausage edges then fill in with fluffed hay, sprinkle of fertiliser, rock dust and compost - repeat and we are done! It's looks fantastic and we are all pleased with the results of our efforts. You can just tell the plants will thrive and the worms will rejoice. Good job team.

The last compost layer on the last bed for the day is almost complete.

pruning trees and shrubs -wk 14

Today we meet the two professional arborists who work here at the gardens - Jerry and Alister. They will be taking us for our introductory session to pruning trees and shrubs.

Jerry shows us an example of a correctly pruned tree.

After a time inside running through notes which outline how trees grow, the root structure, main reasons for pruning and the correct and incorrect ways to do this - it's time to head outside to look at some trees and apply our new found knowledge. I'm super interested in this unit and trees in general so I'm literally soaking up everything Jerry and Alister say. 

The picture above is a good example of the branch bark ridge line that forms when the two different angles of bark meet. This line is what is used to correctly determine the best position to 'target' prune the branch if required. It is important not to cut too close or too far out from the branch collar. The bark ridge line gives you an angle (when you add an imaginary one vertical to the ground) that you then double in the other direction to find the best point to cut. Sometimes the collar around the branch is evident but in many cases it is not, so using this method will help to determine the best cut point. Below is an example of a bad cut from a tree on my property (don't worry we didn't do this!) where the cut has been made too far out and not able to heal over. Water has then sat in the cut and slowly started to rot away and this may have in turn introduced fungal disease into the trunk.

A poorly pruned branch has been unable to heal over
and now shows clear signs of rot.

One of the things we learn today is that the strongest, safest growth for a tree is one with a dominant apical trunk, that is one main leader all the way up. Trees with two or more leaders will always collect water and litter in the joins, which can lead to rot and an entry point for fungal diseases. Of course there are many trees that don't have this type of growth as nature intended - like multi-trunked maples and beautiful spreading oaks. But Jerry stresses that it's not about changing or forcing natures way to make all trees look the same shape (typical of us humans who like to have everything safe, easy and controllable!) but rather about having the knowledge to assist and manage trees where possible and if required. There are many times he says when it is far better to leave things as nature intended and not ruin the overall appearance of the tree or threaten it's life if it's clearly not necessary. He stresses the best way you can prevent problems later on however is to start is when the tree is young. Try to encourage a dominant leader and not make too many cuts (or wounds as he calls them) in a young tree in the early stages so it can develop a good strong trunk.

Alister showing us an example of a healed over cut.

We learn also of a good rule of thumb when pruning, remove no more than 30% of foliage from a young tree, 20% from a mature tree and 10% from a very mature tree. Also, always think before you cut as all pruning causes wounds and potential for infection by pathogens  - is there another option that might work like spreading or tying down? What season you prune in can also make a difference to the rate of healing and reduced vigour in the shrub or tree.

The stunningly beautiful multi-trunked paperbark Melaleuca. 

One of the trees we look at next in the gardens is a beautiful and very old Melaleuca. It has multiple leaders and has required the arborists to install a network of supportive cables in the canopy to stabilise the branches and also prevent them from causing too much damage to the rest of the tree, should they decide to crack and fall in high winds for example. Quite a few large older trees at the gardens have this method of support in place, as Jerry points out - it's about retaining the tree safely for a long as possible in a historic public garden such as this. Each tree has it's own significance and history and is worth the extra effort for extending it's natural life and preserving it that little bit longer if possible.

This paperbark tree has had some pruning to open up the centre of it's crown.

Later back at home I am thinking about my Virgilia tree (Virgilia capensis I think?) outside our bedroom and whether we should go ahead with building the kids treehouse in it or not. I decide to take a closer look with my recently acquired tree knowledge and unfortunately it looks as if the cubby will have to go somewhere else because the tree is a classic example of just about every problem in the book!

Odd galls like this can be found all over the tree.

This poor tree has had a dodgy pruning job by the previous owners at some stage and the result is wounds that haven't been able to heal over nicely and have started to rot. There is also a lot of crossing branches that have appeared to have grown together but are surrounded by swellings in the bark.

Crossing branches along with lots of swellings and die back.
Are these the indicators for rot and disease within the trunk?

