The GREEN HORSE - sustainable horsekeeping

In the October/November 2005 issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles:

Talking Point and Information Exchange
Growing Trees from Seed by Yuna Rickard
Trails of the Future
Grazing Management - Part 1 by Jane Myers
Easy Fix Pipe Joiners
Equine Herbs - White Willow by Fiona Adams
Converting a Property from Cattle to Horses - Reader’s Story by Kathy Ivaschenko
Weed Watch - Mother Of Millions by Nicola Field
Polo Horses Swept AWay in Qld Floods by Joe McInally
Multi Functional Farm Water Feature by Chris Ferreira and Tracey Bell

You can read the Growing Trees From Seeds and Easy Fix Pipe Joiners articles below

Growing Trees From Seed

article and photos by Yuna Rickard

Although native seedlings are readily available from most nurseries and garden centres across Australia, growing your own trees from seed can be a rewarding experience, and surprisingly, no more difficult than growing any plant from seed. Anyone with an interest in growing plants can grow native trees or shrubs.

Apart from saving money, there is nothing more satisfying than being able to look at the 20 foot Spotted Gum on the boundary fence, or the thick stand of Golden Wattle enveloping the roundyard and say “I grew that myself”.

There are many excellent publications, which go into detail relevant to your local area, however there are a few handy tips that will help get you started propagating your own seed. First and foremost, when trying to establish native trees or shrubs (for any reason) most experts in the field recommend using local species, as these will grow best and are obviously suited to the conditions of the region. There is no point trying to grow something in abundance if it requires much more work or water than you can provide.

Looking around your local district at what species are growing and their size and characteristics will also help in deciding which to plant, according to your requirements for position etc. It is often difficult to picture how a tree will look from a tag on a seedling in the nursery! Then, it’s just a matter of collecting the gumnuts or seed pods and placing them in a brown paper bag in a warm, dry place until the seeds are released. (This step generally takes place in spring.)

Once you are ready to plant, make sure your seed is fresh, as viability goes down with seeds’ age. Although, in saying that, seeds can be kept for years in proper conditions - a cool, dark place such as a fridge.

Use a seed raising mix in shallow trays or seed raising pots (the paper mache’ type ones) and cover seeds with a light layer of sand, remembering to keep damp but not soggy. The trays or pots should be placed in a warm, sunny, protected position away from frosts and winds. Once the seeds are up it’s vital to ensure they don’t dry out and are not exposed to too much sun otherwise they could burn.

When the seedlings are of a handling size (around 5cm) pot them up into tubes with potting mix - you can even buy special native potting mix but a good quality potting mix with some compost worked in is fine. Keep them well watered and let them grow on a bit ready to plant out in Autumn. This is the best time of year to plant seedlings out as they will receive winter rain and shouldn’t be bothered by the heat while they are establishing. They can also be given a little fertliser when in pots but make sure it is suitable for natives, as some do not tolerate Superphosphate fertilisers.
Native plants of any sort do not like to be moved, so don’t let them get too big before you plant out or you may lose some to stress. Watering may be needed occasionally in dry spells for the first year until the plants are established, although mulching will help prevent moisture loss in seedlings and more advanced plants.

Placing seedlings in plastic tree guards or fencing with chicken wire is essential at planting, in order to keep stock off them and prevent damage from pests - such as rabbits or kangaroos. Other management issues will vary from area to area, however thorough weeding and spraying for insects will most likely be necessary.

If you are not up to growing from seed there are many places that supply potted seedlings in small lots or bulk numbers at good prices, such as The Men of the Trees, tree farms, native tree nurseries and local Shire departments. Buying in bulk is usually cheaper and you can purchase Hi-ko trays for around 50 cents per plant if you shop around. You can get together with neighbours from surrounding properties or your local Landcare or Catchment group and buy in bulk for cheaper prices.

There are many good reference books and publications available for more in-depth information. One such book is ‘Native Trees and Shrubs for South Eastern Australia’ by Leon Costerman. which also comes in an affordable pocket book called ‘Trees of Victoria and Surrounding Areas’. Greening Australia, Landcare Australia, the Agriculture Department or Department of Primary Industries in your state are also good places to start for further advice and information.

Easy Fix Pipe Joiners
It’s always at the very worst moment that a water pipe bursts, generally just as you are filling troughs or hosing down, and usually in the middle of the hottest day for the month. The breaks always seem to be located in the most difficult position - under a pile of rocks or near a building, fence or tree, and you have to dig back along the pipe for what seems like miles, before you can fix it!
Not any more. We’ve discovered two handy joiners, which will help make the job just a little easier. The beauty of these is that they only need a small section of pipe to be exposed in order to facilitate the join
Available from most reticulation, hardware or agricultural suppliers, both come in a variety of sizes to suit pipe from 20mm to 50mm and they will be a welcome addition to the tool box for most property owners.

Right - Type 1:
This section has screw-on ends, needs no glue as the rubber sections are fitted to the original pipe and act as seals. The broken section is cut out to coincide with length of joiner, push the rubber seals onto existing pipe and screw each end on.

Below - Type 2
This joiner has a telescopic section, which extends up to 20cm extra and can be extended just enough to join the break. The other end is fitted with a slide-on joiner and an application of PVC glue. The telescopic section is extended and glued in place.