Company Director, Lisa Boyd, recently announced that Seasol had signed a contract with Yates’ owners, DuluxGroup, to sell the business. Seasol will become a division of Yates.
The sale agreement is still subject to final steps, including ACCC approval but it is anticipated that the sale will be complete by the end of March.… Continue reading
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By Paul Carmen
Label Name: Banksia spinulosa
ACRA Registration: 1337
Family: Proteaceae
Origin: Collected from a coastal area in southern Victoria. Selected by Rod & Robyn Parsons for the strong honey fragrance of the flowers. Received in June 1999.
Characteristics: A moderately dense small shrub that grows to 1m(h) x 1.5m(w), The flowers are golden in colour with red styles, 50-200mm long x 40-80mm in diameter and bloom from March to August.… Continue reading
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Being recognised for your work by receiving an award is such an honour and I am extremely proud to be sharing this wonderful news with you all. Three of our regular contributors have received awards since our last issue was printed.… Continue reading
Read MoreTrees, our friends that give us oxygen, soak up carbon, provide building materials and food, and sustain micro-ecosystems, are a big problem when we misuse them, according to architect Greg Blain.
Without trees, we probably wouldn’t survive. So why the misuse?… Continue reading
Read MoreThe possibility of bringing genetically modified (GM) purple tomatoes to the gardens and plates of home-growers has moved a crucial step closer, following a decision by United States regulators. Norfolk Plant Sciences Ltd announced a decision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which means US home-growers may be able to purchase seeds and grow the nutritionally enhanced, high-anthocyanin, purple tomato from (northern) spring 2023. … Continue reading
Read MoreResearchers in Edinburgh, UK, have created a device that could offer a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly alternative to insecticides.
The device employs a laser, cameras and a small computer, and the computer uses artificial intelligence (AI) to target certain types of insect.… Continue reading
Read MoreQueensland specialist orchid grower Sam Cowie of Leaf and Limb, confirmed the impact of cancellations on a crop that has long production times.
“Order cancellations are worse in the orchid industry (except for Phalaenopsis with their short production time). From laboratory submission to flask shipment is 18 months, then add another 2 to 3½ years in production for the finished product.… Continue reading
Read MoreUS-based trade newsletter Tropical Topics, recently featured comments from a major producer of young plants on the trickle-down effects of order cancellations.
Last minute cancellations of orders and unpredictable fluctuations in demand often mean that young plant producers are left with large amounts of unsellable product.… Continue reading
Read MoreIndoor plants are now being genetically modified to reduce indoor air pollution.
In 2018, researchers from the University of Washington modified a Pothos plant to remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it. At the time, the technology was considered revolutionary.… Continue reading
Read MoreTwo new online training packages will help more people recognise exotic pests and diseases.
Queensland’s Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, said Biosecurity Queensland, Plant Health Australia, and the New South Wales Government have developed two new online training packages, Hitchhiker Pests, and Nursery Pests and Diseases.… Continue reading
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By Karen Smith
Melbourne’s Rose Street Artists Market in Fitzroy was a fitting place to host The Australian Institute of Horticulture’s National Day Conference 2022 and Awards night. The hipster venue provided a cosy marquee for the conference with delicious food and a rooftop bar to network in before the awards ceremony proceeded.… Continue reading
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By Gabrielle Stannus
Keen-eyed readers may recall that I wrote Hort Journal’s Interior Plantscaping article until recently and have a strong interest in design that integrates the indoors with the outdoors. So, when I heard that a former interior architect had just received one of the Australian Institute of Horticulture’s (AIH) top awards for students, I knew I had to find out more about her.… Continue reading
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By Daniel Austin
Vocational Education and Training (VET) is seen in all sorts of shapes and forms across Australia, from traditional Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges to private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and a myriad of online training options. So why is it that today, quality horticultural staff are so hard to come by?… Continue reading
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By Michael Casey
With urbanisation spreading from the cities into our peri urban environments, we are sure of one thing, our built environments are going to lead to more problems that will affect the ways in which people comfortably live their lives.… Continue reading
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Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited
BACKGROUND: This nursery paper can assist you to develop a weed management program for your nursery. The first step requires an understanding of the different types of weeds present and the appropriate management options for each weed.… Continue reading
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By Maraika vanWessem
To the public, our botanic gardens are places of solace, learning and socialising. But what about the bigger picture? More than two thirds of our global population will be living in cities by 2050, yet the trees that shade and make those cities liveable are under increasing threat.… Continue reading
Read MoreHorticulture Innovation Australia Limited
Greener Spaces Better Places Introduces School of Thumb
School of Thumb is a Greener Spaces Better Places horticultural content series, where Australians can learn from expert growers on how best to tackle their common gardening guesswork in a fun, down to earth setting.… Continue reading
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By Denis Crawford
The arrival of an exotic herbivorous insect in an environment dominated by only a few plant species can be a recipe for disaster.
When an insect is introduced into an area with few natural pathogens, parasites and predators, that insect may become a severe pest.… Continue reading
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By John Fitzsimmons
Depending on location, energy usage can be the second largest operational expense in commercial greenhouse crop cultivation, and despite greenhouses providing the controlled environments needed for innovative research, they can be energy intensive and expensive to light, heat and cool.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy John Corban
Remember when you were keen to start your own business? Let’s look at the how and why it is important to stay hungry to run your own business.
You may have been doing small jobs on weekends and that gave you the confidence to launch your business full time.… Continue reading
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