Groundswell | August 21 by ngivictoria

$#"! " " " " " " " " ! ! " " " !"! " " ! "

" "! "

" !

CONTENTS

Volume 32 Number 7 August 2021 PUBLISHER NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA

PRESIDENT Simon Gomme CEO Craig Taberner CONTRIBUTORS Simon Gomme, Leigh Siebler, Craig Taberner, Matt Ross, Nan Cleven, Scott Morahan, Kate Grant, Jane Edmanson, Clive Larkman, Bridie L Walsh ADVERTISING NGIV T: (03) 9576 0599 ADDRESS Unit 3, 307 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 2280, Wattletree Road LPO, Malvern East VIC 3145. TELEPHONE (03) 9576 0599 FAX (03) 9576 0431 EMAIL ngiv@ngiv.com.au www.ngiv.com.au FINISHED ART Vale Graphics M: 0409 88 77 06

4 EXECUTIVE UPDATE 6 WORKING TOGETHER: HOW OUR FUTURE IS GROWING 10 MICHAEL COKER: A LIFE AMONGST ORCHIDS 14 GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT WITH ICL 18 HORTITECH: TIME FOR A CHANGE 20 JULY TRADE DAY REPORT 22 A NURSERYMAN AND HIS NURSERY: EVAN CLUCAS, KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY 24 WHERE WILL ALL THE TREES BE? 26 THE NEED TO TALK UP OUR PRODUCTS, OUR PROFESSION, OUR INDUSTRY 25 INDUSTRY NEWS 28 SHOWCASING OUR GREAT INDUSTRY TO AGRICULTURE VICTORIA 29 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF INSTAGRAM

E: angie@valegraphics.com.au

33 SHAPING VICTORIA’S BIOSECURITY FUTURE

PRINTING Norwood Industries

35 INDUSTRY NEWS

6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam VIC 3803.

36 NEXTGEN: ELISE MARCH

Our front cover: Petchoa Supercal ‘Sunray Pink’ THE ALL WEATHER PETUNIA Thrives under heat, humidity, rain or shine Part petunia, part calibrachoa, SuperCal® combines the best of both to bring you incredible, easy care colour for baskets, containers or garden beds. Large flowers in 5 vibrant PREMIUM colours: Premium Sunray Pink, Premium French Vanilla, Premium Cinnamon, Premium Caramel Yellow, Premium Bordeaux

www.ballaustralia.com

FR R OS T CL OTH WEEDMAT Plaace your orders now for our lightweight, UVstaabilised Frost Cloth and premium commercial heavy-duty Weedmat to combat the last of the winter months.

Geet in early for Summer with your orders forr standard and custom-sized Shadecloth & Haandyscreen to suit your needs.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

Executive update

Simon Gomme President, NGIV

elcome to our first bi-monthly edition of Groundswell; delivering all the latest news from the Victorian horticulture industry. I’d like to encourage all NGIV full members to make use of the magazine to promote your business and provide updates to your industry peers. Whether your business has reached a significant milestone, you want to celebrate the impact of a longstanding employee, you’ve upgraded your infrastructure or you’ve changed your business offering; contact matt@ngiv.com.au to find out how you can share your news through Groundswell I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who has continued to support our Trade Day. I’m very proud of the NGIV team, as well as our stand holders and buyers, for embracing the transition to KCC Park and getting behind it. It was fantastic to bring the industry together for the first time at the new venue in July. Overall, the day was a big success, and along with the Trade Day Committee, the NGIV team will come together to ensure it’s even better moving forward.

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV

I appreciate that the uncertainty that comes with COVID-19 and the change of venue could have been viewed as a deterrent, but the support we’ve received from our members throughout this process has been outstanding. Trade Day is very much key to our culture and history, not to mention our financial wellbeing. I also strongly believe that it benefits the whole industry in so many ways. In late June, NGIV President, Simon Gomme, CEO, Craig Taberner and Technical Manager, David Reid, delivered a horticultural tour to a number of senior figures from Agriculture Victoria. The purpose of the tour was to highlight the breadth of our sector and outline the challenges

BOOK NOW ONLINE

and opportunities for industry and our member businesses. Matt Lowe, CEO of Agriculture Victoria, accompanied, Sze Flett (Director of Horticulture Services), Julie Simons (Executive Director Seasonal Workforce), and Steve Gartlan (A/Director Agriculture Industry & Rural Transition), joined us for a wonderful tour of four of our member sites. A big thank you to Flemings Nursery Group, Garden City Plastics, Ball Australia, Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery and Tissue Culture Australia, for making yourselves and your sites available, and bringing what you do to life. We were delighted with the tour, and we know that those representatives from Agriculture Victoria left with a true understanding of our industry, impressed by the scale of what we do and aware of the challenges and opportunities we face. We enjoy a close working relationship with Agriculture Victoria and are thrilled to have just received two grants from them that will benefit our members and the industry as a whole. We will commence a Seasonal Workforce Project, to establish and implement a framework and process that helps industry connect with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. This will bolster the seasonal workforce today and into the future, through the promotion of horticultural employment and career opportunities. We will also undertake a statistical project: Realisation of Growth Opportunities with the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria

ngiv gala Dinner Join the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria for our 116th Annual Gala Dinner celebrationat the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne. The dinner is an opportunity to acknowledge the support of our industry partners and present our industry awards. Saturday 9 October, 2021 Park Hyatt Hotel, 1 Parliament Place, Melbourne

For more information call NGIV on 9576 0599 04

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

Upon the completion of this Project, the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria will generate:

» A clear understanding of the contribution our industry makes to the Victorian economy from a whole of supply chain point of view

» Robust information on the current and projected performance of related businesses across Victoria

» Identification of workforce gaps, current workforce, and future development needs

» Recommendations about the technology, and business strategy, necessary to support the industry in realising future growth

» Opportunities for additional domestic and international market growth for the industry I was also invited by the Agriculture Minister, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, to participate in the Horticulture Round Table 2021 – Securing Victoria’s future seasonal workforce, held in July. Being able to contribute through such forums, and represent the interests our members, is invaluable to our industry, and comes as a result of our ongoing advocacy work. It’s fantastic to hear that our Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) received another record-breaking number of entries. In 2021 the VSGP will distribute a total of $62,500 worth of nursery vouchers through our Grant and Award programs to Victorian schools, all of which will be spent at NGIV full retailer member stores. In the last decade, VSGP has distributed vouchers to the value of nearly $400,000 to be spent with NGIV full retail members! We’d encourage our retail members to establish relationships with your local gardening school. School garden programs provides many children the only opportunity to learn about gardening and are crucial in breathing new life into our industry. Finally, I wanted to offer my best wishes and sympathies to our members that were impacted by the storms in June. For many of us it took a while to grasp the full extent of the damage and it sounded truly frightening for some. Our industry is made up of some truly resilient individuals and I have no doubt hose impacted will brush themselves off and go again. NGIV presented a report detailing the damage experienced by our members to Agriculture Victoria, who have since offered Disaster Assistance Payments. Make sure you apply if eligible. We will continue to provide updates through our communication channels.

