DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

The end of winter, and the moment I dread every year.....................potting.



I will say, now that I basically take charge of this task, I have implemented several changes to reduce the burden on both me and other staff. Simple changes that reduce fatigue on the body, reduce time wasting and improve overall organization. Does that sound like me?

For example, potting was always left to the very very last minute, then it was a mad rush to power through it, all with the increased customer flow brought on by Spring. Now, I start potting selectively mid-season, getting through surplus stock that reduces the load later on in the season. Most of that is stock that was always intended to be potted rather than sold bare root.

I also INSIST every batch (usually 5 to 10 trees, or per pallet) is stock balanced and converted to a potted barcode price immediately. Previously, it was always such a rush to just get them potted, then deal with the prices later. This then required a staff member (me) having to trapse through pallets of trees hunched over attaching prices to the bags in the days/weeks ahead. Doing it as we go, it also means I can sell the tree straight away if needed, no fumbling around for a price because "they have just been potted". This might sound like a trivial thing, but trust me, it was a nightmare that ended up being more time consuming than it should be.

Again, the rush to get everything in a pot meant we would go through and water everything at the end of the day. When you have something like 500 trees to thoroughly soak in less than an hour, well, it led to a half-ars.d job. Now, every pallet is soaked as we go, nothing missed, everything soaked properly to eliminate air pockets.

Speaking of pallets, this was never a thing. Trees would be potted and then dumped in lines of genus/species on the loading dock, something that would end up being a crazy maze of trees. They would then be loaded onto a single pallet and wheeled into the nursery on a manual pallet jack. So, you would end up triple handling every single potted tree.

Previously, we would load up a tandem trailer with potting mix to work from on the loading dock. For me, this created two problems. It meant having tow and maneuver the trailer, something I struggle with. Actually, I have since learnt how to maneuver a trailer very well with one of the Dingo's. Secondly, the height of the trailer meant having to be hunched over for hours on end, I think a lot of my back issues stem from this. Now, I load up the old Nissan Navara which is used solely for this task or ground maintenance. It's also a tipper, which makes it very valuable assest. The height of the tray is at the perfect height, meaning I don't end up folded in half at the end of the day.

When the potting is all finished, it then needs to make its way into the nursery for sale. Having everything on a pallet in genus/species order, means it can be fed into stock with less fuss.

It took me 20 years to make those changes as a whole, it can be very hard to change the mindset of guys who have been doing it twice as long as you. At the end of the day, they are no longer "hands on", so doing things their way at my expense makes no sense just because "that's how we've always done it". And yet, those changes make a big difference in how things function, no more "just winging it"............which I truly detest!







Most of it is now done, progress came to a halt after running out of potting mix this afternoon. Still to go are the fruit trees, which go into the same sized bag as the ornamentals, then the larger weeping trees which go into larger 75 LT bags............the ones I dread.

[DFB FGXR6]

Pieris Japonica, another one of those plants that sits in the background for most of the year before bursting into prominence in late winter. This variety is most likely 'Temple Bells', which features pure white booms instead of the pink that characterizes other Pieris. Growing to 1.5 meters tall and 1.5 meters tall, it will take decades to reach those figures.





Pieris are best grown in part to full shade, morning sun at the most as they will otherwise burn in the summer sun. As part of the Ericaceae family, they share genes with Azalea's, Rhododendrons, Erica's, Blueberries and Epacris, therefore preferring slightly acidic soil. After flowering, feed with a Camellia and Azalea blend in spring, keep moist over summer.

[DFB FGXR6]

Clivia Miniata doing their thing......................





The cultural information regarding Clivia suggests that these plants can be grown in full sun. However, in areas where I live, the summer sun would be too harsh, and without the cover provided by a tree or patio, they will burn with exposure to frost. A lot of people will have these potted so they can be moved to suit the weather conditions. They are otherwise best planted under established trees to provide the necessary cover during the cold months. Even so, you can see some burnt foliage after a frosty winter just gone.

The other thing to note with Clivia is their toxicity to animals. If ingested, the bulb in particular, Clivia is toxic to both cats and dogs, potentially causing symptoms such as vomiting, low blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia.

This website has a good listing of plants known to be toxic to animals -

https://bloominghaus.com/news/poison...%20the%20plant).

[DFB FGXR6]

The tell tale sign of a lot of hard work and frustration...................



