By Denis Crawford
The populations of some insects can vary dramatically in size from one year to the next. Why does that happen?
As I write this Pest File my garden is a-flutter with clouds of cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae).… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Most cultivated plants are attacked by a mixture of introduced and native insect pests. You may be surprised which pests are the native ones.
I recently found some caterpillars chewing into the leaves and stems of my climbing guinea flower, Hibbertia scandens.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Bruce Thompson
As a waste educator who is also a horticulturist, the talks I give on resource recovery at Mackay Regional Council’s Materials Recovery Facility are very much skewed towards connecting people back to mother nature as a means of reducing what goes to landfill.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
The arrival of insects en masse can cause alarm, but as you will see an ‘invasion’ may not necessarily result in an infestation requiring management.
Just as our borders were reopening post-COVID, there were some arrival flights of a different kind in my region.… Continue reading
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Cabbage aphid parasite enters the colony bottom right (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)
By Denis Crawford
Aphids thrive in warm, moist conditions so they are often the first insect pests that we notice in spring. Most of the aphids that cause problems in Australia are introduced from elsewhere and it’s likely they are here to stay.… Continue reading
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Field collection Mount Buffalo 2020. L-R Andre Messina, Botanist and Matthew Henderson Horticulturist (Image: Darryl Whitaker 2020)
By Dr Megan Hirst, Russell Larke and Matthew Henderson
Raising Rarity aims to increase public knowledge and awareness of rare plants and plant communities throughout Victoria. The project uses an innovative approach to save rare and threatened flora by assessing the horticultural potential of rare species, introducing these species into cultivation, providing an opportunity for home gardeners to grow these plants at home, and contribute to the ongoing conservation of these species.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy David Lullfitz
National Threatened Species Day is held in September each year and provides a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of protecting some of our nation’s rarest flora. This year, Plantrite used the day to launch a new initiative which will encourage Western Australians to roll up their sleeves and play a hands-on role in the conservation of endangered plant species.… Continue reading
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An illustration of Darwin’s hawk moth feeding on Angraecum sesquipedale (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)
By Denis Crawford
The value of night pollinating insects has long been overlooked, but recent studies show just how important nocturnal insects are for horticultural production.
Information about crop pollination is nearly always dominated by the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and how vital that particular insect is to the food that we eat.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Bruce Thompson
Although in major urban centres such as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, garden pot recycling of Plastic Number 5 polypropylene pots is viable, the recycling of plastic garden pots in regional Australia is often out of the question due to the prohibitive freight costs.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy 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
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