At the base of the tree the multiple trunks show inclusion. We have learnt that bark inclusion is where the join and bark starts growing into the tree, weakening the structure of the trunk and making an entry point for disease and moisture to hide which can ultimately affect the tree later on.

A large bark inclusion on one of the lower main branches.

I read in my book that the lifespan for this fast growing South African member of the Fabaceae family is around 15 years. We have lived here for 8yrs and this tree was much the same when we arrived so my guess is it is probably much more than 15yrs old. Looking also at the tree in general, it has plenty of die back of the internal limbs although there is still some vigour and growth as well as flowers on the outer tips and branches. Perhaps time for this tree to be safely removed? Definitely not a candidate for my kids to play in that's for sure. I will show the pictures to Jerry and Alister next time to see what course of action they would recommend and whether the symptoms and decay are a natural part of the tree reaching the end of it's life span or because of disease? Stay tuned.

Time to go?

govt house rotation - wk 8

Today is my last day at govt house which is very sad so I'm going to make the most of it. First job of the day is to collect some crab apples from a beautiful old tree at the front of the house.

This sign beneath the tree says it was planted in 1962 - so it's 49 yrs old! Wow - it definitely needs a big party next year. The fruit is abundant on the tree right now as well as beneath the branches on the ground, so we collect 3 large boxes to deliver to the kitchen for making crab apple jam.

Next up Steve runs all the garden staff through the correct procedure in the case of a chemical or fuel spill. A new Spill kit has recently been acquired and we go through the contents to see the purpose and use for each item. Very necessary to know.

Finding out about the new spill kit.

After lunch Tara and I head over to assist Mick with some ideas for the rejuvenation of the "red" border that runs along the left hand side of the driveway. In previous years the border has become home to a lot of other colours and it is now an eclectic and slightly broad mix of flowers and foliage in reds, yellows, oranges, white, silver and every shade of green. Mick really wants to restore the original theme of a "red" striking border and implement a new design with new plants. This kind of thing is right up my alley as I love the idea of one day becoming a landscape designer and always relish the chance to get my creative juices flowing!

The red border in it's winter sparseness. 

There are a lot of considerations to take into account for this new design. Such as:

• It should be in keeping with this historic garden and style of plantings (ie: not to modern or outrageous).
• Be visually impressive from the driveway rather than up close, as this is the distance it will be mostly viewed from (strong structure and larger drifts of plantings for visual impact).
• Consideration how it will look on open day in November (ie: not bare with all tiny plants.)
• The choice and cost of new plants to be kept within a modest budget.

The border is backed by a large hedge that separates it from the rose garden behind.

First up we measure the bed and it is 46m long. That is quite large! Both ends have a huge overhanging large tree that provides shade so this must also be taken into consideration. The soil looks reasonably good and the existing plants seem to be doing well so major alteration and attention to the soil is not necessary. Just the usual top dressing with compost.

Looking at the red border from the other direction.

We start off by making a list of the existing plants in the border which is a good lesson for me in Plant ID and somewhat tricky at this time of year with a lot of foliage cut down to the ground. Between the 3 of us we have a good idea of everything and the plants we want to keep include Cotinus and two mature Berberis. We decide on a bright red, burgundy and lime green colour scheme.

One thing that stands out to me in the bed at the moment is a dark burgundy clipped ball of Pittosperum. This gives me the idea to suggest repeating this 'balled' theme with collections of clipped balls in contrasting red, burgundy and lime green colours and shapes. They can then also be accentuated by some taller elements of 'lollipopped' red flowering camellias and some dark red cordylines that Mick mentions he would also like to include. Mick really likes this 'balled' idea, as he loves to clip plants into nice creative shapes and he is the one who will have to look after the border when it is complete. These collections of balls repeated in 3 groups of 3, 5 and 7 will look striking and noticeable to guests as they cruise along the driveway.

This is the best image I can find to demonstrate the idea - try to imagine
different coloured balls in a rounder grouping.

Other plants we decide will work well at the back of the border are Cotinus coggygria with it's amazing red autumn foliage and a large red Rhododendron variety with it's huge ball like flowers to add to the theme.