Simon Gomme

Craig Taberner

President, NGIV Powerplants Australia

CEO, NGIV

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: BALL AUSTRALIA

Working together – How Our Future Is Growing By Scott Morahan and Kate Grant Growth in any business is necessary, whether it is planning to expand product lines, streamline efficiencies in workflow processes or advance communication systems to improve impact on productivity and therefore value to the customer. Ball Australia targeted these areas with their move to Skye in 2017, with a purpose-built nursery and a site that allowed scope to maximise growth. Now five years on the company has settled well into the site at Skye and is realising the planning for further future growth an essential need. As Scott Morahan the Head of Production noted, ‘We had 40% extra growing capacity when we moved here, thinking it would give us some years to utilise that space, yet our growth has increased to 80% and we are ready for further expansion.’ The company was thrown a challenge in 2019 after a fire heavily affected part of their production area, and as Scott realised, ‘Even though the site was relatively new, it forced our hand and allowed us to re-assess and re-design how our production flow and layout could be more effective, resulting in better customer fulfilment’. A number of areas were reviewed as part of the re-build and once the clean-up from the fire had been completed, the first key area to improve was the quarantine house. The opportunity to split the quarantine house into two smaller zones was essential, enabling the flow of product through the quarantine house to be more manageable, offering greater flexibility with what can be brought into the house and when. Tissue culture volumes have increased significantly for the business over the past five years. The fire consumed the

Aftermath from the fire – 2019

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

de-flasking tent and benches from this area leaving a significant gap in the production flow. De-flasking can be complicated and is potentially a high-risk operation if you do not have the right set-up. While the rebuild for this department was underway, the operation had to be relocated to the germination houses. This was good for the plants, but not for the process flow, KPI’s and more importantly the staff who had to work in such a humid environment month after month. Ball Australia now has a fantastic new system that incorporates a temperature-controlled chamber for receival, unpacking, inspection and holding. Minimizing the stress on very small plants waiting to be transferred to plug trays. The new design incorporates two-way conveyors, individual workstations that maintain efficient production and good hygiene. Two misting tents have been installed to further reduce environmental stress on warm days so as to not impact the production flow of the sowing and vegetative lines as the benches make their way into the fog compartments. Another vital part of Ball Australia’s operation is the vegetative plug supply from home grown mother stock that is generated from elite imported material. Cuttings are taken from the mother stock production and are then stuck. Previously the design and process flow for this work section was fairly basic. So, in a similar manner to how the company improved it’s

New storage racking

PROFILE: BALL AUSTRALIA

The new TC work stations

Scott Morahan entering the existing quarantine house

e-flasking operation, they replicated the same for this work area by Introducing another row of conveyors, workstations and timers. Scott Morahan commented, ‘We have made a progressive sticking line that has significantly reduced the impact and down time created for this operation, by building a chamber for storing cuttings to manage the post-harvest stresses on leafy material. This has improved the speed and precision of the sticking lines, minimising environmental impacts that could spoil product quality.’ This proved to be an ergonomically savvy design plan for the business and improvements have seen a market rise in the KPI rates not only at the point of sticking but gapping and rework further down the production line. Whilst not an obvious part of the company’s production flow, storage for bulk volumes of trays that come in were now able

The new ‘sticking line’ in action

to be housed closer to the production area, placed onto a newly built racking system and housed internally. The maintenance area and chemical storage departments had been situated within the greenhouse and had the greatest damage from the fire. Sean Warren the Facility & Infrastructure Manager with the company noted, ‘We needed a safer re-location for a purpose-built maintenance shed erected away from the main nursery so jobs involving welding, flames or fuel usage were not being performed within the plastic skin of the greenhouse. So to the storage of chemicals used for our feeding programs, need to be stored away from the greenhouse for health and safety improvements.’ The company has plans underway for the build of a chemical storage shed this year, that is to be located centrally to the main entry point of the greenhouse, ease of forklift access and bunded to contain spillages inside the shed so that nothing u

EXPERIENCE COUNTS

With over 65 years experience collectively, our external sales team is here to assist your business, ensuring you have the right product for the right application.

T: 1800 550 000

www.suregrotreemax.com.au GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: BALL AUSTRALIA

leaches back into the water system. A wash bay for staff will also be included, keeping the whole process of mixing and handling chemicals safer for the environment and staff. While the re-assessment and work flow improvements have been taking shape since 2019, Ball Australia is excited by the opportunities that it has ahead for itself and is embarking in investing in a new glasshouse for further future growth with a one hectare, high health mother stock facility. The current mother stock house, which was always a temporary situation, will now be integrated into the new build and the space it took up will now be used for better flow and volumes of tray production. Paul Boland, Ball Australia’s Managing Director, has been heartened by the staff and their efforts to continue to position the business as a state of the art operation. ‘Our goal at Ball Australia is to work towards having the best facility with the best people using the best practices to produce the best product ultimately satisfying our customers needs. We are confident that the steps we have taken in recent years and our plans for the future align with this goal and will ensure that we are able to continuously improve.’

About the authors Paul Boland and Sean Warren on the site of what will be the new mother stock facility

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

Scott Morahan, Head of Production Kate Grant, Marketing Manager www.ball australia.com.au

PROFILE: MICHAEL COKER

Michael Coker: A life amongst orchids By Matt Ross You would have no idea of the horticultural delights tucked away at Michael Coker’s suburban residence. Hidden behind his home in Heidelberg Heights are six orchid houses sustaining one of Australia’s most impressive private collections of orchids. His houses contain a dizzying array of orchids; 165 different genera and around 5000 plants, coming from every corner of the globe. There’s a sense of pride as Michael puts on a tour of his setup, sharing his expert knowledge as we go. And rightly so, this is something he’d always wanted and through hard work and daring to dream, he made it happen. Every bit of space is consumed by orchids at various stages of growth. But there’s a precision and thought process to their placement; each house enjoys different microclimates allowing different genera to thrive. And each orchid is facing the way it should for optimal growing conditions. He had assumed that a single house would have been enough but that merely lit the touch paper. Orchid Houses 2, 3 and 4 followed. And when a neighbouring property became available

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

to purchase in 2014, that was the opportunity he had been waiting for to complete his set up. Orchid House 5 followed as a simple shade structure and after another two years he received the council permit he needed to put a solid roof on House 5 and to build Orchid House 6, his largest and most ambitious build. Each house is designed and built to his exacting specifications; Powerplants Australia and Monbulk Rural supplying specialist materials. It’s no surprise that orchids feature so heavily in his life. Michael’s father, Julian Coker, was something of an orchid oracle. He held the Australian Orchid Council position of Registrar-General of Judging for a number of years and ultimately gave up his medical career to follow his passion and set up an orchid nursery in Warrandyte.

PROFILE: MICHAEL COKER

“If orchids are in your family, you can’t avoid it. They were everywhere growing up.” A young Michael would accompany his father to various orchid shows and talks and the seed was sown. He started growing orchids at the age of eight years old and he has been exhibiting in the Open Section at club meetings since he was 11. His passion for orchids provides balance in his life. Professionally, Michael is a successful corporate and commercial lawyer with NGIV Industry Partner, Piper Alderman. Spending time in his houses, nurturing his plants, immediately takes him away from the stressful nature of his work. Indeed, he chose to cut back to a four-day working week to achieve a work life balance that feels just right. “It’s so therapeutic to be around orchids. Whatever the time of day, I can step outside, and it lifts the fog and lets me focus. On a summer’s evening I can open the door of House 6 and smell the Epidendrum parkinsonianum and Angreacums from 10 metres away. That’s pretty magical.”

