Unpacking our Growing methods

Why we do what we do: Sustainable and Organic vibes only! No pesky pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides here - zero chemicals in sight!

Unpacking our latest growing methods-

'When I started my production nursery 7 years ago, I had a vision to do is as organically and sustainably as I could. A lot of people in the industry told me it was not possible. As it now stands I think the results have proven them incorrect. I don’t hold the people themselves in a negative light for making such comments but rather the system that has them indoctrinated in our current mainstream horticultural practices.'

For me, my journey towards organic and sustainable gardening started many years before in the early 2000’s. I was growing vegetables in styrofoam boxes out the back of my mums house at Kotara in Newcastle. She came home one day and gave me some dusting powder for the cabbages. As I read the instructions It said not to eat within a certain amount of days after dusting. It made me start to question, why eat them at all if its so poisonous? And thus started a very long journey to get to where I am now.

As it currently stands this is our current growing methods for those plants that we produce ourselves (not in any particular order)...

 

Our plants that we produce ourselves are grown in red soil organics biodynamic potting mix. This can be altered depending on what we are growing, ie adding perlite and washed river sand for things like succulents and lavender or vermiculite for taro, however generally speaking it is a VERY solid product. Initially this is a more expensive product (than your industry standard medias), however by the end of the process we are saving a lot of time, water and money.

For 200mm pot sizes and larger we add a layer of rock dust and chicken manure pellets 1 inch from the top of the pot when we are potting up. We then place forest mulch over this to the top of the pot level. This feeds the microorganisms, aids water retention, helps with weed management and provides a source of extra nitrogen to prevent nitrogen drawdown from occurring.
For pot and container sizes smaller than 200mm we will be growing in a variety of biodegradable pots made from coir and peat. These will be grown in cell trays.

All pots, containers and cell trays are grown on a bed of forest mulch. This provides a substrate for the microorganisms to move across, and up and down into and out of the containers forming one growing ecosystem.

All staking is done with bamboo poles and jute twine

Our current list of sprays include:

  • BFE (red soil organics biodynamic fermented extract)

  • · Tidal wave (red soil organics fermented kelp and fish biological)
    · Neem oil

  • · Beneficial nematodes

  • · Bioweed (weed eradication and control)

  • · Other herbal concoctions ie, chilli, pyrethrum, peppermint etc.

  • - Top dressing with organic chicken manure pellets

  • - Triple water filtration (this is another post just in itself that we will delve into later)

  • - Wind and seed break made from shade cloth at 1.8m high (many of the best ways to keep weeds at bay is to use mechanical actions and physical barriers not herbicides and chemical sprays
  • BFE (red soil organics biodynamic fermented extract)

  • · Tidal wave (red soil organics fermented kelp and fish biological)

  • · Neem oil

  • · Beneficial nematodes

  • · Bioweed (weed eradication and control)

  • · Other herbal concoctions ie, chilli, pyrethrum, peppermint etc.
    - Top dressing with organic chicken manure pellets

  • - Triple water filtration (this is another post just in itself that we will delve into later)

  • - Wind and seed break made from shade cloth at 1.8m high (many of the best ways to keep weeds at bay is to use mechanical actions and physical barriers not herbicides and chemical sprays

Bee hives at strategic location on the property (this is in the preparatory stages of being done as we speak)

Dripper irrigation wherever possible

The area around the growing pads is flourishing fruit and vegetable gardens. This encourages pollinators and beneficial insects as well as acting as another wind and seed break. It also acts as a vital storage unit for those microbes in the soil to move across from and up and into out pots we are growing.

 

Essentially, when you buy one of these plants from us you are getting not just a plant, but a growing organic ecosystem in a pot. When you go home and plant these you are inoculating your garden with thriving ecosystems.


Two important things that are evident:

- Water use is at least 50% less than using conventional methods.

- Plants are more resilient to pest and diseases resulting in even less need for spraying.

On a final note. Like all gardens these methods are forever changing and adapting as we learn more, or need to tweak to grow particular species, so stay tuned for more exciting information. Thank you for reading and supporting us!

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