Rhododendron repens 'Scarlet Wonder'

I suggest breaking up the long length of the border with some small feature trees like the Prunus serrula 'Tibetica'. Here is what my book at home says on this beautiful small tree: 

Prunus serrula 'Tibetica' is appropriately named the ‘Birch Barked Cherry’ for its polished mahogany coloured bark, which peels away in bands with age. The brilliance and shine of the bark is attractive throughout the year, especially during winter. Small, white flowers are virtually concealed by willow-like leaves in spring, followed by small cherry-like fruits. Tolerates most soil types, is fully hardy and grows to approx 5m high and 4m wide.

Prunus serrula 'Tibetica'

When I show Mick and Tara a picture of the beautiful shiny red bark they both agree it will look amazing. 3 trees in total - a group of 2 at the bigger end and 1 near the smaller end. Mick will then under plant these with burgundy and lime green Hellebores orientalis to keep the trunks clearly on show.

Helleborus orientalis 'Wayne Roderick' 

Also on our wish list are - large drifts of bright red Dahlias and large burgundy globe Alliums (again the ball theme).

Allium atropurpureum

Burgundy Penstemons (these have more attractive foliage than the red ones I think), reddish NZ flax and small low spreading dissectum maples at the front of the border in brilliant reds and burgundy's for autumn attention.

Acer dissectum 'Rubrum'

Acer dissectum 'Garnet'

To add the lime green colour big clumps of Euphorbia characais for it's large bright green rounded dome like flowers on tall stems. It likes a slightly acid soil similar to our camellias, rhodos and acers and is very hardy so will suit the theme nicely. Gaps will be then be filled in with Lobelias, Salvias and annuals that Tara will propagate from seed as well as blood red tulips for a spring colour show. It's going to look amazing we all agree.

Euphorbia characais subsp. wulfenii

After Tara and I run these ideas past Steve he is enthused and requires a plant list. Preferably broken into groups of what need to be purchased first, second and third. We head back to Bay cottage and Tara makes up a plant list while I do a drawing of the bed that shows the placement of each plant grouping.

My sketch of the new 'red' border design.

The first things to buy will obviously be the trees and larger plants. Hopefully they can source the Prunus serrula somewhere locally as it may be a bit late to order them bare-rooted unless we can tack onto a late order. Tara surmises a lot of the other things on the list can easily be propagated or divided from somewhere in the garden so not much will have to bought new. She and I scout around the pottager and find some burgundy flax and 3 small balls of burgundy pittosperum that easily be transplanted. Steve suggests transplanting some large Cordyline from another border that would save on buying those as well.

Our plant list.

So all in all it's been a fantastic day of fun designing and learning. I can't wait to visit again in a few years and see the red border in all it's new glory! I'm really sad to be leaving this rotation now as I've enjoyed every minute of working alongside the lovely people here.  Huge thanks to Steve and everyone for being so welcoming and letting me tag along each week, soaking it all up. Cheers :)

hot composting update - wk 15

This morning it's a quick visit with Margot and Marcus, back to the hot heap in the pottager to assess how it's going and measure the temperature.  First stop is the cold heap in the veggie patch for comparison and that reads around 30 ish degrees on the thermometer stick.

Margot knows to dazzle us with her best smile for photos now!

Over at the pottager hot heap - Marcus says he witnessed great plumes of steam arising from it over the weekend - hence his interest in getting an accurate reading today. We plunge the stick in the centre where it's hottest and watch the thermometer climb. The two star pickets in the centre are hot to touch and it's so hot you are not able to leave your hand inside the heap for any length of time.

Checking the new heap.

Finally the thermometer stops rising and 70 degrees is recorded. From what I can tell Marcus is happy with this heat - but not too much more. It would be interesting to find out exactly what temp is too high and will kill off the good bacteria as well as the bad stuff (weed seeds etc.....) From discussion I surmise it is anything over 75 degrees and the optimal temperature of a heap is somewhere between 60 - 70 degrees.

This heap is a little larger than the first one we built and the extra volume is touted as the reason for the increase in heat. This heaps is at least 1.5m high by 1.5m wide. Meanwhile our smaller hot heap that we made a few weeks back has been turned once again and is starting to break down very nicely. Probably one more turn and it's done.