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: MICHAEL COKER

His passion for orchids certainly isn’t restricted to his home setup. Michael is currently President of the Orchid Societies Council of Victoria (OSCOV), President of the North-East Melbourne Orchid Society, an Associate to the Directors of the Australia Orchid Foundation, as well as a member of a number of other clubs. He’s also a regular guest speaker at orchid events, both in Australia and overseas. Michael has been awarded around 60 quality and culture awards from the OSCOV Panel and has won 21 categories in the OSCOV Victorian Orchids of the Year in the last five years, as well as the Australian Orchid Council’s Australian Hybrid Orchid of the Year in 2020. Increasingly Michael is keen to make an impact in the world of orchid judging. It’s a process that has certain parallels with law; it’s a logical, guided by principal process, he has the right mind for the job. He completed the OSCOV judging training course in only four years. He enjoys training new judges, passing on his considerable knowledge and trying to remove subjectivity from the process. Orchid growing needs people like Michael to breathe new life into its aging community. And having achieved so much in his own right, he’s increasingly focused on sharing that joy with others. So how do you attract a younger demographic to orchid growing? “Young people are inspired and educated through social media. The orchid is such a beautiful plant, it has an architectural quality, it lends itself to being photographed and shared. Then the challenge, once you’ve grabbed their attention, is to bring them away from their screens to attend events in person. Orchid events have to be fun, entertaining and educational. We have to help novices to achieve and taste their own levels of success early on. The burden of managing orchid clubs is falling on an increasingly small number of people. We have to change that as well.”

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: MICHAEL COKER

Michael is also passionate about the horticulture industry and in another lifetime would have happily been a nurseryman. “The industry gives so much to others. We’ve seen this year, amidst a global crisis, how much the public crave that engagement with nature; it’s such a wholesome, therapeutic, constructive pursuit.” I had one question left. What is so special about orchids? “It’s the challenge, you have to get everything right and therefore you have to know what you’re doing. There are so many orchids, each with their own needs and growing habits. The variety is extraordinary, and they all behave so differently. They’re such interesting plants. And of course, they’re just so beautiful.” On my way out, he encourages me to sniff a particular orchid. I ready myself to enjoy the aroma and instead recoil in horror. He takes great delight in telling me the Bulbophyllum echinolabium rotting meat aroma attracts flies in a bid to pollinate. Michael was right, orchids are both beautiful and interesting.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: ICL

Getting the balance right with ICL By Matt Ross An interview with Regional Manager Vic/SA/Tas, Roger Boyle, and National Technical Manager, Dr Sam Stacey from ICL Specialty Fertilizers NGIV Bronze Industry Partner, ICL Specialty Fertilizers, is a company that truly values its people. They strive to fill their team with the right blend of expert knowledge and industry experience. It’s this combination that helps them to provide an outstanding service to their customers and build lasting, authentic relationships with them. We wanted to discover more about ICL’s approach to teamwork and the balance of knowledge and experience, so we caught up with their Regional Manager Vic/SA/Tas, Roger Boyle, and National Technical Manager, Dr Sam Stacey, to find out more.

Could you both provide a brief background on your respective career and educational paths to date? Roger – I’ve been in the horticultural industry for 40 years, beginning with a Nursery apprenticeship and then a focus on sales and marketing. With experience in wholesale, allied and retail aspects of the industry and long-standing business relationships, I hope I bring a balanced and educated view to my role. My positions over the years have included; Technical Representation, Sales Management, Business Development, General Management and Marketing. My business mantra is based on assisting businesses to become better businesses through informed solution solving practices, not just selling a product. I have been in my current role with ICL for two and a half years, and I love it.

Sam – I have a PhD in soil chemistry (nutrition) and an honours degree in Agricultural Science, both from Adelaide University. I was a scientist at Adelaide University for six years before joining ICL, mainly publishing on nutrient reactions in fertilisers, soils and uptake by crops. I have been fortunate to spend time working at the University of Arkansas in the USA and at Sabanci University in Turkey and have also visited and assisted nurseries, turf and crop production sites in many other countries. I have been at ICL for ten years, where I provide technical and regulatory support to the Australian and New Zealand business, and support colleagues based in Asia as needed.

And what would a typical day at ICL look like for you both? Roger – My role is to visit and consult with growers on their fertiliser and weed management practices and advise if there are options that could lead to a better result. I spend around 50 per cent of my time on the road servicing the needs of growers in Vic, SA and Tas, and the rest of the time in my home office in the SE suburbs. Although some of the calls I make are initiated directly, often a request comes from our distributor network and their in-field sales team. I try to be respectfully critical of grower practices because we are looking for opportunities to improve production or make it more efficient. Hopefully that means growers look on us as being a valuable contributor to their business. If I don’t have

The ICL Team in Sydney 2019 – The majority of the ICL ANZ team pre-covid when we could all meet in one spot!

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

John Warner (Warners Nurseries) and Roger Boyle inspecting a trial crop

a good answer, I can reach out to other team members or to experts in the industry. Of course, the best days are when we visit growers who are doing things right because they have researched best practices and have been confident enough to make changes. Sam – The most enjoyable tasks include visiting growers, especially when we can help solve an issue, setting up trials, analysing data and preparing seminars and educational material. Regulatory compliance, preparing registration applications, import permits and safety data sheets is crucial work but not quite as interesting!

How do your two roles crossover to complement and inform each other? Roger – Whilst my role is local, and local relationships are paramount, Sam holds a more holistic and technical role over a much larger territory. Being able to contact Sam for full technical support compliments my locally acquired industry knowledge. Being located in South Australia, Sam is also incredibly valuable when it is not possible for me to travel. His personable and enquiring nature is respected by growers and distributors alike. Although we don’t do a lot of joint visits due to our separate locations, the influx of online webinars and meetings in the last year, have greatly increased our scope to connect with the end user and our distributor network. Sam – I am in contact with our Regional Managers every day, and they are also in contact with each other. The team regularly pools ideas to help solve grower issues. We design trials together, share results and work together to support the industry in a meaningful way.

Roger, can you explain how Dr Sam’s scientific background benefits ICL’s customers? More and more the growing of plants is becoming more specialised and scientific, particularly as growers and their customers strive for consistency and perfection across a crop. Sam’s knowledge of the interaction of nutrients under varying conditions is incredibly valuable as each grower’s conditions and locations vary. Sam is generally able to assess the situation logically, and then clearly suggest a solution that is palatable to the grower. u GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: ICL

Dr Sam Stacey [front right] celebrating Spring Blueming charity event with Jason Scroop and the team from Poplar Grove Nursery in South Australia

And Dr Sam, Roger has built up years of experience working across retail, wholesale and allied trades, how does that experience across the horticultural industry benefit ICL’s customers? A critical part of Roger’s role is to help growers implement nutrition programs that will produce high quality plants and meet their production goals. From our joint visits with growers I know that he is often thinking more broadly about the implications of what we recommend on transport efficiency, shelf-life and how plants will present in retail. These are important considerations that may need to be addressed right at the start of a crop’s production cycle.

