admin, Author at Hort Journal Australia

Sap flow meter used to gauge water use in trees

The influence of Agtech – from our food supply chain to our forests

01/09/2021 admin 946 Views 0 Comments

By Dan Austin

There is no denying that the horticultural landscape has changed in Australia and across the world, as technology advances faster than anyone could have imagined.

Whether it is a drone hovering above a broad acre farm using infrared imaging to assess the health of the crop, a revolving laser tower acting as a scarecrow, or the irrigator using sophisticated probes and software to determine soil moisture and calculate appropriate watering scheduling, agtech has revolutionised the way we grow plants from propagation to harvest.… Continue reading

Roses in the landscape (Image: Treloars Roses)

Roses

Choosing roses for colour, perfume, performance or name?

01/09/2021 admin 970 Views 0 Comments

By Karen Smith

There is nothing quite like the beauty and the fragrance of roses. There are hundreds of species and thousands of varieties to choose from, so how do customers decide which rose to buy – perfume, colour, performance or by the name?… Continue reading

Why do monarch butterflies feed on dried leaves? (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

New ways to control pests

01/09/2021 admin 968 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

It’s been a while (May 2019) since I wrote about the biochemical arms race being waged between plants and insects, and how some insects co-opt certain plant chemicals for their own purposes. Recent research has uncovered some particularly intriguing adaptations.… Continue reading

Chamomile is used in aromatherapy, perfumery and tea (Image: Zerin 117 from Pixabay)

Plant Palette Plants

Essential oil – a rapidly growing market

01/09/2021 admin 948 Views 0 Comments

By Clive Larkman

The essential oil market is huge and growing rapidly, with an expected value of $US10 billion by 2025. Some reports are even predicting that it could be in excess of $US20 billion by 2027. This increase has its roots in a range of reasons, one of which is COVID-19, but overall, the whole sector is expanding.… Continue reading

Brachychiton 'Griffith Pink'

Plant Palette Plants

Pretty in pink

01/09/2021 admin 1030 Views 0 Comments

Label: Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’

ACRA Registration 268 (October 1986)

Family: Malvaceae

Origin: Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’ is a hybrid between B. discolor and B. populneus. It is thought that this cultivar originated in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The actual place of origin of this cultivar is obscure, as checking with herbaria in Queensland and NSW revealed a collection at Condong, NSW (near Tweed River) on alluvial flats.… Continue reading

Chamelaucium_uncinatum 'University'

Plant Palette Plants

Wax flower puts on a show

01/09/2021 admin 824 Views 0 Comments

Label: Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘University’

ACRA Registration 143 (November 1982)

Family: Myrtaceae

Origin: Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘University’ is a form of Chamelaucium uncinatum originally selected from plants growing at the University of Western Australia by the late Oliver J Dowell. It has been grown commonly in cultivation since the early 1960’s.… Continue reading

Editors editorial

Recognition raises the value of horticultural projects

01/08/2021 admin 1165 Views 0 Comments

The effect of COVID-19 has been a dampener on public gatherings but to the credit of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH), where there’s a will there’s a way. The usual awards for 2020 were broken into manageable chunks and conducted when and where possible.… Continue reading

Balanced Composition

Landscape

Designing resilient plant communities

01/08/2021 admin 994 Views 0 Comments

By John Fitzsimmons

Plant communities or mixed plantings, whatever you call them, are incredibly popular right now. It’s exciting seeing the work being done to show the public just what’s possible – evocative, romantic, instead of the block plantings or module-based plantings often used.… Continue reading

Compost (Image: Daina Krumins, Pixabay)

Landscape Mulch

Do you really know your mulches from your composts?

01/08/2021 admin 900 Views 0 Comments

By Michael Casey

We use mulch and compost products all the time, from applying them to our finished landscapes and gardens, through to large scale urban farms and agricultural settings. However, do we really know what it is we are mixing into, or adding to our soils?… Continue reading

Controlled-release-prills-regulate-the-release-of-readily-available-chemical-fertilisers

International Plant Propagation Society Propagation

Navigating the world of soil fertility

01/08/2021 admin 1110 Views 0 Comments

By Dan Austin

Fertile soil is key to healthy plants but how do you navigate the world of soil ameliorants when there are so many products out there?

Whether taking the form of a mineral mix, foliar feed, humic acid, mycorrhizae, slow release prills, fish emulsion or seaweed extract, it can be overwhelming navigating the world of soil fertility when all you want to do is produce healthy plants.… Continue reading