Groundswell - December 2022

PUBLISHER

NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA

PRESIDENT Simon Gomme

CEO Craig Taberner

CONTRIBUTORS Simon Gomme, Craig Taberner, Tom Amos, Elliott Akintola, Nan Cleven, Gerard Tan, Jon Manning

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

E: angie@valegraphics.com.au

PRINTING Norwood Industries

6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam VIC 3803.

CONTENTS

4 EXECUTIVE UPDATE 6 MICROBIOME HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPIONS IN PLANT PRODUCTION

AUSTRALIAN HORTICULTURAL TRIALS 2022

FLOWER CARPET ROSE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

CYBERSECURITY A NEW FRONTIER

A SIDE TRIP TO GIPPSLAND’S PBM NURSERY 18 T&SG: MT EVELYN GARDEN CENTRE 20 SIDEKICKER: HIRING’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 23 IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME BRAIN 24 PUTTING VALUE AND CUSTOMERS AT THE CENTRE OF YOUR BUSINESS 27 NATIONAL NURSERY SURVEY

LAUNCH OF THE VICTORIAN AGRICULTURE CLIMATE CHANGE STATEMENT

VALE: DAVID VANDERUIT

BAYER COMPLETES SALE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE BUSINESS 31 VALE: ROY GEOFFREY SCHIRMER 32 NGIV PARTNERS WITH JOBS VICTORIA 32 TWO EVENTS IN ONE 33 OZBREED COMES FULL CIRCLE 34 TRADE DAY REPORT 35 WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARD: SAGE HAHN 36 NEXTGEN: AMBER JOYCE

Our front cover: Microbiome heavy weight champions in plant production. Thank you to Ball Australia for suppling the stock in the cover image. www.gardencityplastics.com

Executive update

Simon Gomme President, NGIV

Our hearts go out to those involved in the October floods, which directly impacted several members. You have a great network of support around you and we know you’ll fight back bigger and stronger in the months ahead.

Further challenges will continue to mount and opportunities arise; for our retailers, it might be managing the expected Christmas rush and for our growers and allied members, it may be the continued difficulties of managing supply chains

For all of us, there are the ongoing issues of labour shortages, increasing cost pressures and the uncertainties of rising inflation and interest rates.

Groundswell

employment package – helping businesses find staff and supporting Victorians into secure work

NGIV will partner with Jobs Victoria to connect people facing barriers to employment with our members. Priority will be given to young people, women aged 45 and over, people with disability, long-term jobseekers, people seeking asylum and refugees and newly arrived migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV

Let us remember that ours is an industry used to dealing with the unknown. We are resilient: we’ve come through a pandemic, prior recessions and even water restrictions, so stay the course! Whatever is thrown up, you will get through it.

Jobs Victoria grant

On the labour/workforce challenges in Victoria, NGIV was recently a recipient of a $1.9M State Government grant through the Jobs Victoria Fund – Priority Workforce Projects. This is part of the Labor Government’s $19 million inclusive

NGIV, in conjunction with a designated training organisation, will recruit, train and aim to place 100 employees into permanent employment over the next 12 months. The project will target existing vacancies for full and part-time (minimum 19 hours per week) and will be for entry level roles. For more details refer to page 32.

Much like our members, it’s been a busy few month’s for NGIV. Whether it’s advocating on behalf of the industry to the Victorian Government, communicating and navigating issues for members or hosting Tree & Shrub Growers Events, which are back in full swing.

Wellbeing Project

We’d like to remind members about our Small Business Wellbeing Project providing our members with free and confidential wellbeing,

Trials Week encompasses multiple events at various locations in Victoria showcasing the very latest innovations in container, bedding, indoor and outdoor plants.

We’re looking forward to a fantastic event with on-site experiences and online offerings to enjoy throughout the week wherever you are. Contact NGIV on 9576 0599 to find out how you can be involved. Visit www.ngiv.com.au for more details.

Welcome, everyone, to our December

.

Spring is now behind us – what an eventful and challenging one it was for so many – and we now look forward to the start of summer.

NGIV is proud to partner with Australia’s top breeders rowers for the Australian Horticultural Trials 2022.

financial and business support, which has been extended to 30 June 2023. A number of you have already meet and engaged with Gerard Tan, our dedicated mental health clinician/consultant. If you haven’t, you’re encouraged to do so and can connect via gerard.tan@each.com.au

MIFGS 2023

Preparations for MIFGS are well underway. There’s a real sense of optimism following our successful return in March 2022 and we encourage members to become involved promoting their businesses, growing their brands and broadening their customer bases.

Our activations will receive increased support from IMG, providing exciting opportunities to truly showcase our industry to the 100,000+ attendees. We look forward to experiencing MIFGS together.

