Have you ever done everything right when planting a tree, only to have it struggle or fail in the end? It might not have been your fault! You could have been installing sub-standard trees that were never going to do well because of the way they were grown in the pot.

Jason Summers is an expert arboritst and horticulturist from Melbourne in Victoria. Formerly a city parks manager, he now runs Remarkable Trees, a nursery and arboriculture services business in Victoria, supplying trees to public, commercial and domestic projects alike.

He's one of the most passionate tree people that I know, and in this episode, we get very picky with what we will accept from a tree that we're looking to buy.

From ordering wholesale trees ahead of schedule to health signs above and below ground, this episode will give you the tools you need to choose good, sturdy trees that will stand the test of time.


EPISODE LINKS
Remarkable Trees website: https://remarkabletrees.com/
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsummers

Find horticulture industry jobs: HortPeople.com

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Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

Are native and endemic plants better than exotic plants for biodiversity in urban landscapes? The answer is, it depends.

By now, you expect a nuanced exploration into complex ideas like this when you tune into the Plants Grow Here podcast. As a qualified horticulturist with well over a decade in landscape maintenance and horticulture, it bothers me when I see overly simplistic statements like, "native plants are good and exotics are bad."

What does "native" even mean in a country as large as Australia? Are urban conditions the same as they were before colonialism? And why do pollinators flock to exotic plants like lavender and duranta if they're so bad for ecology?

These are the types of questions we explore in this episode.

Find your next job, or post a job ad: https://hortpeople.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

Yeah, yeah yeah - right plant, right place. But what does this old cliche mean in the real world? In this episode, I break down the old concept into site parameters (restrictions) and plant functions (desirable traits).

Site Parameter Examples

• Available space
• Temperature
• Frost
• Wind
• Altitude
• Humidity
• Topography
• Substrate
• Mulch
• Average rainfall
• Drought
• Irrigation
• Sunlight
• Salt
• Micro climate
• Aspect
• Slope gradient
• Reflected light
• Reflected heat
• Rockeries
• Pathways
• Wind corridors
• Depressed areas
• Raised areas
• Flat areas
• Common pests/diseases

Plant Function Examples

• Biodiversity resources
• Playgrounds
• Rockeries
• Grey water
• Fire retardant
• Growth habit
• Erosion control
• Rain gardens
• Micro-catchments
• Bioswales
• Water cleaning
• Sensory
• Maintenance budget
• Order and creativity
• Layering
• Repetition
• Unity
• Rhythm
• Contrast
• Balance
• Colour
• Form
• Texture
• Line
• Proportion
• Focal points
• Seasonal interest
• Mass planting
• Specimen planting
• Feature
• Sightline preservation
• Screening & privacy
• Wind break
• Hedging
• Borders
• Roadside planting
• Parkland
• Street tree
• Modern garden
• Traditional garden
• Native garden

This episode is based on my experiences as a qualified horticulturist of over a decade, and a webinar presentation I developed with Todd Layt for Ozbreed of the same title.

Find your next job, or post a job ad: https://hortpeople.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

Welcome to part 3 of our horticulture trial series. In the last two episodes, Dr Ian Smith helped us understand how to plan a scientific horticulture trial, and how to collect our data. In this episode, we're going to learn how to make sense of that data and put it to use.

If you haven't listened to the previous two episodes yet, perhaps go and start at episode 205 before beginning this episode.

EPISODE LINKS
Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EcologIan
Ian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/driansmith
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-fuller-180908208/

Example spreadsheet for a trial: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VpM_QN-8LO1YxGpYV6dg8gIXnSVPAfLS6kgk-cDYZhs/edit?usp=drivesdk

How to get descriptive analytics in Excel: https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/descriptive-statistics.html

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

In last week's episode, friend of the show Dr Ian Smith taught us how to set up a horticulture trial. In this episode, he's going to teach us how to run a trial as well as how to collect and record data.

The scientific approach is a disciplined way of finding the truth of the matter. Instead of going by our beliefs, we strip ourselves of preconceptions and endeavour to find the fact of the matter - whether or not our results align with our pre-conceptions.

Ian's the perfect guest to teach us about this topic because he's an entomologist and ecologist who did his PhD on insects in shelterbelts. He's worked as an agriculture extension officer, in biosecurity, and a bunch of other science-based roles. Hopefully, his scientific mind and my tradie mind have managed to capture the essence of the scientific approach for an audience who may or may not have ever stepped foot in a university.

