Thursday, April 25, 2024
Industry News

New Cooperation in Southeast Asia

IPM Essen and HortEx Vietnam enter into partnership

The International Plant Fair is breaking new ground. As of now, IPM ESSEN will exclusively take over the marketing of the Vietnamese horticultural trade fair HortEx in the DACH region and other nations.… Continue reading

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A selection of Tasmania’s native Ericaceae
Botanic Gardens

Seed dormancy issues of native Ericaceae

by James Wood

The propagation of plants can be performed vegetatively or with seed. In many circumstances vegetative propagation is essential to achieve immediate conservation outcomes, but if you want to achieve genetically diverse outcomes germinating seed is generally preferable. When it comes to the functioning of seed banks, germination is also important.Continue reading

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The difference in growth caused by the abrasive nature of tuff compared with perlite in a coir blend (Image: Dan Austin)
International Plant Propagation Society

Preformed plugs or a conventional cutting mix?

By Dan Austin

When it comes to plant propagation there are a few key areas to achieve production success. When growing maximum numbers in minimal space, quality, uniformity, and speed all come into play and they are all influenced by one thing – growing media.Continue reading

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Stalked lacewing eggs (Image by Denis Crawford)
Pest and Diseases

Every insect has an enemy

By Denis Crawford

We all know about the natural enemies of pest insects, but did you know that beneficial insects also have their enemies?

I have often said “for every insect out there, there is probably another insect that wants to feed on it or breed in it”.… Continue reading

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Dominic Dirou had to broaden his plant palette to adapt to a changing climate (Image: Patrick Regnault)
Plant selection

Future-proofing our plantings

By Patrick Regnault

Unsettled weather patterns driven by climate change is affecting plant selection. Plants that we once thought to be thriving are now affected by warmer temperatures as well as highly variable and unpredictable precipitation. This is already affecting existing plants in a diverse manner whilst also causing problems in adapting new plants to these conditions.Continue reading

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Colourful and contrasting foliage provides colour and interest in a shady garden
Landscape

Gold standard

By Lynne Testoni

Maintenance of this award-winning garden has been a labour of love for the landscapers involved.

It takes a lot of work to maintain a beautiful garden full of mature plants and lush greenery, especially when there are tricky access issues involved.… Continue reading

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Grey Box Westringia performs very differently than regular westringia in the wet (Image by Ozbreed Green Life)
Plant Palette

Performance breeding shaping the future of landscape plants

By Todd Layt

Main photo: Grey Box Westringia performs very differently than regular westringia in the wet (Image by Ozbreed Green Life)

In the verdant realm of landscape and ornamental plant breeding, a significant evolution is unfurling. Plants that were once cultivated purely for their aesthetic allure are now being bred with purposeful intent, optimising performance to meet specific needs.… Continue reading

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Sports turf management requires a high skill level to keep the turf in good condition and safe for sports use (Image: 12019 Pixabay)
Careers

Seven more pathways in amenity horticulture

By Daniel Fuller

Do you feel stuck in your current job? Do you ever wonder if there is another path for you? Over the last two months we have looked at many career options in this beautiful industry, but as we know our industry is vast and there is always room to plant more dreams.Continue reading

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Biosecurity

Biosecurity – a complex but worthwhile process

By Clive Larkman

Biosecurity refers to all levels of plant and animal imports. There is a federal department within the Department of Agriculture called Biosecurity Australia and they set the rules for all imports. This includes surprising issues like the importation of cars from countries where they are often parked on grassed areas before shipping.Continue reading

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Editors editorial

Education – an investment in your future

Now is probably a good time to review your business performance and assess whether adding an apprentice or trainee could benefit next year’s bottom line.

Motivated school leavers are looking at their career options now, and not just ‘schoolies week’, so finding the right employee is best done sooner rather than later.… Continue reading

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Amongst others, green infrastructure combines the professions of building, design, engineering, horticulture, landscape construction and asset management (Image: Karen Smith)
Green Infrastucture

Education and training the right mix for a greener built environment

By Michael Casey

The significance of training and development of staff cannot be understated for its importance in any industry, and for the success of businesses worldwide. The opportunities that training and development programs can bring to staff extend beyond just improving their skills, to also enhancing employee productivity and company culture.… Continue reading

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How do you stand out in the jobs market? First ask why you might want to change, then manage the change (Image: John Fitzsimmons)
Careers

Negotiating the career ‘lattice’

By John Fitzsimmons

Whether your working life is just beginning or is somewhere further along, while the initial vision might be climbing the career ‘ladder’, the reality could well be negotiating the career ‘lattice.’ An individual’s journey to a rewarding and satisfying working life could be via either route.Continue reading

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Bush foliage doesn’t grow in paddock rows (Image: CHFF/PGA)
Business File

Challenge accepted : Managing growth in multiple growing businesses

By Andrea Caldecourt

Managing the demands of a horticulture business is challenging enough but what happens when you have multiple rapidly-growing businesses to manage, all with very different needs?

Multi-award-winning Sunshine Coast business Cedar Hill Group is the parent company to seven separate entities, each operating in discrete horticultural fields, from tissue culture and tubestock production, to cut flower export and online retail.… Continue reading

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Burnished concrete floating stairs (Image: Rich Earth)
Landscape

A home entrance with a sense of flair and wonder

By Matthew Sears

When people think about their gardens, more often than not the first thing that comes to mind is the backyard and their main entertaining space as this is often the focal point of the home and outdoor space.Continue reading

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The future looks good for these talented people (Image: BBM Youth Support)
Newsbuds

A special night for motivated young Australians

By Karen Smith

The Global Footprints Scholarships awards night, held recently in Sydney, celebrated a group of fifteen talented young people as they chase their dreams and prepare to travel the world.

This program, previously known as (Big Brother Movement) BBM Awards, is all about aligning the goals of young tradespeople and the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development.… Continue reading

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Newsbuds

Career in bloom

TAFE NSW Moss Vale has helped a Southern Highlands woman realise her dream of working in horticulture – and to follow in the footsteps of her mother.

Maddie-Rose Watson, 22, has had a fascination with plants since she was a young child, tottering around the family’s Moss Vale yard as her horticulturist mother tendered to the garden.… Continue reading

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Business File

How to run your business and thrive in these times

By John Corban

We cannot control external occurrences, like the economy or the weather, but we can control our response to what happens. We have experienced an extended boom in the Landscape Industry, so what we might be experiencing now is business as usual, (in other words the boom has subsided).Continue reading

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Pacific Sky™ Lomandra (Image: Ozbreed)
Plant Palette

Pacific Sky™ Lomandra confertifolia ‘LM700’ PBR

Combining the hardiness of Lomandra, the uniqueness of sky-inky-blue stems and beautiful blue-velvet weeping foliage, this plant is not just a visual spectacle but also a resilient and useful addition to your garden, landscape, or nursery.

Pacific Sky™ Lomandra’s striking appearance creates an immediate sense of intrigue, transforming landscapes into an artistic canvas.… Continue reading

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Evergreen Baby™ Lomandra (Image: Ozbreed)
Plant Palette

Low-growing marvels: compact plants with high impact

Could the two best low-growing Lomandra of all time be Evergreen Baby™ and Pacific Sky™? These low-growing Lomandra are a perfect blend of aesthetic appeal and resilience. Evergreen Baby™ captivates with its year-round green allure, while Pacific Sky™ fascinates with its unique weeping blue foliage.… Continue reading

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