If you have any enquiries about MIFGS 2023 contact NGIV or Trent Cornish at IMG – trent.cornish@img.com

A new arrival

Congratulations to Lizzie Earl (NGIV Training & Events Officer) and partner Padriag Keogh, on the arrival of their healthy baby boy Tadhg (pronounced Tige) Douglas Padraig Keogh, born on 15 September 2022. We wish Lizzie and Padriag all the best with their new roles as parents and baby Tadhg, a happy and healthy life.

Looking ahead

The Australian Horticultural Trials are just around the corner, taking place between 6 – 9 December. It’s a true celebration of the innovation and ingenuity that permeates the horticultural industry in Victoria. It is wonderful to have the Garden Gurus as seen on Channel 9 as our presenting partner. Find out from some of this year’s exhibitors why you should visit the Australian Horticultural Trials 2022 on page 9.

It can often be hard to look through the challenges to see the many positives. In writing this update it brings to the fore how much good work we’re still able to do, despite all of the difficulties. Stay strong and look for the positives in life, and if you do need support, get in contact with NGIV, your association.

On behalf of the NGIV Board and team, we’d like to wish all our members a wonderful holiday season with loved ones; and we look forward to 2023 with great optimism.

Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV Simon Gomme President, NGIV Powerplants Australia

Microbiome – heavy weight champions in Plant Production

By Elliott Akintola, Garden City Plastics’ agronomist

Origins

The rhizosphere is complex and comprises of distinct microbial communities.

The soil which is the most abundant primary plant growing environment contains huge quantities of microbial biomass, including fungi, protists, viruses, bacteria, archaea and other microbial eukaryotes which are collectively referred to as the soil microbiome (Fierer 2017).

Each microorganism in the below ground ecosystem can exhibit distinct physiological and ecological attributes which, in part, is due to the heterogenicity of a single soil that can consist of a wide range of diverse microbial habitats with unique microbial communities (Serna Chavez, Fierer & Van Bodegom 2013).

Soil microorganisms have crucial roles in nutrient cycling, maintenance of fertility and carbon sequestration (Chaparro et al. 2012). The importance of the soil microbiome on plant health has long been recognised, becoming the foundation of various biological technologies and innovations deployed in a wide range of growing practices.

Table 1: Subdivision of Biocontrol agents

Today’s reality

Horticultural growers are gradually realising that biological technologies hold tremendous amounts of promise to improve plant production and yield. The increasing attention given to the sustainability and environmental footprint of plant production, occupational health and safety, increased frequency of extreme

Subdivision Description Product Examples

Biofungicide

Like strains of Bacillus (bacteria) or Trichoderma (fungus) species, that target seedling and foliar pathogens. One of the most common of the fungi-based BCA’s is Trichoderma.Trichoderma has been widely researched because of its ubiquitous nature and its capacity to be easily cultured out of soils. The most widely researched species studied for their BCA properties are Trichoderma viride,T. harzianum,T. koningii,T. hamatum. and T.virens.

Bionematicides such as spores of Pasteuria nishizawae, a type of bacteria, used to combat cyst nematodes in soybeans and sugar beets. Garlic extracts (CLAIL 0021) are also part of this subcategory.

Biomolluscicide

Bioinsecticide

A good example would be neem oil used for snails.

The classic example is Bacillus strains such as Bacillus subtilis (Bt) for moth larvae or Bt strains specific to controlling fungus gnats, shorefly, fly or mosquito larvae. Fungus strains such as Beauveria bassania strain PPRI 5339 used for whitefly, thrips, Aphids and mites control.

Trich – A- Soil

Biomiticide

For example, Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1T, isolated under an eastern Hemlock tree, is used to control mites.

Bioherbicides Such as the control of Canada thistle by a combination of insects (weevils and gall flies).

Eco-nemguard, Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Velifer insecticide, Vectobac insecticide, Helicovex

weather events, availability and higher input costs are major factors fostering new thinking among growers for alternative methods of pest control, fertility or more efficient nutrition strategy. Moreover, biologicals can play a significant role in abating abiotic stresses and improving plant recovery process.

However, the industry still struggles in the key area of credibility acceptance. A 2021 Farm Journal Survey of US growers had 41% indicate that trust of product performance was a concern in the adoption of biologicals and the same can be said for growers in Australia and other parts of the world. Specifically, many Australian growers have experienced biological technologies at some point in their production but many of the early product entrants struggled in some important ways.

Initially, they over-promised but under-delivered on their claims or struggled with variability in performance because users could not fully appreciate or understand where the technologies best fit. In some cases, the results shared were anecdotal and devoid of strong science. Technologies in the space, especially the early entrants, also struggled with scalability and may have been better suited to home gardens rather than large commercial scale production.

What is available?

In the last 10 – 15 years, the biological space has been maturing rapidly and, on closer inspection, the leading products appear to be based on sound scientific research with clear and fundamental understanding of the mode of action involved in gaining results.

Second, and probably the most important attribute is that they have been widely and repetitively tested in the field, providing a valuable understanding of where the technologies do and do not work. The leading technologies are also capable of scalability and deployment for large production systems such as landscape, turf management, propagation (cuttings and seed) and production nursery functions such as media incorporation and spraying.

