Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

THE GOOD EARTH

What About Ollas?

 

Gardeners already know how to save water in the garden because dry times can happen at any time of the year, not just summer.Saving water in the garden could be anything from mulching to using drip irrigation and creating wicking beds.

The whole idea is to make water last longer in your garden, whether it is from rain or using garden hoses.Tip: Make sure your soil can absorb a lot water.

Check if it is water repellant (hydrophobic).

 

Add a lot of organic matter to improve the water holding capacity.

 If you're using dripper hoses, cover them with mulch so the eater doesn't evaporate rapidly.

But did you know that ollas have been used to irrigate gardens for thousands of years?You might be now thinking what are ollas exactly?Let’s find out.I’ve am talking with Margaret Mossakowska sustainability educator at moss house of 

www.mosshouse.com.au

Ollas reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation, especially in hot dry climates.The tip is, ollas are buried in the soil before you do your planting.When planning your garden, know that water leaving the olla is approximately equal to the radius of the olla.If you have a particularly large garden, you will need a larger olla or several small ollas spaced evenly.If you have questions or have information to share, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

THE GOOD EARTH

What About Ollas?

 

Gardeners already know how to save water in the garden because dry times can happen at any time of the year, not just summer.Saving water in the garden could be anything from mulching to using drip irrigation and creating wicking beds.

The whole idea is to make water last longer in your garden, whether it is from rain or using garden hoses.Tip: Make sure your soil can absorb a lot water.

Check if it is water repellant (hydrophobic).

 

Add a lot of organic matter to improve the water holding capacity.

 If you're using dripper hoses, cover them with mulch so the eater doesn't evaporate rapidly.

But did you know that ollas have been used to irrigate gardens for thousands of years?You might be now thinking what are ollas exactly?Let’s find out.I’ve am talking with Margaret Mossakowska sustainability educator at moss house of 

www.mosshouse.com.au

Ollas reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation, especially in hot dry climates.The tip is, ollas are buried in the soil before you do your planting.When planning your garden, know that water leaving the olla is approximately equal to the radius of the olla.If you have a particularly large garden, you will need a larger olla or several small ollas spaced evenly.If you have questions or have information to share, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

DENDROBIUMS Part 3

Cultivation and care

If you been listening to the series on dendrobium orchids you might now be wondering how best to look after them? You might even be asking do I need a greenhouse or shadehouse like Adrian has for his 200 or so orchids, or can you grow just one or two without too much fuss somewhere in the garden?

Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant and orchid expert.  The three most important things for care of your dendrobiums are location, watering and fertilising. Adrian’s tips is let them completely dry out in winter, but if temperatures are in the high 40’s, you may need to mist them several times a day. 

If they look pinched they need watering.

Fertilising

Adrian has an inline fertilising system which is attached to a hose but before the tap. He then places a rock mineral fertiliser in that inline system which leaches a very small amount into the water each time he waters the orchids.

Adrian also recommends using two types of additional fertilisers depending on the time of year.

Fertilisers high in potash to promote spring flowering, and fertilisers high in nitrogen to promote growth.

Tip: Add a handful of dolomite lime over the bark mix every couple of years to counteract the acidity of the media as it breaks down.

If you have any questions about Australian orchids, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

DENDROBIUMS Part 3

Cultivation and care

If you been listening to the series on dendrobium orchids you might now be wondering how best to look after them? You might even be asking do I need a greenhouse or shadehouse like Adrian has for his 200 or so orchids, or can you grow just one or two without too much fuss somewhere in the garden?

Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant and orchid expert.  The three most important things for care of your dendrobiums are location, watering and fertilising. Adrian’s tips is let them completely dry out in winter, but if temperatures are in the high 40’s, you may need to mist them several times a day. 

If they look pinched they need watering.

Fertilising

Adrian has an inline fertilising system which is attached to a hose but before the tap. He then places a rock mineral fertiliser in that inline system which leaches a very small amount into the water each time he waters the orchids.

Adrian also recommends using two types of additional fertilisers depending on the time of year.

Fertilisers high in potash to promote spring flowering, and fertilisers high in nitrogen to promote growth.

Tip: Add a handful of dolomite lime over the bark mix every couple of years to counteract the acidity of the media as it breaks down.

If you have any questions about Australian orchids, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Dendrobium sp. episode 2

Dendrobium hybrids

Australia has 50 native species of dendrobiums and dockrillias and most of these grow mainly somewhere along the east coast of Australia. The ones that grow in Qld, in quite warm temperature to tropical areas, don’t grow so well further south and one might need a greenhouse to grow some of these.

But those that originate in Victoria or NSW don’t do so well in the tropics. This is where hybrid dendrobiums of these native orchids come in Let’s find out.. I'm talking to native plant expert and orchidophile, Adrian O’Malley Hybrid dendrobiums are numerous and as an example can be crosses of Dendrobium speciosum and Dendrobium kingianum. This particular cross gives you Dendrobium x delicatum which can have either with or pink flowers and even perfume. A famous one that Adrian mentioned is Dendrobium Hilda Poxon (pictured above).This is a cross between Dendrobium speciosum x Dendrobium tetragonum

Dendrobium sp. episode 2

Dendrobium hybrids

Australia has 50 native species of dendrobiums and dockrillias and most of these grow mainly somewhere along the east coast of Australia. The ones that grow in Qld, in quite warm temperature to tropical areas, don’t grow so well further south and one might need a greenhouse to grow some of these.