Dr Sam, do you think ICL’s approach to embedding scientific know-how into their work is underutilised in our industry? Research and development (R&D) is core to the ICL business. All our sales and technical staff (globally) are involved with trials and a number have been run at nurseries in Victoria. We have an extensive new product R&D program that is split between our in-house research stations and work at Universities. Of course, this means we are not always able to release new products quickly – some products take years of development. But it gives us confidence that the products will perform and that all product claims are based on extensive research. The trials at nurseries in Australia help us to remain progressive and responsible with our advice. Our whole team in Australia and New Zealand really values this approach.

Roger, can you provide a practical example of a time that your experience and Dr Sam’s scientific expertise have combined to benefit a customer? In my first 12 months in the role, I went back to a lot of businesses I had known for years, many of whom didn’t really have a relationship with ICL. This opened the door to new conversations and with Sam’s help we were able to review numerous fertilizer programs for the benefit of growers. What I have found through visiting growers, is that most are happy with the way the crop is growing, however many growers are topdressing, with all the costs and weed management issues. Being able to use the technical resources of Sam and my experience I can assist growers to eliminate the need for topdressing and assist in increasing profitability of the nursery. We both like to be respectfully critical of existing practices.

Science is often viewed as intimidating and complex, how do you overcome that barrier Dr Sam, when conveying your message to customers? One of the reasons I was drawn to working with soils and plants is that the science has obvious practical application. In horticulture we don’t usually ask broad, theoretical questions. Instead, the science is about understanding real-life biology and chemistry. The information is not only fascinating, it can also guide us to make good management decisions. When communicating with growers I try to think about practical applications that can be immediately implemented. I want the message to be useful.

SLLASHER ORGA ANIC* WEEDKIILLER ®

Completely safe s to use aroundd pots, garden edges & trees No lasting residues r in soil Active made from natural plaant oils Faast acting & effective againsst resistant weeds *Registered for use in organicc farming systems SCAN FOR MORE INFO O Organic g mooss & algae g killers

For moore information visit ocp.com.au . or call 1800 634 204 16

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

NSW 0408 025 1399 Sth VIC/TTA AS 0488 717 5155

PROFILE: ICL

Roger, what do you think is the key to developing lasting relationships with your customers? To me it all comes down to communication; listening before speaking to find out what the real issue is, being respectful of what they have done up until now, developing a solution to their issue that is practical, following it through to fruition, and reviewing the results. I never overpromise, but work with my customers and my employer to find a solution that satisfies everyone. Then do it again, and again, and again.

What was it that led you both to a career in horticulture? Roger – I stumbled into it after failing in Cartography and having a family history of keen gardeners helped. My first employer (Interior Plantscaping) opened my eyes to corporate horticultural sales and design and was very supportive in allowing me to develop my career down the sales and business development avenue. As I said earlier, I get the most satisfaction from helping businesses to become better businesses. If I can help them, then we both grow. Sam – I started growing plants in primary school and cultivated an ever-expanding patch of vegetables and culinary herbs right throughout my teen years. When I decided to pursue a career in science, the study of soils and plants was inevitable. I decided to specialise in soil science when I realised

how fundamental soil processes were in influencing plant growth. I had to understand what was happening in the soil to be able to understand what was happening in the plant. A major reason that I left a University career to join ICL was the opportunity to work more closely with growers where the science can be applied and explored in real-world situations.

And finally, if you were to choose a quality that you admire in each other, what would it be? Roger – Although I thoroughly respect Sam’s knowledge, I admire his ability to relay that knowledge in a balanced, comprehensible and free of ‘spin’ manner even more. You just have to watch one of his webinars to see how he is able to translate the scientific facts into practical ones. Sam – Without wanting to make this sound like a lovefest, I admire Roger’s honesty and integrity. His comments about wanting to get the best outcome for growers isn’t just for the interview. He expresses the same view behind closed doors and in the car before and after visiting growers. A big thank you to Roger and Sam for those insights. Every day, around the world, ICL experts work with end users to optimise plant nutrition and provide advice, know-how and expertise on location. The combination of world-class technology and a down-to-earth personal touch are the seeds of ICL Specialty Fertilizers’ success.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: HORTITECH

The time for change is now Monbulk Rural becomes Hortitech and Horticraft By Matt Ross There comes a time when a business must decide whether they will stick or twist. For Monbulk Rural that time is now and they’re choosing to twist. Established in 1982, they’ve been servicing the nursery and flower industries, providing crop protection solutions to almost every area of horticulture and agriculture. We caught up with Accounts and Manufacturing Coordinator, Dean Smith and Marketing Coordinator Ashley O’Hara to find out more about the changes they’re undertaking. With increasing demand for their products from New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and most recently the Northern Territory, Monbulk Rural, a name that is tied to it’s Victorian location, will be phased out and replaced by Hortitech. Their motto, grow with us, seems even more fitting as they look to build on what they’ve achieved in Victoria. “It’s sad to see the name go, I’ve been here a number of years and it will be strange to not be Monbulk Rural. But I completely appreciate that as we grow and supply to more of Australia it makes sense to move away from that localised feel,” said Dean. They’ll still be delivering the same high-quality product and supporting their customers with outstanding service. For decades customers have enjoyed visiting their site in Monbulk, talking to Stan, their manufacturing foreman or Richard, their yard hand, about their needs. And that personal touch will not be compromised, it’s part of their DNA. They’re also launching a sister company, Horticraft, which will take on the wholesale side of the business; supplying bulk

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

greenhouse plastic, weed matting, bird netting, new build shade structures, and the like. They’ve established a warehouse in Gatton, QLD, and are looking for a suitable premises in Tasmania, to house wholesale products that they can quickly distribute to interstate customers. And now they want to get the word out; to share their new identity and start telling their story. They’ve created a new website (hortitech.net.au) that allows customers to place their own orders for increased efficiency and Ashley has started applying her creativity and energy to their social media channels to share the skill and workmanship that goes into their design and manufacturing. And Dean’s quick to point out it’s already being reflected through their sales. “We shared photos of Stan manufacturing our benches on Instagram and received so many comments from customers who had no idea that we manufacture everything right here, from the benches and potting trolleys to the tunnel house kits. That really blew me away and made me see the value of creating and sharing more content to tell our story.”