I. Biocontrol Agents (BCA) or Biopesticides

This is a very active and rapidly evolving area. Also known as biopesticides, they target a crop pest (above and/or below ground) and provide protection either by directly attacking the pest or by up-regulating a plant’s own defence mechanisms. Mostly derived from live strains of the soil microbiome, they could also be non-living substances like fatty acids, pheromones or plant extracts. Live organisms such as naturally occurring or commercially produced beneficial insects including ladybugs, Aphidius, Persimilis, etc are considered part of this group.

In terms of functionality, they could be further subdivided as in Table 1.

II. Biostimulants

These contain substance(s) and/or micro-organisms whose function when applied to plants or the rhizosphere is to stimulate natural processes to enhance/benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and crop quality (Calvo, Nelson & Kloepper 2014).

Biologicals available today come in different forms and functionality and can be grouped into four classes based on their use. An overall summary of each class is highlighted below:

They operate through different mechanisms to fertilisers, regardless of the presence of nutrients in the products. Some biostimulants stimulate a plant’s natural defence mechanism against pests and can induce Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) or Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR). Those that do this are clearly acting as a form of pesticide.

Most, though not all, biostimulants are comprised of nonliving products. They may include materials as in Table 2.

III.Biofertilisers

These play a significant role in helping growers efficiently use fertiliser. The application of a biological product can improve soil health and help plants absorb nutrient applications more effectively, requiring less products for optimum yield. Biofertilisers can replace or complement synthetic fertilisers but shouldn’t be confused with biostimulants.

A simple differentiation is to view biostimulants as products that can treat the “symptom” of a plant problem while biofertilisers address the “cause.” For instance, biostimulants can help a plant recover or cope with abiotic stress from drought conditions while biofertilisers would help to improve soil fertility, structure and water use efficiency to prevent drought conditions.

Biofertiliser products may include those listed in Table 3.

IV.Biodigesters

Although mostly used in broad acre for carbon recycling and preparing the field for planting, biodigesters are nature’s soil conditioners because they can convert free and available source carbon generated from post-harvest wastes and turn it into

nutrients for soil and plants. The adoption of biodigesters is gradually growing because they are a sustainable strategy in waste management. They can reduce and eliminate toxic, left-over chemistries from previous production such as herbicide residues and growth retardant compounds.

Examples of biodigesters include saprophytes such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus species and products like humic acids which feed and support the microorganisms introduced through the biodigester product.

Conclusion

It is quite a daunting task to validate which biological technology would be the best fit for one’s growing operation. As mentioned above, there are different types of microbial derived products which can be useful to the commercial producer.

Once a suitable product has been selected, the first step should be to investigate what scientific evidence is available, preferably via sound independent research. The next query would be to identify the scope of the technology. Has the technology been robustly evaluated especially in the field?

Is it on a few or multiple crop types, locations, and growing conditions? It is critical to understand whether the technology is based on live microbes or is just an extract of some kind. The importance here is to understand the best storage and handling practices appropriate for the technology.

It is key to know if the technology is a complete solution with clear, easy-to-use instructions or does it require some customisation in the operation to be applied.

Finally, whatever technology one has chosen it must be clear where it fits or how it can be incorporated into existing management practices. Knowledge of the growing system and the intended product is critical to achieving success.

References

See full article with full list of references on Garden City Plastics website.

Figure 1:Effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 on early plant devel opment in tomato

We’re looking forward to the 2022 Australian Horticultural Trials Week as no doubt you are!

The time is upon us again for four wonderful days in December, NGIV and Australia’s top breeders and growers are proud to take part in the 2022 Australian Horticultural Trials Week presented by The Garden Gurus (as seen on Channel 9).

This year’s Horticultural Trials Week is on from 6 to 9 December Whether you want to see how new plants or products perform, network with industry colleagues or pick up some useful tips form the experts, Trials Week is not to be missed.

This year’s Plant Exhibitors are:

20 2019 19

Presenting Partner

The Garden Gurus as seen on Channel 9

The Garden Gurus and Nine Entertainment Co are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Australia’s longest running garden television series on commercial television, a series that is dedicated to promoting innovation in the garden industry.

This year’s Allied Exhibitors are:

Now is the perfect time to reflect on the history of this prestigious event and understand what makes the Australian Horticultural Trials Week special?

Since launching in WA in 2002 Guru Productions has produced over 850 episodes and nearly 7000 stories about new plants, innovative products that make gardening easier or more successful and the series filmed across Australia has been seen in over 86 countries in seven languages.

Every year the garden industry reinvests millions of dollars in research, development and breeding programs that enable consumers to have more productive and beautiful gardens. The Garden Gurus is currently playing across Channel 9 nationally on Saturday afternoons, on 9NOW, and being repeated on 9LIFE nationally with multiple broadcasts. In 2023, Channel 9 has scheduled another two seasons with 30 episodes focused on the autumn and spring seasons and the latest plants, products and services delivered to consumers by the garden industry

The Garden Gurus offers the unique opportunity to have third party credible experts and skilled communicators tell your story to hundreds of thousands of Australian gardeners.