But those that originate in Victoria or NSW don’t do so well in the tropics. This is where hybrid dendrobiums of these native orchids come in Let’s find out.. I'm talking to native plant expert and orchidophile, Adrian O’Malley Hybrid dendrobiums are numerous and as an example can be crosses of Dendrobium speciosum and Dendrobium kingianum. This particular cross gives you Dendrobium x delicatum which can have either with or pink flowers and even perfume. A famous one that Adrian mentioned is Dendrobium Hilda Poxon (pictured above).This is a cross between Dendrobium speciosum x Dendrobium tetragonum

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Dendrobiums sp. Episode 1

Scientific Name:Dendrobium speciosumCommon Name: Rock Orchid, Sydney Rock OrchidNative Habitat: growing on granite cliff faces or boulders.

Plant type: Lithophyte

Description: consisting of pseudobulbs or canes that can be up to 45cm long. Large leathery leaves than can last up to 12 years on the plant. Flowering August to September.

Flowering:Arching racemes that can have up to 100 fragrant flowers per stem.

Climate zone: Outdoors in tropical to temperate climates, but shadehouses in colder areas.

 

 

Some gardeners think that growing orchids can be a bit tricky or only for the orchid afficionado. 

They may have experienced one or two failures that has tainted their perception of orchids for life. But I think, give orchids another go, because there’s ones out there that are hard to kill. This one’s no exception. Let’s find out what it is. I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant expert and native orchid afficionado. 

One of the most spectacular Australian orchids and one of the easiest to grow.

When establishing your new orchid, you can attach it with coated wire or plastic rope to a tree, or boulder in your garden.

Adrian has his own orchid house in his backyard where he grows about 200 different types of orchids and yes, they are all types of Australian native orchids. Be like Adrian, and grow some yourself. If you have any questions about Australian orchids, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Dendrobiums sp. Episode 1

Scientific Name:Dendrobium speciosumCommon Name: Rock Orchid, Sydney Rock OrchidNative Habitat: growing on granite cliff faces or boulders.

Plant type: Lithophyte

Description: consisting of pseudobulbs or canes that can be up to 45cm long. Large leathery leaves than can last up to 12 years on the plant. Flowering August to September.

Flowering:Arching racemes that can have up to 100 fragrant flowers per stem.

Climate zone: Outdoors in tropical to temperate climates, but shadehouses in colder areas.

 

 

Some gardeners think that growing orchids can be a bit tricky or only for the orchid afficionado. 

They may have experienced one or two failures that has tainted their perception of orchids for life. But I think, give orchids another go, because there’s ones out there that are hard to kill. This one’s no exception. Let’s find out what it is. I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant expert and native orchid afficionado. 

One of the most spectacular Australian orchids and one of the easiest to grow.

When establishing your new orchid, you can attach it with coated wire or plastic rope to a tree, or boulder in your garden.

Adrian has his own orchid house in his backyard where he grows about 200 different types of orchids and yes, they are all types of Australian native orchids. Be like Adrian, and grow some yourself. If you have any questions about Australian orchids, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

TOOL TIME 

Garden Hoses: New Hoses on the Market

Watering your garden by hand in the warmer months is usually a relaxing pleasure unless of course you’re fighting with a cranky hose.

Hoses don’t last forever, and when they start to show signs of wear, you may find yourself getting frustrated every time the hose kinks and stops the flow of water.So what’s new in hoses if you need an update?Some are made of vinyl, some are made of rubber, some have reinforcement, some are expanding, and others advertise as being kink free and even made of steelWhich one do you choose?Let’s find out.

That was Tony Mattson, general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.auTony’s tip, is ‘buy what you can afford, and don’t just go for the cheapest.

You want it to last a minimum of 5 to 10 years

Hoses have a hard life out in the sun, or frost in some cases so don’t expect too much from your hose after 5-10 years.

Check the distance from the hose to the furthest point you want to water. Longer is not better because it's heavy to move around.

Consider how long should you have a hose. Tony says most people overestimate how much hose length that they need.

The diameter is 1/2 inch or 12.5mm. A nursery would traditionally use a 19mm diameter hose.

Materials of hoses: kink ratings are not connected to any standard. A bit of marketing goes into the rating most likely.

A totally kinking hose may be made totally of  rubber.

Then store it in loops not small circles.

When you first get a hose, lay it out in the sun to straighten it out.

It may just be time for a replacement.If you have questions about hoses or have information to share, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

 

 

VEGETABLE HEROES

TOOL TIME 

Garden Hoses: New Hoses on the Market

Watering your garden by hand in the warmer months is usually a relaxing pleasure unless of course you’re fighting with a cranky hose.

Hoses don’t last forever, and when they start to show signs of wear, you may find yourself getting frustrated every time the hose kinks and stops the flow of water.So what’s new in hoses if you need an update?Some are made of vinyl, some are made of rubber, some have reinforcement, some are expanding, and others advertise as being kink free and even made of steelWhich one do you choose?Let’s find out.

That was Tony Mattson, general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.auTony’s tip, is ‘buy what you can afford, and don’t just go for the cheapest.

You want it to last a minimum of 5 to 10 years

Hoses have a hard life out in the sun, or frost in some cases so don’t expect too much from your hose after 5-10 years.

Check the distance from the hose to the furthest point you want to water. Longer is not better because it's heavy to move around.

Consider how long should you have a hose. Tony says most people overestimate how much hose length that they need.

The diameter is 1/2 inch or 12.5mm. A nursery would traditionally use a 19mm diameter hose.

Materials of hoses: kink ratings are not connected to any standard. A bit of marketing goes into the rating most likely.

A totally kinking hose may be made totally of  rubber.

Then store it in loops not small circles.

When you first get a hose, lay it out in the sun to straighten it out.

It may just be time for a replacement.If you have questions about hoses or have information to share, drop us a line to [email protected] or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

 

 

VEGETABLE HEROES