PROFILE: HORTITECH

And for every innovation and step forward they take they are careful to retain things that still work. They’ve expanded their team to bring in a civil engineer for the first time, but they still use the same 70-year-old rolling machine. The orange branding stays, but the shade will have a refresh. The recruitment of younger team members is balanced with the retention of those that have been part of the team for decades and carry so much knowledge, indeed original owner Dave Arnott, now 76, chooses to work three days a week and enjoys sharing what he knows. Stan has been part of the team for 25 years, Richard 12 and Heather 11. And why would they want to leave, together they’ve cultivated a special workplace culture. This is a united team who learn from and inspire one another. They all know their roles and owner James trusts they will execute them. This is not a place for micromanagement or hierarchical structures; they respect each other’s talents and enjoy one another’s company too much. As I left the Hortitech offices I could feel the excitement and the passion they have for where they’re heading. Change isn’t always easy but sometimes it’s necessary and NGIV is looking forward to seeing Hortitech and Horticraft expand their business throughout Australia. “The launch of Hortitech and Horticraft, and the new website, represents the biggest changes in our 39-year history. But it’s the right time. It’s big for us, it’s big for our customers and we’ll all go through it together,” said Dean. Follow them on Instagram (@monbulkrural.hortitech) and Facebook (@Hortitech-Monbulk-Rural-Enterprises) to learn more about the team, their work and their growth.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

TRADE DAY

July Trade Day report By Nan Cleven After what felt like such a long wait, it was fantastic to bring our industry together to experience Trade Day at it’s new home; KCC Park. It was wonderful to see the pavilion transformed from an empty space to a busy, bustling market jam packed with stunning plantlife and allied offerings.

A Trade Day stalwart, Chris England from Merrywod Plants and one of his beautiful espalier creations.

It doesn’t matter how early it is, Malcolm Calder of Industry Partner Transplant Systems, is always smiling. One of the first to arrive and set up at the new venue bringing their state-ofthe-art nursery automation with them.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

Facey’s Nursery front and centre at the new venue, with Raelene and Wendy Trimble assembling a stunning display and some fantastic branding.

Ben Mayle from Combined Nursery bringing the colour, and the smiles, to Trade Day at KCC Park.

Craig and Alex from Feingold Flowergrowers surrounded by their Australian native farm-fresh orchids phaelenopsis, a big hit with the buyers.

Tony Pezzaniti from Mount View Nursery all setup and ready for the buyers, surrounded by stunning greenlife.

Thanks to everyone for coming along to our first Trade Day at KCC Park; it was a great turnout. We received lots of positive feedback from stand holders and growers alike, regarding the new venue. The NGIV team and Trade Day Committee have met to look at ways to deliver an even better August Trade Day.

The Warners crew, ever present at Trade Day, and with another beautiful display to delight the buyers.

TRADE DAY

A big thank you to our industry sponsors on the big day; Gallagher and Helix Australia.

Adrian Parsons of Helix Australia had the honours of ringing the bell to signify trading was open at the first Trade Day at the new venue

A big thanks to DNS Electric Vehicles for helping out with plant transporting; you made the day a whole lot easier for buyers and stand holders alike

Andrew Raper from Rhodo Glen Nurseries busy totting up the orders.

It was a fantastic start to Trade Day life at KCC Park and we’re already looking forward to the next one. Come along and experience Trade Day yourself; it’s more than just a market. Contact the NGIV office for more information.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

PROFILE: KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY

A nurseryman and his nursery Evan Clucas, Kuranga Native Nursery By Jane Edmanson Jane Edmanson, caught up with her friend and nurseryman, Evan Clucas, to discover where his passion for growing came from, how his love of native plants shaped his garden and nursery, and how the public perception of native plants has changed through the years. Evan Clucas and Leanne Weston are well known for their love of native plants. Their retail nursery, Kuranga Native Nursery in Mount Evelyn, is always a delight for gardeners to visit. When he was a young lad, Evan’s parents had half an acre in Mont Albert that they let him plant up. They also owned a bush block in Pakenham Upper where he loved to roam around and take note of the bird and plant life which instilled a love of nature that has never left him. Actually, his first love was birdlife, and he became interested in which plants attracted birds, then eventually nature and plants took over. Evan is blessed with a large one-acre garden, populated entirely with native plants. There is a wide variety, a bit of everything, he is not prejudiced in his choices. He loves the way plants meld together in shape and form and is passionate about different plant groups, such as eucalypt, grevilleas, boronias, phebalium and as he calls them, the “odd ball” persoonias.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

Over the years he has had a significant collection of native plants, sometimes certain varieties fade away to make room for another collection. Right now, his attention is on the Phebalium species. “It is a plant that should be better known by growers and gardeners, as they are so rewarding, such easy maintenance and with wonderful colourful flowers.” Says Evan. Evan has always liked walking in the bush and in the past has gone on collecting trips, having his garden and nursery provides places that he can showcase his native plants. There is so much diversity and things are always changing, for instance the general public’s interest in bush food is huge. It has always filled a small niche but now it is quite a trend. He loves the way breeding and research has meant that so many native plants are smaller growing and freer flowering, and this will go on infinitum.

PROFILE: KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY

Evan says that everyone has learnt so much about the incredible range of Australian plants compared to where gardeners started in the 1970’s and 80’s. He gives the example of Grevillea rosmarinifolia which was “a prickly old choice” in those days, choices were minimal, but nowadays there are over a dozen varieties including hybrids and lower growing species that are vastly superior. Evan and his partner, Leanne, had always wanted to own a nursery. Evan had gained experience working in a large production nursery and Leanne started her career at a retail nursery. They opened Kuranga Native Nursery in Ringwood in 1983 and the first thing they realised was that there was only a very limited range of native plants being grown in the mainstream native nursery industry. They wanted to stock the nursery with a decent range so they had to grow a lot of their own stock. The nursery has always had a reputation for carrying an impressive range of plants and soon customers were coming from near and far. The nursery continued operating from Ringwood until 2005 when they moved to a beautiful four-acre site in Mount Evelyn. The new site incorporates new features like a gift shop and their Paper Bark Café offering lots of Australian bush food and products.

ESTABLISHED 1998

WHOLESALE NURSERY | LANDSCAPING AND SEASONAL LINES BORDERING PLANT OPTIONS | POTTED PLANTS

“The overall picture for native plants is very encouraging, especially with the variety that is available for today’s smaller gardens.” As they step back a little from the day to day running of Kuranga, the nursery is in good hands. Together they have created a friendly and knowledgeable team of nursery people who are dedicated and enthusiastic to continue their work. Located at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, NGIV Member Kuranga Nursery, displays Australia’s largest range of Australian native plants and is a must visit. A big thank you to Jane Edmanson for writing this piece and once again showing her support for the industry.

JMK NURSERY 160 Wandin Creek Rd Wandin East VIC 3139 E jmknursery@bigpond.com | T 03 5964 2971 | jmknursery.com.au GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Where will all the trees be? Local Government Survey Results This 2021 report provides a deep-dive into the state of urban forestry management in Australia’s urban Local Government Areas (LGAs): what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. The National Green Space Survey was undertaken across 116 urban councils, as part of the Phase 2 of the Where Will All the Trees Be? green cover benchmarking research. RMIT researchers surveyed 169 people whose job it is to green our cities at the local council level to learn more about the influence of local government on greening outcomes through policies, resourcing, community engagement and ‘effort’. This included council planners, arborists, landscape architects, engineers, parks teams and sustainability officers (referred to herein as ‘respondents’) from each 2 of the urban Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Australia. The big revelation from the survey is that 88% of local councils reporting having an Urban Forest Strategy or are developing one.

» Community support is critical when it comes to urban forestry

So, what is the formula for ensuring that an urban forestry plan actually works? 1. Enforcement of tree protection and planting rules On public land there is a significant amount of policy out there. Whilst this mainly focuses on risk and removal, it’s generally working. On private land, most councils have planning controls but a minority agree they are properly enforced.

