DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

The end of winter, and the moment I dread every year.....................potting.



I will say, now that I basically take charge of this task, I have implemented several changes to reduce the burden on both me and other staff. Simple changes that reduce fatigue on the body, reduce time wasting and improve overall organization. Does that sound like me?

For example, potting was always left to the very very last minute, then it was a mad rush to power through it, all with the increased customer flow brought on by Spring. Now, I start potting selectively mid-season, getting through surplus stock that reduces the load later on in the season. Most of that is stock that was always intended to be potted rather than sold bare root.

I also INSIST every batch (usually 5 to 10 trees, or per pallet) is stock balanced and converted to a potted barcode price immediately. Previously, it was always such a rush to just get them potted, then deal with the prices later. This then required a staff member (me) having to trapse through pallets of trees hunched over attaching prices to the bags in the days/weeks ahead. Doing it as we go, it also means I can sell the tree straight away if needed, no fumbling around for a price because "they have just been potted". This might sound like a trivial thing, but trust me, it was a nightmare that ended up being more time consuming than it should be.

Again, the rush to get everything in a pot meant we would go through and water everything at the end of the day. When you have something like 500 trees to thoroughly soak in less than an hour, well, it led to a half-ars.d job. Now, every pallet is soaked as we go, nothing missed, everything soaked properly to eliminate air pockets.

Speaking of pallets, this was never a thing. Trees would be potted and then dumped in lines of genus/species on the loading dock, something that would end up being a crazy maze of trees. They would then be loaded onto a single pallet and wheeled into the nursery on a manual pallet jack. So, you would end up triple handling every single potted tree.

Previously, we would load up a tandem trailer with potting mix to work from on the loading dock. For me, this created two problems. It meant having tow and maneuver the trailer, something I struggle with. Actually, I have since learnt how to maneuver a trailer very well with one of the Dingo's. Secondly, the height of the trailer meant having to be hunched over for hours on end, I think a lot of my back issues stem from this. Now, I load up the old Nissan Navara which is used solely for this task or ground maintenance. It's also a tipper, which makes it very valuable assest. The height of the tray is at the perfect height, meaning I don't end up folded in half at the end of the day.

When the potting is all finished, it then needs to make its way into the nursery for sale. Having everything on a pallet in genus/species order, means it can be fed into stock with less fuss.

It took me 20 years to make those changes as a whole, it can be very hard to change the mindset of guys who have been doing it twice as long as you. At the end of the day, they are no longer "hands on", so doing things their way at my expense makes no sense just because "that's how we've always done it". And yet, those changes make a big difference in how things function, no more "just winging it"............which I truly detest!







Most of it is now done, progress came to a halt after running out of potting mix this afternoon. Still to go are the fruit trees, which go into the same sized bag as the ornamentals, then the larger weeping trees which go into larger 75 LT bags............the ones I dread.

[DFB FGXR6]

Pieris Japonica, another one of those plants that sits in the background for most of the year before bursting into prominence in late winter. This variety is most likely 'Temple Bells', which features pure white booms instead of the pink that characterizes other Pieris. Growing to 1.5 meters tall and 1.5 meters tall, it will take decades to reach those figures.





Pieris are best grown in part to full shade, morning sun at the most as they will otherwise burn in the summer sun. As part of the Ericaceae family, they share genes with Azalea's, Rhododendrons, Erica's, Blueberries and Epacris, therefore preferring slightly acidic soil. After flowering, feed with a Camellia and Azalea blend in spring, keep moist over summer.

[DFB FGXR6]

Clivia Miniata doing their thing......................





The cultural information regarding Clivia suggests that these plants can be grown in full sun. However, in areas where I live, the summer sun would be too harsh, and without the cover provided by a tree or patio, they will burn with exposure to frost. A lot of people will have these potted so they can be moved to suit the weather conditions. They are otherwise best planted under established trees to provide the necessary cover during the cold months. Even so, you can see some burnt foliage after a frosty winter just gone.

The other thing to note with Clivia is their toxicity to animals. If ingested, the bulb in particular, Clivia is toxic to both cats and dogs, potentially causing symptoms such as vomiting, low blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia.

This website has a good listing of plants known to be toxic to animals -

https://bloominghaus.com/news/poison...%20the%20plant).