A brief history of Australian Horticultural Trials Week

The Australian Horticultural Trials (AHT) has a relatively young history in comparison to the depth of Australia’s horticultural history. Showcasing the best plants and products needed a united effort and, in 2001, a group of pioneering industry figures and businesses came up with the idea of Hortivations. They believed there was a missed opportunity to show the broader industry some of the innovations coming out of Victoria, in a format similar to the Pack Trials held in the United States.

Hortivations, held at Ball Australia’s former site in Keysborough, was originally designed for multiple businesses to present to the wholesale industry the variety of plants and products available. The coming together of many individual businesses at the one site (Ball Australia), to showcase their products, is testament to the strength and unity of the industry. The shared goals of everyone made the event a success for many years.

In 2016 the Australian Horticultural Trials were conceived. The continuation of the event in a new format, with each business

2022 Plant Exhibitors

Ball Grower Trials Ball Australia

Ball Australia is part of a global family of breeders and researchers. We continue to partner with some of the leading plant breeders and suppliers – overseas and locally, to bring new and exciting varieties to the Australian market from all corners of the world.

Viable and innovative flowers for beautiful garden performance, new and unusual foods to grow and varieties that require minimal care with reliable results.

2022 Ball Grower Trials focuses on these key areas so home gardeners can fill their spaces with plants for health, wellbeing and to encourage pollinators.

Contact:

Address: 735 Westernport Hwy, Skye, VIC 3977 Ph: (03) 9798 5355 | E: kateg@ballaustralia.com www.ballaustralia.com

When: 9:00am to 4:00pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December 2022

showcasing its products on its own site, was developed. The rich network of growers involved, producing innovative and quality products, built on the solid Hortivations platform to showcase their products to the industry. Fundamentally each of the events (Hortivations and the Australian Horticultural Trials) was designed to promote new varieties, and to educate and inform the industry nationally about the extensive network of local and international breeders working together for the benefit of the local industry.

The relaxed yet professional environment the AHT participants create each year at their sites is perfect for viewing and learning about quality plants and products, while doing business and networking with old and new friends from across the country. Everyone is welcome at AHT from wholesale growers looking for the next product to add to their schedule, to the retailers and the horticultural media searching for the next big thing to hit the shelves and our landscapes.

PlantFest 2022

Greenhills Propagation Nursery/ Touch of Class Plants

Whether you are a grower, retailer, or media member, we invite you to come and see the latest that Greenhills Propagation Nursery and Touch of Class Plants have to offer.

We have an array of new release plants that we are excited to show you – There is something for everyone at PlantFest!

Site visits will be via appointment only – Please register using the link provided. If you can’t attend on site, register for a virtual presentation or information booklet.

Contact: Address: 20 Gillespie Road, Tynong, VIC 3813 Ph: 03 5629 2443 | E: sales@greenhillspropagation.com.au www.touchofclassplants.com.au/plantfest

When: 8.00am to 3.00pm, Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 December 2022

Visits by appointment only, please register here: http://www.touchofclassplants.com.au/plantfest

Fleming’s Innovation Showcase

Fleming’s Nurseries

Fleming’s is excited to participate in NGIV Trials week for the first time. We are looking forward to sharing our most recent tree and shrub introductions. There will also be an exclusive pre-order opportunity for some of our very exciting upcoming releases.

We will be open all week and happy to have interested parties drop by. However to ensure we are best able to host you, and to manage group numbers effectively, we would appreciate you making an appointment. We also welcome those seeking a broader nursery tour, or for groups larger than 10. All visitors will need to sign in on arrival.

Contact:

Address: 1 Fleming Lane, Monbulk, VIC 3793 Ph: 03 9756 6105 | E: mail@flemings.com.au www.flemings.com.au

When: 9:00am to 4:00pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December

A Kaleidoscope of Colour

JD Propagation

JD Propagation invites you to see “A Kaleidoscope of Colour” at our 2022 trials.

With genetics sourced from some of the most renowned breeders such as Dümmen Orange, Syngenta, Volmary, Outback Plants, Kiwi Flora, PAC, Greenfuse, Snowbrand, Royal Van Zanten and Danziger. You will find that we have an extensive plant range that is second to none.

Our philosophy is simple – to listen, understand and deliver a quality product whilst exceeding a high level of service. We believe that we are only as good as the last plant that we send out and we continue to work towards improving our structure and processes to maintain a high level of consistency.