Back when I started in the industry in the early 2000's, it was peak "lifestyle TV". In that I mean backyard make-over programs like Ground Force (Channel 7, BBC) and Backyard Blitz (Channel 9). The trend on these shows was to use a lot of strappy, colourful foliage. But not only that, everything was waaaay overplanted to make the finished result look nice for the camera.

The result of that meant our top sellers were anything with a strap-like foliage, think Cordyline, New Zealand Flax and Yucca's. We would get truckloads of Cordyline and Flaxes each week, despite the boss hating them, that's what customers wanted. I think you know where I'm going with this.

Well, just like the backyard makeover programs, these plants looked brilliant after they were installed, especially with a contrasting mulch. However, what the cameras didn't capture is how this plays out 2, 5, 10 years down the road. Most of the Cordylines that were in fashion were the type that grew a single stalk, so as the plant grew and shed older foliage, you ended up with an ugly bare stem. Those Cordylines, and Flax's too, would grow waaay taller and wider than many expected. And Yucca's, what makes them incredibly resilient also makes them a giant pain in the ar.se. With water, they grow very fast and very strong. To remove, you need heavy machinery or a very fit young man with an assortment of heavy-duty tools. Some resort to yanking them out with a chain and tow bar, some set fire to the stumps. You will also destroy a chainsaw on them too. And your hands due to the razor-sharp foliage. And people wanted these things!

Now, I think we only keep something like 10 to 15 Cordylines and Flaxes in stock at any one time, max! Yuccas? Apart from some modern, manageable forms here and there, we haven't carried them in a very long time.

[DFB FGXR6]

These stunning Hydrangea's are at peak beauty.......................



These plants have had a nice ride so far, the summer heat has taken a while to arrive this year, with plenty of mild warmth to promote vigorous growth. With 44 degrees expected tomorrow, I doubt they will survive unscathed as the afternoon sun whips around and fries those delicate leaves and petals. I think the owner is going to cover them with a sheet, but if the wind whips up, that won't last long.

[FTE217]

yes Hydrangea's are popping as is many other flower varieties.
Chrissy bush !
Agga's a plenty.

I'm in dires straits having been away on biz for a couple of weeks with chrissy festivities coming up and entertaining fam on Xeve and day omg.
My garden needs a hell of alot of hours leading into the 24th !!!!!
Trimming
Wash down house/windows/frames
Plant some newbies
Gurnie paths/outdoor areas, have had tradies doing work the last few weeks between mixing mud/cutting timber/dust etc - I'm going anal OTT about the mess and to do List and this frigging humidity !!
Oh well, look at it as fitness and sweating the grog out haha

[Professor Farnsworth]

I've been into plants since very young - my Mum had a huge vegie garden and both she and my Dad loved their trees, they added much greenery to anywhere they lived. For the last ten years of being where i am now, i've planted out what was a completely baron back yard into a mini-forest, mainly with natives to attract the bird life. Put a pond in, a corner garden of Kangaroo Paw, but most of the rest of the garden is two gigantic apple & plum trees, a skanky year-round lemon tree, every colour of Callistemon you could imagine, several Grevilleas, and a Leptospermum that said it would reach a maximum of 6 feet, which is currently around 12 feet tall, even after half of it splitting off under its own weight a while back. We had two Agapanthus randomly self-seed, which are going nuts currently. I've got all of mum's old indoor plants in the shaded area, and trying to keep 8 new Boronia's going in challenging conditions. Also currently growing a couple of orange Callistemon, but they're still small and the bugs love them. Just re-potted an Elephant Bush that i've had since the 80s! Our soil is 85% clay, 15% discarded building materials, and -2% dirt, so it's very difficult to find trees and plants that will thrive here. Iris's pop up like weeds here though, as does the Italian parsley i keep shaking around each year.

[FTE217]

Onya Professor sounds good and yes growing round clay is a PIA what survives.
Used to use a lot gypsum to help break it done and stimulate growth.
I hear the influence parents have - we lived on a barron 1/4 acre perfect canvas and our Mum was a huge garden luver and outdoor doer.
My bro ended up being a horticulturist landscaper and I followed getting stuck in my own places.
I do enjoy it a lot and maintaining.
My wife is even nuts she’s out there at times weeding watering just before dawn many times - our kids her the crazy mum haha


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