The first hot heap is breaking down nicely.

While we were there in the pottager we thought it would be good if we measured the temp of the soil in a bare bed - which reads around 7 to 8 degrees, versus the temp of the no dig beds we prepared the week before which come out at 13 - 14 degrees. This extra warmth in winter will surely help the plant's growth along nicely. Another good reason to incorporate no-dig gardening into my home gardening system.

govt house rotation - wk 7

I missed out on last week with the flu so keen to get back to gov house today. Steve has a list of things for me to work on by myself and I'm looking forward to practicing my time management, as I would be if working as a qualified gardener.

The Plectranthus cuttings have developed nice new roots.

First on the list: Pot up some Plectranthus. These cuttings have rooted up nicely and now need to move into their own first pot. I work methodically on the potting bench in the greenhouse, using the same technique for the Ixia I did on the first day by half filling the pot, adding the cutting, back filling and a gentle tap to level out. I get them all finished quickly and into the nursery area outside for a good watering in.

Second job is: 100 Lavender cuttings. Steve demonstrated earlier a good type of semi hardwood tip cutting from the Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) hedge running through the centre of the pottager garden. So I grab my secateurs and start collecting. My first lot are mostly good ones but some prove too small so the second time I visit the hedge I get pickier about selecting the right tips. As Steve shows me, to prepare the cutting, I cut the tip off the hardwood just beneath the first lot of growth. I tear off the lower foliage and snip the top off if the growth is too big. This will reduce the cutting's need for nutrients while it has a chance to establish roots. I prepare my 3 pots by washing them out carefully and Steve says i could use rooting powder but probably not necessary with Lavender as it takes so well.
So 100 times later.......  I have a nice looking bunch of cuttings to sit upon the heat bed. The are all labeled correctly with the date, common and botanical names and my name so they can tell who got it wrong if they all fail (hopefully not!).

100 cuttings completed.

Next I take a break from the pottager to go down to the compost pile and see how the mulcher/chipper works. Steve has a good quality steel body, Australian made one that we have been interested in for our property so I'm keen to see what Steve thinks of it and how it is to operate. There is a nice huge pile of cuttings down by the compost heap so we make a start. Steve runs me through the start up procedure and PPE for this machine is obviously rather important. Safety glasses, earmuffs, safety boots and gloves are a must. Safety procedures include not sticking your arm far enough in the feeder mouth to get it mulched, but as Steve points out the design of the machine makes that pretty impossible so we should be safe for now!

Steve demonstrating how the chipper works.

The machine self feeds but probably not as much as I had imagined and the irregular shaped material does get stuck in the feeder and has to be forcibly rammed in and through with the next branch. Apparently the disposal chute can also get jammed up regularly especially when chipping up softer, fleshier material. However Steve feels it works well overall. It provides a cost saving of disposing the material on the tip, as well as the satisfaction of recycling back into the garden, making it a worth while, albeit time consuming effort.

Before - Tara's existing beds are on the left.

Job three after lunch is to plant out some veggie seedlings. First of all I need to hoe up some new beds in the deep, recently rotavated soil. So I get to it, making sure they look as neat as Tara's and are straight! I'm quite happy with my first hoeing efforts and don't think Tara will be upset when she arrives back at work to see them! The fun part is next......the planting - new baby beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale and lettuce seem very happy bedded down in their new home. Steve asks me to make sure I plant them deep enough to support the fragile new stems from working loose in the wind. A good water in and a sprinkle of blood and bone to hopefully deter the rabbits and it's all finished.

After.

After this Steve takes me on a trip to the South Hobart tip to empty the truck and have an eye spy at the huge green waste recycling centre up there. This is where the Gov House green waste, that is not composted on site, is taken to be disposed of. All this material is then composted in huge rows at the McRobies Rd site and turned into black gold that is then sold back to the public. This is composting on a HUGE scale and very impressive to see.

Large rows of compost in the making.

When we return at the end of the day, I make sure to tidy up behind me, tools away, hose curled up, potting bench and glasshouse floor swept and rubbish in the bin. Another good day's work complete.