Contact:

Address: 575 Tyabb Tooradin Road, Pearcedale, VIC 3912 Ph: 03 5915 2476 | E: customerservice@jdpropagation.com.au www.jdpropagation.com.au

When: 8:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December

Please contact customer service to book an appointment e: customerservice@jdpropagation.com.au

A Kaleidoscope of Colour with JD Propagation Dümmen

Orange

JD Propagation has been licensed to produce Dümmen Orange genetics for the Australian market and they will have young plants available from January 2023. Dümmen Orange is a leading breeder of annuals, pot plants, perennials, cut flowers, tropicals and succulents and with JD Propagation we look forward to showing you the products available for 2023.

Contact:

Address: 575 Tyabb Tooradin Road, Pearcedale, VIC 3912 Ph: 0424 845 569 | E: m.curtis2@dummenorange.com https://apac.dummenorange.com/

When: 8:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December

Please contact customer service to book an appointment, e: customerservice@jdpropagation.com.au

u New Genetics Showcase Haars Nursery

The Haars Team will be showcasing an extensive range of new and innovative plant genetics which will be introduced to the Australian market during 2023/4. Haars Nursery has extensive partnerships internationally, enabling us to promote, market and distribute leading plant genetics.

Join us for a coffee, stay for lunch, enjoy our open house during Trials Week 2022.

Haars Nursery Pty Ltd is a privately owned Australian producer of flowering indoor and outdoor plants, herbs, vegetables, superfoods and landscape varieties.

At Haars Nursery we work with breeding partners who continually innovate to provide new and improved plants.

Our partners focus on breeding varieties which are heat tolerant, disease resistant and maintain good natural growth habits, reducing the requirements for any chemical applications.

Haars Nursery works with elite young plant material which has been tested and is free of virus and disease. We provide our partner growers and Australian gardeners with clean, high quality plant material.

Contact: Address: Haars Lyndhurst, 605 Thompsons Road, Lyndhurst, VIC 3975 Ph: 03 5973 2999 | E: sales@haarsnursery.com.au www.haarsnursery.com.au

When: Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December

Onsite appointments between 9:00am and 5:00pm, please book via sales@haarsnursery.com.au

> Trials Week – Tuesday, 6 to Friday, 9 December

https://www.horticulturaltrials.com/ accommodation

> NGIV’s Trade Day – Tuesday, 6 December from 7am (to book –p: 03 9576 0599)

> Trials Week Breakfast – Wednesday, 7 December from 7am (to book –p: 03 9576 0599)

https://www.horticulturaltrials.com/ trails-week-events

Where everything is located

To help you get around and find your way during the week we’ve produced a map to guide you.

https://www.horticulturaltrials.com/ To find out more about the week, please visit horticulturaltrials.com.

2022 Allied Exhibitors

Powerplants Australia

Powerplants Australia offers a wide variety of products and services in horticultural technology, operating in all sectors of the horticulture industry including: berries, soft fruit, field vegetables, nurseries, protected cropping, cut flowers, and medicinal cannabis.

We specialise in greenhouse technology, which includes controlled climate solutions, fertigation and recycling systems, and labour-saving technologies. Our continual investment in global product research and development means our solutions will suit any type of conditions. In addition to this, our nationwide network and dedicated team of hands-on specialists means all our customers have access to 24/7 service and spare parts.

Contact:

Address: 27 Technology Circuit Hallam VIC 3803 Ph: 03 8795 7750 | E: sales@powerplants.com.au www.powerplants.com.au

When: 8:30am to 5.00pm, Monday 5 to Friday 9 December

Art & Science of Propagation Proptec

Customised sustainable solutions for your Nursery

» The benefits of the Ellepot system for propagation and nursery automation

» Tailored TopMix growing media to suit your specific crop

» Enhancing root architecture with Air Tray technology

» Using Quick Plugs for proper aeration and moisture retention

» Revolutionising root production with Pioneer Pots

Contact:

Address: KCC Park, 655 Westernport Highway, Skye, VIC 3977 Ph: 07 3177 1700 (main office) | E: info@proptec.com.au

Sally Skinner (Qld) 0417 630 698 | E: sallys@proptec.com.au

Michael Doensen (Vic) 0400 737 783 | E: michaeld@proptec.com.au www.proptec.com.au

When: 6.30am to 3.00pm, Tuesday 6 December (one day only)

Visitors are encouraged to book in advance by emailing michaeld@proptec.com.au with attendee names, company name, party size and contact details.

Recycle for a Better Future Garden City Plastics

Garden City Plastics, in partnership with Norwood and Polymer Processors are collecting PP5 material to return to horticultural pots, carry trays, propagation trays and flower buckets.

Contact:

Address: 10 EJ Court, Dandenong South, VIC 3175 Ph: 03 9728 0300 | E: greg.carrick@gardencityplastics.com www.gardencityplastics.com

When: 9am to 4pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December 2022

Starter Pots Super Starters

At Super Starters we understand that our customers are looking for an edge and are demanding a smarter and more efficient way of working. A Starter Pot gives you the opportunity to produce a high-quality final product with a more consistent strike rate over a shorter period of time.