2. Public or private land as an enabling context Most canopy loss is on private land, that’s the majority of land in most councils. Couple this with weak State Government and Territory planning directives presents an immense challenge.

» The most progress is being made on public land » Compared to seven years ago, most councils report progress However, 54% of local councils are experiencing high or very high challenges.

» Most local councils are losing more green cover than they are gaining

» Losses are mainly on private land, in part due to resourcing and limited/ineffective planning policy and controls

» Where it is being lost, there is limited community support for urban forestry

3. Programs/tools/information Most are well progressed with public programs. 91% have a council run planting program … but not with private programs. Only 45% are keeping a complete tree inventory.

4. Resources and how they are allocated Local governments report a range of resourcing contexts across State and Territories: Resources needed:

» Comprehensive approach to Urban Forestry Management » Skilled staff » Investment in tree inventory and mapping tools. » Innovation fund » State policy for private land » Programs to better engage community This survey highlights that while there are very good intentions (expressed at the strategic policy level to encourage the growth of urban green cover), these aspirations are not always being translated at the implementation level. There remains a disconnect within planning systems that don’t fully appreciate the value of green cover.

Strong resourcing Fair resourcing Under resourced

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Among the broader community and especially political leaders, green, living infrastructure is not yet recognised as essential infrastructure, or valued as such. THE GOOD NEWS is that among the vast majority of urban local councils, there is a clear recognition of the value of trees and urban green cover. This recognition is translated into Urban Forest Management Plans (or equivalent) that have been endorsed by councils. THE BAD NEWS is that just having this policy isn’t enough to allay, and reverse the overall trend of urban canopy and green cover decline. The capacity to ensure that green cover can grow as our cities do depends on:

» The community’s attitude toward trees. » The council’s ability to plant more and protect what they have. This survey offers policy-makers, leaders and advocates a very clear set of solutions that, if implemented, would achieve some excellent outcomes and enable the full benefits of urban green cover to be realised throughout Australia. It is important to note that the results of this survey help to partially explain some of the losses and gains seen in green

over across the country (as reported in the Where Will All The Trees Be? benchmarking report). While local councils have direct control over managing vegetation in streets, parks and other public spaces, the ability to protect and enhance the urban forest on private land is much harder. A lack of resources, organisations and community support, coupled with weak State Government and Territory enablers, demonstrates the challenges local council face in managing trees and vegetation on private land. Given that most Local Government Areas’ land cover is privately owned, the extent of this challenge is immense. When read alongside the benchmarking report, these survey results help clearly identify the barriers that are preventing actions and a lightning rod for collaboration. You can view the full report at greenerspacesbetterplaces.com.au Originally the 202020 Vision program, Greener Spaces Better Places is a national initiative that brings together academia, business, government, community groups and the green industry to share knowledge and find new ways to work together to make sure that as our cities and towns grow, so too do our green spaces.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

CLIVE’S CORNER

The need to talk up our products, our profession, our industry By Clive Larkman, Larkman Nurseries

CLIVE’S CORNER

We hear on the radio and in the media this comment ‘work – life balance’ which I find annoying as it implies that work is not part of life. If they wanted to say work-leisure balance it would make sense. Granted that for some people work is a chore and they would rather not be there. Their work is mundane and they are in an industry that does not generate a lot of satisfaction. We work in a great industry as we are creating and growing living organisms that just by existing make the world a better place. We are producing little oxygen machines that are a key part of the circle of life. It doesn’t matter if you are growing expensive indoor plants for the millennial collector with lots of money or mass producing vegetable seedlings for our farmers. Plants are good things to produce!

It doesn’t matter how you came here but you are part of a worldwide family that goes back thousands of years. The ornamental sector has been part of society for centuries. Just look back at some of the age-old Japanese Bonsai or the ancient trees in parts of Europe. These were grown by people with a belief that what they were growing would be around long after they have left their lives on Earth.

Some of us have come to the nursery industry from other professions and others were born into plant growing families. Others chose nursery work as a profession when we left school.

15 months ago, we were just getting our heads around the new pandemic as it spread around the world. We were all living with a sense of worry but felt that it would have been over by spring. Winter, a year on and we are still trying to deal with the constant fear of lockdowns and border closure. We had what was probably the best year in over 100 for nursery industry sales as many people were forced to live in their homes for weeks on end. We were all stunned by the winter demand in 2020 and the industry is the better for it.

Photo: CDC, Unsplash

Last year brought many new people to the pleasure of gardening and growing their own food. Young and old who had always done something else in their leisure time. They also found that it is rewarding to watch plants grow and beautify their homes. Those that chose to grow their own food found that it tasted better and wasn’t that hard to do. We must as a united industry do our best to keep these new converts in the garden. The lockdowns this year were too short to have a similar effect on the community, but they haven’t turned anyone away from the garden. The degree of uncertainty and fear of travelling interstate and being stuck away from home in quarantine or having to isolate when they return is keeping people at home.

W E NE NG RA

Slow Releas se Fertilisers CALL US FOR A FREE SAM MPLE

1800 BIOGRO (246 476) 4

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

NY TROLENE

NY TROLE T NE

NY TROLENE

40N

PREMIX

TOP P DRESS

SPRING START

CLIVE’S CORNER Photo: Cottonbro, Pexels

NGIV Safety Program: Keeping our members safe

Now they are starting to worry about even moving around Melbourne in case they go to a venue that is later found to be a Tier One site. We should be able to do well again this spring but we must as a united industry deliver a message that home gardening is fun, is easy, is rewarding and is good for you. We need each one of us to find ways to promote plants in any way we can. We should participate in shows, talk up the hobby, help others to promote plants. Whenever we are asked to promote plants through talks and visits to schools, Rotary and Service clubs or even talks on the radio, we have to respond. The more of us that can do this the greater the awareness of gardening will filter through our communities. Whenever we are asked where we work or what we do we should be proud to say, “in a nursery working with plants.” Let’s talk up our products, our profession, our industry.

We all know we have obligations when it comes to safety, but how do we know if we are doing enough to manage them? Being busy is often a great sign of success, but have you ever considered how much is overlooked just to get the job done? Complacency is the number one cause of incidents occurring in our industry and we need to work together to address it. Whether you review your safety practices annually or monthly, there is always room to improve, and we want to help you do it. How effective is your current safety system? The first stage of the NGIV Safety Program is to find out how confident our members feel when it comes to addressing safety in their own workplace. The short survey that you can find on our website in Latest News, or in your inbox, is designed to highlight key areas where our members need the most support.

Clive Larkman Managing Director Larkman Nurseries

About the author Clive has a degree in Biological Science – Zoology and Botany, a post graduate diploma in Philosophy of Science and is a certificated nurseryman. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (Past Victorian President), life member of The Australian Lavender Growers Association, Treasurer of the I nternational Plant Propagator’s Society – Australian Region (past President and International Board Member), the executive of the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria, Chairman of Agribusiness Yarra Valley and Chairman of Victorian Agribusiness Council. He writes regularly for several trade journals and is a member of the Horticultural Media Association.

Over the next 12 months, participants will gain access to a range of free tools, downloads and webinars. These tools will help improve the overall standard across our industry, to protect our reputation and keep all of our members safe.