EPISODE LINKS
Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EcologIan
Ian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/driansmith
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-fuller-180908208/

Example spreadsheet for a trial: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VpM_QN-8LO1YxGpYV6dg8gIXnSVPAfLS6kgk-cDYZhs/edit?usp=drivesdk

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

How are you trialling new approaches in the landscape? If you're like me, you're writing notes in an app (at best), or you're just keeping all of your ideas in your head (at worst). Did you know there's a better way?

It's called the scientific approach, and it'd been pretty beneficial for society as a whole.

Instead of approaching horticulture in a haphazard way, you can test inputs, treatments, or techniques with a greater degree of accuracy by controlling your testing conditions and measuring the variables that have changed as a result of your efforts. As a bonus, you'll also be able to see where you got a good outcome but it wasn't because of the treatment you tried - because the control group experienced the same outcome.

This episode is part one in a three part series - stay tuned next week for part two where we'll learn about how to run a test and collect data, and then in part three we will learn about how to analyse and use the data we've collected.

EPISODE LINKS
Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EcologIan
Ian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/driansmith
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-fuller-180908208/

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

How can we protect trees during development? In this episode, consulting arborist Gary Moran and I explore his usual recommendations for clients wishing to protect their trees during development, whether that's for a private, commercial, or public project.

Trees might take a long time to show stress, so just because it looks great when construction finishes, that doesn't mean the tree hasn't been damaged beyond repair. It may take anywhere from a few weeks to a decade or longer for a tree to show signs of stress due to root damage, soil disturbances and compaction, and other common causes of compaction during development.

By the end of this episode, you'll have practical advice on avoiding soil compaction when there are heavy machines present, protecting tree trunks from mechanical damage, building around root zones, and much more. 

EPISODE LINKS
Gary's Twitter: https://twitter.com/arborsmarty
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-moran-786240164
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tree_side_arboriculture/
Treeside Arboricultural Consultancy Services: https://treeside.com.au/

Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) calculator:  https://www.councilarboriculturevictoria.com.au/encroachment-tpz-calculator-1

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

A sound understanding of hardscape elements is a good feather in the cap for any horticulturist, maintenance operator, or garden enthusiast. Sadly, most of us never get a chance to learn about this part of the garden because we only get to play in the dirt.

In this episode, Joel Barnett (In Style Gardens, The Landscaping Podcast) guides us through some of the most common mistakes that people constructing hard elements make, including professionals and enthusiasts alike. We discuss topics such as concrete, paving, brickwork, pools, timber construction, drainage, irrigation, and much, much more.

By the end of the episode, you'll know more than the cheapest construction crew you can find on Gumtree. Maybe steer clear of retaining walls and pools until you've done your Cert 3, though.

EPISODE LINKS
In Style Gardens website: https://www.instylegardens.com.au/
The Landscaping Podcast website: https://www.instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-landscaping-podcast/id1568687597
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HdeeSytX6YDYWRruetpsj

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

I don't talk about myself much on this podcast - we tend to stick to the art and science of horticulture and interrelated disciplines. But I was recently interviewed by Joel Barnett about my recent move from Melbourne to Brisbane and the reasons behind it, my career journey, and the fact that my wife Kirstie and I are expecting a baby later this year.

It was a great chat and I'm looking forward to releasing our second interview next week, where I interviewed Joel about the most common hardscaping mistakes. Which is a topic that I know very little about as a horticulturist, so I'm glad to have been able to access his knowledge and experience.

EPISODE LINKS
In Style Gardens website: https://www.instylegardens.com.au/
The Landscaping Podcast website: https://www.instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-landscaping-podcast/id1568687597
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HdeeSytX6YDYWRruetpsj

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].

Everybody wants a silver bullet for plant pests and diseases, but they usually end up causing more issues than they solve in the long run.

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an approach to managing pests in accordance with nature's rhythms. Instead of reaching straight for a chemical control, we can influence a number of factors that put pests on the back foot without harming the local ecosystem.

In this episode, I discuss 6 types of pest control that we can use in an Integrated Pest Management approach:

1. Genetic (right plant, right place)
2. Physical (mechanical)
3. Cultural (environmental)
4. Biological (predators, etc.)
5. Chemical (last resort)
6. Regulatory (biosecurity)

Find your next job, or post a job ad: https://hortpeople.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.PlantsGrowHere.com
You’ll find heaps of educational blog articles, including How To Prune For Natural Shape, What Relationships Do Plants Have With Other Organisms?, and What Is Healthy Soil, And How Can We Build It?.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Are you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to [email protected].