Our key focus is the end product and we understand that this is critical to your business. Having been on the receiving end we only send out products that we would want to propagate into ourselves

We aim to work with our customers to provide a service that is consistent, reliable, and suitable for your needs.

Contact: Address: 575 Tyabb Tooradin Road, Pearcedale, VIC 3912 Ph: 03 5924 1011 | E: bobby@superstarters.com.au www.superstarters.com.au

When: 8:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December Book an appointment by contacting the nursery at e: customerservice@jdpropagation.com.au.

Keep your PP5 alive

Norwood Industries

Norwood, Garden City Plastics and Polymer Processors are collecting PP5 material to return to the horticultural market.

Contact:

Address: 6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam, VIC 3803 Ph: 0415 173 480 | E: adam.coyle@norwood.com.au www.norwood.com.au

When: 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday 5 to Thursday 8 December

Tailoring Nutrition for Better Crops

ICL

ICL’s aim is to show the differences that fertiliser application rates, product selection and potting timing can have on finished product quality and shelf life.

Please note the trial product is being grown at Plantex Nursery with the assistance of James Barr and his team under controlled conditions. James is using Ball genetics as agreed by Ball and ICL.

Contact: Address: (Ball Australia site) 735 Westernport Hwy, Skye, VIC 3977 Ph: Roger Boyle 0418 350984 | E: roger.boyle@icl-group.com www.icl-sf.com.au

When: 9am to 4pm, Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 December 2022

We will keep you updated of any more exhibitors in our weekly e-newsletter and the Trials Website. Visit horticulturaltrials.com to find out more about the Australian Horticultural Trials Week and what’s in store this year.

Flower Carpet Rose inducted into Hall of Fame

It’s no surprise to learn that the Flower Carpet® Pink rose – the original Flower Carpet rose – has been awarded a place in the Rose Hall of Fame as voted by members of the 39 countries in the World Federation of Rose Societies.

It joins only 17 other roses, in 46 years, deemed worthy to hold the Hall of Fame title and it is due to its outstanding performance that it’s the first ever ground cover rose to be bestowed this honour. Now sitting in the Hall of Fame, the Flower Carpet rose proves that its breeder, Werner Noack of Noack Rosen, was not only radical in his view, but that his horticultural philosophy was spot on.

Long before Flower Carpet Pink rose’s release in 1989, Werner Noack had the foresight and the commitment to breed a mega-blooming, easy-to-grow, low-maintenance, chemical-free rose. His aim was to produce a holistically great rose for home gardeners and professional landscapers, a disease-resistant rose that needed no spraying and minimal pruning a rose that anyone could grow. Then, shortly after the commercial release of the Flower Carpet Pink rose in 1989, it was proven

that Werner had achieved what he’d set out to do when, in 1990, the Flower Carpet Pink rose was given the highest points ever awarded at the prestigious All Deutsche Rose Trials (ADR) awards

To gain the award, the Flower Carpet Pink rose had been put through one of the industry’s most challenging trials. The results, independently analysed by the German Federal Office of Plant Varieties, ranked Flower Carpet Pink rose’s strengths as disease resistance, hardiness and attractiveness. In the years to follow, other Flower Carpet® roses would also achieve the same illustrious award. In total, the Flower Carpet rose series has received over 30 International Rose Awards, demonstrating that it’s one of the most coveted of all roses. Awards aside, perhaps the greatest proof that the Flower Carpet Pink rose deserves its spot in the World Rose Hall of Fame is the phenomenon around its sales. Anthony Tesselaar

Werner’s son Reinhard Noack pictured with AnthonyTesselaar in theTesselaar Australian trial gardens in 2011: plant breeder Noack Rosen and horticultural project manager AnthonyTesselaar Plants both took a radical approach to produce and release the Flower Carpet® rose.

Werner Noack, the gifted breeder who created this original classic legend

Plants, the horticultural project management company that developed the production and promotion of the Flower Carpet rose program since the beginning, has watched over the years as people planted these in landscapes and home gardens in huge numbers. Where typically sales for any newly released plant will grow over three years then drop off, Flower Carpet rose sales were high from the beginning and they have continued to sell continuously and grow relatively steadily over the 33 years since a remarkable sales profile that has been repeated wherever Flower Carpet roses have been introduced They are a rose series that performs consistently in both landscape and home gardens.

Werner Noack may no longer be with us, but his brilliance as a breeder has left us with a legacy, one that now sits in the World Rose Hall of Fame where his horticultural philosopy can be appreciated.

And today, Noack Rosen, through Werner’s son Reinhard, continues to expand on this legacy by focusing further on environmentally-friendly roses that are even more heat and cold tolerant while retaining the same floriferous, easy-care, and now fragrant, characteristics.

The Flower Carpet® Pink rose

Now in the Hall of Fame, the rose that has captured millions of fans around the world, the Flower Carpet® Pink rose.