Proud Partners of NGIV Technology is what we do, innovation is what we live for Follow Us

/powerplantsaustralia

@powerplantsaust

powerplants.com.au

/user/powerplantsaustralia

pb-tec.com

@powerplantsaustralia

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Showcasing our great industry to Agriculture Victoria By Matt Ross On 25 June, NGIV President, Simon Gomme, CEO, Craig Taberner and Technical Manager, David Reid, delivered a horticultural tour to a number of senior figures from Agriculture Victoria. The purpose of the tour was to highlight the breadth of our sector and outline the challenges and opportunities for industry and our member businesses. It was also a chance to visit some of our Dandenongs based members impacted by the storms and understand more about the damage that was inflicted. NGIV enjoys a close working relationship with Agriculture Victoria and view the Department as the Governmental leader in our space. The tour was another opportunity to further strengthen those ties. Matt Lowe, CEO of Agriculture Victoria, accompanied Michael Rosier (A/ED-Agriculture Services and Regions), Sze Flett (Director of Horticulture Services), Julie Simons (Executive Director Seasonal Workforce), and Steve Gartlan (A/Director Agriculture Industry & Rural Transition), joined us for a wonderful tour of four of our member sites. A big thank you to Flemings Nursery Group, Garden City Plastics, Ball Australia, Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery and Tissue Culture Australia, for making yourselves and your sites available, and bringing what you do to life.

We outlined the challenges our industry faces around employment, education, biosecurity and the need for support to mitigate external climatic factors. We spoke passionately about the challenges that we, as a state face, as a result of climate change and the need for more green infrastructure in our landscapes. With increased Government support we can supply the plantlife to help mitigate the impacts of a changing climate.

The tour provided the perfect opportunity to remind Agriculture Victoria of our work and the importance of our industry.

We finished with a rallying cry imploring Agriculture Victoria to provide support to help Victoria to be recognised as Australia’s Leader in horticulture.

We emphasised our confidence that with targeted government support and investment, horticulture can improve the health and well-being of all Victorians, drive economic recovery, reignite tourism and create the green infrastructure Victoria needs to remain liveable and resilient.

NGIV place significant importance on advocating for our industry and our members, particularly to Government. This year has really highlighted the need to have those strong relationships with Government and for them to understand the significance of our industry.

We drew attention to the impact of COVID-19 on our industry and the unparalleled demand placed on greenlife as Victorians craved that connection to nature and health and wellbeing benefits. All of which resulted in extreme challenges for our supply chain.

We were delighted with the tour and we know that those representatives from Agriculture Victoria left with a true understanding of our industry, impressed by the scale of what we do and aware of the challenges and opportunities we face.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

MARKETING

Getting the most out of Instagram By Matt Ross Love it or loathe it, social media is very much part of our lives. Increasingly it’s where people go to learn, get inspired, socialise, share ideas and to feel part of a community. It’s a free and fast way to engage your target audience and share your message. For those reasons it makes total sense for your business to embrace social media. In the coming issues I’m going to explain the different social media channels, how to use them and how to get the most out of them. Instagram is the perfect place to start for horticultural businesses; it’s all about sharing beautiful, inspiring and educational images and videos, something horticultural businesses have access to in abundance. If you haven’t got an Instagram account yet, you may think it’s too much work, that you don’t have the skill set, anything worth sharing or you don’t see the point. Think again.

I don’t have the time All you need is a phone with a camera. Take a few shots of your plants, displays, machinery or staff hard at work, each day. And commit to posting a posting schedule, you might want to share an image each day or each week, but commit to something and start sharing. It doesn’t need to be something you allow extra time for, just take a few snaps and let the image do the talking, Instagram is not a channel for lots of copy, less is more.

I don’t have the skillset You don’t need to be a master photographer to capture a beautiful image. Just point and shoot. Experiment with close up plant shots and stunning landscapes. If you’re still not convinced that you’re up to the job, find out if one or more of your team already enjoys and understands Instagram and empower them to manage your account.

I don’t have anything worth sharing In our industry we’re fortunate enough to work with one of the most photographic muses there is; plants! There is a growing appetite to celebrate the beauty of nature and plants are the perfect vehicle. We’re also sometimes guilty of taking our work sites for granted, again in our industry we’re fortunate to work in some amazing spaces that change with the seasons and the stock.

I don’t see the point What if I told you you could promote the excellence of your business, the expertise of your staff, the beauty of your stock and changes within your business, to thousands of potential gardeners and industry colleagues, and it won’t cost you a thing?

Here’s a snapshot of some of our members getting it right.

This post from Ozbreed shows that they care about erosion and the environment, they are sharing that knowledge with their audience and using the right hashtags.

The Greenery Garden Centre take the opportunity to share news with their customers and whet the appetite at the same time. The emojis are a nice touch too. u

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

MARKETING

Now that you’re ready to give it a go, here’s some tips to help you engage and inspire an audience that will promote your business and the industry as a whole.

1. Have an overall aim or objective for your Instagram channel. What do you want to say? Do you want to educate would-be gardeners, do you want to celebrate the beauty of your stock, do you want to champion the benefits of horticulture? You may have multiple objectives but try to keep them in mind when you post to keep you on track. Diaco’s Garden Nursery regularly share educational videos, this one on pest management received 55,000 views.

2. Be in it for the long haul. Whilst the overall aim might to build up a sizeable following, who engage and comment on your posts, that takes time. Don’t be disheartened in the early days if you’re not getting the engagement you want. Keep posting good content and your audience will find you.

3. How to attract followers.

JFT Nurseries do a great job at introducing their smiling team and having a bit of fun at the same time. This is the sort of business you want to work with.

The images you share are key, keep the quality of image high and don’t post for the sake of it. Keep copy to a minimum, it’s not a space for lengthy diatribes, but it is still important what you say and how you say it. Consider humour, fun facts or informative words. Use #’s in your copy. Use hashtags, a post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without. A hashtag allows Instagram users to search for content that appeals to them, if you share an image of an orchid, #orchid could bring a host of orchid lovers to your post. Follow other similar businesses and comment and like their posts, there’s a good chance they will follow you back and engage with your own page.

4. Experiment. It can take a while to understand what resonates with an audience. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different images, tone of voice and messages. Be aware of what is proving to be popular with your audience and what isn’t hitting the mark.

5. Understand your USP. What is it that makes your business different from your competitors? Perhaps it’s the plant variety you specialise in, or you may have a unique approach to sustainability, or a particularly beautiful site. Whatever it is, be sure to champion that thing to stand out form the crowd.

6. Share your knowledge.

Tall Trees Nursery do well to tie their plant pic together with a day of celebration, in this case National Eucalypt Day, using the hashtag will encourage many a eucalypt fans to their page.

Increasingly Instagram is a space that people go to learn. There is an army of gardeners out there with bags of enthusiasm that don’t have the knowledge to succeed. Create and share short (1 minute) video tips to help them; this not only gives them the taste of success, but it also sets you up as experts at what you do.

7. Be personable. Take the opportunity to introduce your team. This removes the barrier between customer and business and lets them in.

