Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does this plant need water?
   All plants require some water during establishment; they should not be allowed to dry out.  However, a number of plants have little or no requirement for supplementary watering after they are established.  These include Eremophilas and other plants from dry climates.
   
2. What plants will grow in hot dry sites?
   Eremophilas are very suitable.  They are small to medium shrubs and groundcovers with red, yellow, orange, white or mauve tubular flowers.  There are several hundred varieties, with several species being particularly useful.  They are particularly well suited to the western suburbs of Melbourne, and to the nearby towns of Sunbury, Melton and Bacchus Marsh.
   
3. Why do we use square pots?
   Our pots have square sides and open bottoms.  Plants develop better root systems in these pots.  Roots grow vertically towards the pot base, and the root girdling sometimes associated with round pots does not occur.  Plants can be put in the ground without teasing out the roots. 
4. What steps should we take when planting?
   We prefer to plant into warm soil, which has had recent rain, ideally around April to early June.  Dig the hole to about the depth of the plant and then fill the hole with water.  After the water has soaked in, refill the hole or plant.  Water the new plant well.  If planting in a rural area, it is usually desirable to protect with a tree guard.  This will protect the plant against rabbits and wind and perhaps slow down water loss.  Young plants can be quite vulnerable to wind and animal damage and a tree guard will protect and support the plant until the soil and root system consolidates.  Mulch if possible, to retain moisture, and to prevent competitive weed growth.  Weeds and grass will compete for water and speed up the drying out of soil in the planting area.
   During the first season, ensure that the plant does not dry out, by regular summer watering, ie at 1-3 week intervals.
5. Do you still sell farm trees?
   Although we still produce a few garden trees, our nursery now produces mostly small to medium garden plants, including a good range of Eremophilas and Correas. 
   In our local area (Gisborne, Bacchus Marsh, Sunbury), trees may be obtained from the following nurseries:
   • Western Plains Flora, (Ian Taylor), (03) 9740 3178
   • Newport Lakes Nursery, 2 Margaret St, Newport, 03 9391 0044
   • Goldfields Revegetation, 230 Tannery Lane, Mandurang, Vic 3551, (03) 5439 5384 http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/
   • Gisborne Nursery, 44 Hamilton Street, Gisborne 03 5428 3563
   • Creswick Nursery and Landcare Centre. 1 km east along Midland Hwy. Native trees, shrubs and groundcovers. 03 5345 2502
   Many other nurseries do produce farm trees, and a list of Victorian producers can be found on the Greening Australia website. http://live.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/VIC/HotTopics/nurserylists.htm.
   A list of indigenous plant producers in Victoria can be found on the following website: http://www.iffa.org.au/indig_nurseries
6. Where can I obtain more information on growing Australian native plants?
   Join the Australian Plants Society, preferably through a local group. 
   The local Australian Plant Society groups in our region are the Melton & Bacchus Marsh group (http://www.bulokebulletin.com/) and the Keilor Group (http://www.apskeilorplains.org.au/).
   To find other local groups in Victoria try the informative APS - Victoria website (http://www.apsvic.org.au/).
   Information on groups in other states can found on the website for the national body, Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (http://asgap.org.au/).  A quarterly E-magazine (http://asgap.org.au/apol.html) devoted to Australian Native plants can also be found on this website.