Cybersecurity – a new frontier

Recent hacking incidents highlight the challenges of living in the information age. In one, the perpetrators held millions of current and former customers’ personal information ransom, threatening to release the data unless their monetary demands were met. In another, the cache of personal information included details of diagnoses, procedures, and locations of medical services.

It has become common practice for service providers to demand identity information of their consumers for “verification” Some providers, such as real estate agencies, hold vast amounts of sensitive financial information and documents. While many organisations have expressed confidence in their security measures, as the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

In its Notifiable Data Breaches Report for July to December 2021, the Office for the Australian Information Commissioner observed that 37 % (n=173) of all data breaches resulted from cyber-security incidents. Of these, the top three modes of attack were phishing (32%), credentials compromised or stolen by methods unknown (28%) and ransomware (23%).

Consumers have been understandably concerned. In a poll of 1050 Australians, conducted in early October this year, most respondents said they “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” about their identities being stolen to access bank accounts (85%) or social media accounts (76%) and receiving scam emails and texts (78%). These concerns are not with foundation.

In the 2020-2021 financial year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received over 67,500 cybercrime reports, nearly 500 involving ransomware. These represent year-on-year increases of nearly 13% and 15% respectively. ACSC also observed an increase in the average severity and impact of reported cyber security incidents, with nearly half categorised as “substantial”

Fraud, online shopping scams and online banking scams were the top reported cybercrime types. Victims’ financial losses totalled more than $33 billion. On average, small businesses lost $8,899 per report, medium businesses lost $33,442 per report and large organisations lost $19,306 per report. These are likely conservative estimates, and may not include incident containment and recovery costs, losses arising from customer turnover or regulatory penalties.

Small businesses often don’t have the knowledge, time, or resources to dedicate to cyber security. Some have outsourced their IT functions to third party providers, who can help with implementing measures such multifactor authentication, automatic software updates and data backups. However, businesses still need to work out their “people” procedures around access control and staff training.

The ACSC has developed a suite of cyber security resources to help small and medium businesses understand common cyber security risks, reduce their exposure and mitigate the impact of incidents that occur. Resources can be accessed at https://cyber.gov.au.

Common cyber threats

Phishing refers to emails, text messages or phone calls that purport to be from a trusted individual or organisation, which seek to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information (eg credit card numbers, passwords) or performing specific behaviours (eg paying fraudulent invoices, buying and sending gift cards) for the benefit of the sender.

Malware is a blanket term for any type of malicious software that is designed to infiltrate a person’s computer without their knowledge. Malware provides criminals the means to access information such as bank or credit card details and passwords, spy on a user’s activity, or to take control of a computer to pursue some other end (eg crypto-mining, distributed denial-of-service attacks).

Ransomware, one software company suggests, is a specific type of malware that kidnaps your sensitive files data and holds them for ransom until you pay up.

A side trip to Gippsland’s PBM Nursery

PBM Nursery, located in Trafalgar South, is a family-owned wholesale nursery specialising in quality bare-rooted and potted deciduous trees. NGIV recently called in to see it first-hand.

Established in 1980 and nestled on 9 hectares (22 acres in “old” money), the nursery grows both open ground and containerised trees, servicing a diverse market with trees being utilised for landscape, streetscape, domestic garden and windbreak applications. The PBM team takes great pride in producing a wide range of budded and grafted trees.

In chatting to owner Phil Gange, NGIV unpacked his history in horticulture. Phil’s been in the game for over 50 years, starting at the age of 16 when he undertook an apprenticeship and studied at the former horticulture school being Oakleigh Tech. Initially, he learned his craft at Mansfield’s Propagation Nursery under the tutelage of Noel Mansfield. He then moved on to Nationwide Trees and stayed there for close to 20 years working with Frank Lucas before starting his own business.

The property itself is rather unusual with a mixture of soils on site including sandy loam, peat and clay. Every corner of the property throws up different challenges and opportunities for Phil.

PBM’s focus has mainly been on budded and grafted deciduous tree varieties and it has gained a reputation in the nursery

industry for its extensive range of crab apples (up to 100 varieties), liquidambars (25 varieties), prunus (30 varieties), pyrus (up to 20 varieties) and a number of maples. The stock list, at its peak, had some 500 varieties.

Given the uniqueness of the business which often grows some lines from seed, several varieties like the liquidambars present many growing challenges and can take upwards of seven years before they are ready for market.

Phil’s been traveling around the country for 30 to 40 years and knows the good spots for collecting seed, information he’s buried in his knowledge bank! He also still does quite a bit of grafting and is very skilled at it.

Operating with a very small team, Phil continues to support a number of industry association Trade Days both here and interstate and he doesn’t often miss Victoria’s.

NGIV welcomed the opportunity to drop in to see Phil and his operation. We appreciate what he’s done for our sector and continues to do for an industry that he’s so passionate about.

