By John Corban
Many businesses share similar problems so I thought I would share solutions to problems that I have shared over the last twelve months.
Problem: I need more profit, what can I do?
Solution: Understand where your business is at financially first, plan to remove any unnecessary costs, then create a six-month profit forecast until June 30.… Continue reading
Read MoreThe Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has updated protocols to handle the threat of Xylella fastidiosa, a significant bacterial pathogen, in imported nursery stock.
Effective December 2023, regulatory measures are enforced for plants within the Simaroubaceae family to mitigate the risk of Xylella.… Continue reading
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By Daniel Fuller
Are you a landscape designer, nursery grower, horticulturist or council decision maker who loves beautiful natives that require minimal upkeep?
Lilly Pillies, which are plants in the Syzygium, Acmena (now reclassified as Syzygium) and Waterhousea genera, are native shrubs and trees beloved for their resilience, versatility, as well as their beautiful glossy leaves, fluffy flowers and edible fruits.… Continue reading
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By Daniel Fuller
Did you realise that people are making a part-time and eventually a full-time wage creating horticultural content like writing articles, creating videos, and taking photos?
You could be supplementing your own wage, or at least earning a little bit of extra pocket money while exercising a different type of creativity.… Continue reading
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NEW SCHOOL OF THUMB EPISODES RELEASED
The three latest episodes, filmed in Queensland, shine a spotlight on mature trees, sub-tropicals and architectural plants. Claire Hooper hosts the series once again, and is joined on the couch by sub-tropical expert and nursery owner Wayne Lyons, Kristian Spink of Marlborough Nurseries, and Brisbane-based horticulturalist Zoe Donkin.… Continue reading
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By Matthew Stray
While Agonis flexuosa may appear robust and resilient, this long-lived species should not be taken for granted, nor should access to its seed. Threats to A. flexuosa exist through the processes of climate change as well as a potential incursion of Myrtle Rust into south west Western Australia.… Continue reading
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By Matt Coulter
Wollemia nobilis is listed by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as a critically endangered tree species. The species is commonly known as Wollemi Pine and is, in fact, not a pine but a member of a 200-million-year-old plant family, the Araucariaceae, predominately a southern hemisphere plant family that includes Araucaria, Agathis, and the monotypic genus Wollemia.… Continue reading
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By Denis Crawford
Butterflies are desirable in gardens because they are indicators of a healthy environment. Unfortunately, they are under threat from climate change.
People enjoy seeing butterflies fluttering around their gardens and in bushland. Butterflies are considered to be harmless, perhaps with the exception of the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), and they are often quite large, colourful, and aesthetically pleasing.… Continue reading
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By Patrick Regnault
People like the idea of growing their own food, picking the fruits of their labour along the way, and juicing their own citrus every morning, fresh from the tree. If the picture in your head looks like advertising it is because it is as realistic as a commercial.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Karen Smith
All is not lost in print media, and according to ‘theconversation.com’ magazines still have the place in the market. Here is a summary of the article on their website.
Print magazines, though not as popular as they once were, have defied predictions of demise.… Continue reading
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Dr Tom May, Principal Research Scientist (Mycology) at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, was awarded the 2023 Nancy T. Burbidge Medal, the highest award of the Australasian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS).
Dr Katharina Nargar, President of ASBS, said the award honoured Dr May’s longstanding and significant contribution to the discovery, description, understanding and conservation of Australia’s vast fungal diversity.… Continue reading
Read MoreMany harmful, invasive plant species are let loose in the wild by careless actions of home gardeners and well-meaning professionals. There are several examples where plants were introduced to solve a problem only to become the problem. Classic example is bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp.… Continue reading
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It is that time of the year when daily life becomes a tad hectic. Retailers have to draw on energy reserves to cope with the pre-Christmas sales. Landscape contractors work around the clock to meet customer expectations of having their new garden ready for Christmas gatherings.… Continue reading
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By Michael Casey
Greening built environments demands a blending of expertise from various disciplines such as architecture, urban planning, engineering, and environmental and horticultural sciences. Interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitated by partnerships, ensures a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable development.… Continue reading
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Time to adjust our thinking.
By John Fitzsimmons
Reviewing recent developments in horticulture, and in particular in greenhouse production, is a regular process for growers and specialist media. But with the rapid emergence and development of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), sensory capabilities and robotics, it is time to look beyond hardware and even services and consider more holistically what our growing business needs and wants are.… Continue reading
Read MoreWhat is a Puteketeke (poo techie techie)? About 300,000 people worldwide now know because they voted to make it New Zealand’s bird of the century. Some Kiwi’s called foul (or should that be fowl) because of the influence of an American based talk show host who promoted himself as the Puteketeke campaign manager ruffling the feathers of many of New Zealand’s bird enthusiasts.… Continue reading
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Robotics leading innovation in nurseries
In a bold move towards technological advancement, Martin Stolze has officially announced its Robotics department, marking a significant stride in the realm of automated solutions.
Building on the collaborative synergy with Crux Agribotics, Martin Stolze’s sister company, the Robotics department is already fortified with knowledge and experience in the field.… Continue reading
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By Gabrielle Stannus
Are you the only one in your circle who is not yet using AI? Are you wondering how it may be incorporated into your horticultural or landscape design business? Generative AI may be able to help you create text or images to use in your business operations (administration and marketing) or design (content and visualisations).… Continue reading
Read MoreBy John Corban
Power struggles in the workplace can be difficult to manage. Let’s look at some of the common issues with team members that business owners face and discuss how to deal with them.
Many business owners are more aware today of how they can manage and develop their managers and team members.… Continue reading
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Snapshot of the Nursery Industry in 2022
The nursery industry makes a significant contribution to Australia’s economy. In FY2022, the CIE estimated the industry had a farmgate gross value of production (GVP) of $2.78 billion, directly and indirectly supported 12,506 FTEs, and directly and indirectly value added $2.49 billion to Australia’s economy.… Continue reading
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