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

MARKETING

Your team is made up of different characters with different personalities and skillsets. Your customer will often rather engage with a business that they feel they know and can relate to.

8. Ask questions.

Boomaroo Nurseries celebrate the beauty and wander of a sea of seedlings and use video timelapse to capture the plant movement.

Make your audience feel like they are involved. The occasional question; what was the last thing you planted, what weekend gardening jobs have you got planned, what’s your top gardening tip; will make them feel they are part of your community and encourage sharing.

9. Have a regular theme. Adding a consistent them to your weekly posting schedule can be something that your audience looks forward to. It could be ‘Floral Fridays’, each and every Friday you post a picture of a different plant in flower. It might be Tuesday Tips, every Tuesday you share a gardening tip with your audience.

10. Don’t take it too seriously. It can be disheartening to share content and not receive the engagement you hoped for. Don’t let that put you off. Keep plugging away, keep learning and keep having fun with your page. Whether you’re a grower, a retailer or an allied business, Instagram is a great tool to get your brand noticed, share your message and have a bit of fun at the same time.

And here we are, letting consumers know that retailers are open again and encouraging them to splurge on plants

Gro owing quality plants is our o priority.

Est. 1985

E orders@grandviewmonbulk.com.au | PH: (03) 9756 612 1 E: W: www.grandviewmonbulk k.com.au CONTAC T US TODAY TO ACCESS OUR VIRTUAL SP EC TRUCK! SEE US AT TRADE DAY Y, STA AND F4 GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

INDUSTRY NEWS

Helix Australia hits the small screen to drive consumer awareness In addition to its strong presence as a breeder and marketer of new and improved Chamelaucium and Boronia hybrids, Helix Australia also invests significant resources to develop a strong brand profile at a consumer and trade level. Adrian Parsons, Managing Director of Helix Australia, outlined the rationale for investing in downstream consumer marketing activity. “Fast moving consumer goods manufacturers (FMCG) always allocate a percentage of their budget to build a consumer brand profile and awareness, to help move stock from the retailer shelves. Breeding is both a long and expensive exercise and it is vital that we help create demand for our hybrids across growers, retailers and home gardeners.”

increase in 25-39-year-olds; a market that are eager to learn to experience success. In addition, The Garden Gurus website views and Facebook engagement, particularly The Garden Gurus Live, have been increasing week on week. The Helix Australia Boronia segment will feature on The Garden Gurus, Channel 9, on Saturday 21 August. I’d encourage NGIV Members to tune in. Check local TV listings for more details.

To assist this objective Helix Australia has commissioned a segment on The Garden Gurus television programme profiling its two Boronia hybrids; Boronia Plum Bells and Boronia Magenta Stars.

Find out more about Helix Australia at helixaustralia.com.au or contact Adrian Parsons e: adrian@helixaustralia.com.au m: 0418 399 539

The Garden Gurus show is experiencing very strong growth and ratings, with an average viewership of 513,000 per episode. It’s interesting to note that there’s a 139 per cent

VIC

Bushland Flora Narkabundah Nursery Humphris Nursery 32

Native Plant Wholesalers

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

NSW

Tarrawood Nursery Gondwana Nursery

Benara Nurseries Domus Nursery Plantrite

QLD

Pohlmans Nursery

BIOSECURITY

Joining the conversation to shape Victoria’s biosecurity future By Bridie L Walsh, Biosecurity and Agriculture Services, Agriculture Victoria “Good biosecurity benefits not only our members, but also everyone in the community,” CEO Craig Taberner said to experts from across industry, community and government during Agriculture Victoria’s Shaping Victoria’s Biosecurity Future workshop held in June. With the ever-increasing rise of biosecurity threats and demand on the system, Agriculture Victoria called on all those who play a role in our biosecurity system to ‘join the conversation’ about strengthening biosecurity in Victoria. Nursing and Garden Industry Victoria’s (NGIV) answered that call. “Biosecurity is a key pillar to protect the industry,” Craig said. The viability and sustainability of the nursery and garden industries depend on strong biosecurity. With NGIV members leaders in nursery exports, significant volumes leave Victoria every day. Quality product and market access is critical for members. The industry not only produces stock for other commodity groups but also a third of Australia’s green life. “What I’d like to see in a new approach for biosecurity is government leveraging from the existing connections with industry and a genuine commitment to develop and forge stronger partnerships.”

Examining the statewide interview and survey results The workshop comes off the back of Agriculture Victoria’s engagement with more than 1500 farmers, businesses, industry groups, and community members via one on one interviews and a statewide survey on our biosecurity system. This included views from other government jurisdictions and Victoria’s First Nations people. The data from the interviews and survey showed that:

» We need to be prepared for biosecurity risks. Not enough farms and business have biosecurity plans, with only 61 per cent of farms and 43 per cent of business surveyed having plans in place.

» Peak bodies are a key part of the information chain, but there’s opportunities to connect with landowners outside these networks.

» Finally, there is opportunity to improve the sharing of information and intelligence, and use our industry and community networks, our eyes and ears on the ground, to ensure that reporting biosecurity incident becomes a reflex action. A clear message from the survey and interviews is that together government, industry and community need to continue to build capacity and capability in the face of inevitable and growing

biosecurity risks. The next step is to better coordinate our collective resources, knowledge, and expertise to foster a more resilient biosecurity future for Victoria.

Collective conversations Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas opened the workshop and said, “We are at a point where this collective discussion on the challenges and opportunities has the potential to lead to real change for the system – strengthening our partnerships, modernising our legislation and regulatory approaches, enhancing preparedness and resilience, and improving how we share information across the system.” The workshop brought together a wide range of sectors from the meat and livestock, dairy, horticulture and grains industries, to community groups like Landcare, representative bodies such as the Invasive Species Council, Local, State and Federal governments and members from retail, wholesale, transport and distribution sectors. Together participants identified opportunities for forging genuine partnerships and building capacity on farms, in industry and through community to lead some of the biosecurity effort and investment to strengthen the system. Minister Thomas affirmed, “We want to foster more collective approaches in biosecurity, ensuring the continued strong performance of Victoria’s biosecurity system.

More information A workshop report will be available in the coming weeks which will outline the outcomes and potential opportunities for investment and action. Add your voice, make sure you register to receive information about future initiatives and events to strengthening Victoria’s biosecurity system and learn more at agriculture.vic.gov.au/svbs-program

GROUNDSWELL AUGUST 2021

RETAIL STATE OF PLAY

Groundswell | August 21

Articles inside

Interview with NextGen: ELISE MARCH

THE NEED TO TALK UP OUR PRODUCTS, OUR PROFESSION, OUR INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY NEWS

SHOWCASING OUR GREAT INDUSTRY TO AGRICULTURE VICTORIA

SHAPING VICTORIA’S BIOSECURITY FUTURE

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF INSTAGRAM

INDUSTRY NEWS

WHERE WILL ALL THE TREES BE?

EXECUTIVE UPDATE

JULY TRADE DAY REPORT

Working together - How our future is growing

A NURSERYMAN AND HIS NURSERY EVAN CLUCAS, KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY

HORTITECH: TIME FOR A CHANGE

MICHAEL COKER: A LIFE AMONGST ORCHIDS

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT WITH ICL