Tree and Shrub Growers visit Mt Evelyn Garden Centre

On Tuesday, 18 October, some 90 T&SG members and friends visited Mt Evelyn Garden Centre where they were hosted by owners Barry and Rebecca Humphris and the garden centre’s leader Steven Touzel.

The event was oversubscribed a week out, such was the desire by members to get out again. This also reflected the high regard in which the garden centre is held by the industry. Accordingly, NGIV strongly encourages members to book early to avoid disappointment of missing out

Tree & Shrub Growers’ chair and MC, Heath McKenzie welcome everyone to Mt Evelyn Garden Centre and the October Tree & Shrub Growers meeting on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Everyone in attendance commented on how stunning the garden centre looked, full of stock, colour and vibrancy. The centre is celebrating 50 years of providing customers with products to create beautiful living spaces and it has evolved into a modern garden lovers’ destination, filled with inspiration.

The exciting changes, transforming a basic shed into an impressive retail space with its simple, natural and rustic feel,

were there for all to see. It was generally agreed it’s a vibrant nursery that offers locals, as well as shoppers from distant suburbs, ample choice in plants, giftware and essential gardening needs.

Dinner was held nearby at the York On Lilydale, with members giving the tab a workout after a rookie error left attendees a little dry at Mount Evelyn!

We were joined on the night by Bridget Vallence MP, State Member for Evelyn, Shadow Minister for Industry, Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Digital Economy & Medical Research. She officially welcomed everyone to Mt Evelyn before releasing one of the Coalition’s election policies over dinner which she believes would benefit growers.

MC Heath started the evening session off with an interesting Q&A with Barry and Steven, with the following observation recorded:

How’s the business travelling and what do you see as the opportunities for retailers?

Steven While the big box chains are our competitors, we provide better customer service, applying honesty, advice and really a mini consultancy, thus providing a clear point of difference.

You added in a Tram Café – not without its challenges. How’s that going?

Barry – it’ll be a lot better when the liquor licence comes through! By way of a back story, I saw on the news they were selling trams through a tender process for about $1k and thought it would be cool to own one. After chatting with Rebecca, I lodged a bid and the rest is history.

Barry, you’re a regular overseas traveller always looking for the cutting edge; what do you see as some future changes in the Australian market?

Technology remains a key – Australian growers are 40 years behind Europe. A simple camera at the end of a production line assessing quality and size exists in Europe. I can’t recall seeing one in an Australian nursery.

Covid hit businesses hard; how did you adjust?

Steven – really, given there were no rules to follow, we just winged it. Overall, it ended up being positive as all customers wanted was stock to make their our homes better. But finding that stock was a real challenge.

Then Bridget Vallence MP highlighted the Coalition’s manufacturing fund and explained that, if elected at the November poll, this potential fund would be available to nurseries

CEO Craig Taberner responded to Ms Vallence’s comments on behalf of industry and provided an update to members on the current NGIV-related activities, including sharing the news of NGIV being the recipients of a $1.9M State Government grant through the Jobs Victoria Fund – Priority Workforce Projects to help our member businesses find staff and tackle the current workforce challenges.

John Van der horst, current president of Garden Centres of Australia, said a few words to conclude the evening.

Thanks to Barry and Rebecca Humphris, Steven Touzel and the whole team from Mt Evelyn Garden Centre and Humphris Nursery for hosting an outstanding evening.

Hiring’s digital transformation and the power of Sidekicker’s skilled contingent workforce

Amos, Founder and CEO of Sidekicker

COVID-19 was the singular, most impactful driver of companies’ digital transformation. No area of a business was left untouched and for talent supply, it exposed various blind spots in the contingent workforce and exacerbated known challenges. Fortunately, platforms like Sidekicker present a technological solution, facilitating a business’ fast access to an established pool of skilled and rated talent, with the added benefit of transparency and compliance.

The horticulture industry has additionally faced its own set of challenges, such as the need for urgent casual seasonal staff at nursery locations, typically in low-populated areas, far from public transportation. Coupled with the uncertainty of our environment and potentially an economic downturn, we’ve seen businesses put their permanent employing activity on hold in favour for a contingent workforce.

Enter the world of hiring platforms – where a business previously needed to provide a brief to an agency and trust they’d find the right candidate (through a series of advertising and interviews), platforms immediately connected you to a pool of talent that has been nurtured ongoing.

Platforms like Sidekicker have contributed significantly to overcoming many nursery-specific resource constraints. Tom De Young, Group Payroll Manager at Oasis Horticulture Pty Ltd, the largest producer and distributor of bedding plants in Australia, has been utilising a mix of permanent and casual agencies to deal with scaling their talent pool quickly. Providing comparative insight of traditional agencies to platforms, he shared, ‘Sidekicker has been able to reach out to prospective employees through their networks that we haven't been able to reach’.

For workers, Sidekicker solves problems like work–life balance, flexibility and choice. These staff members are known as Sidekicks, a network of carefully pre-screened and certified

staff in their relevant fields. Providing 7000+ businesses with access to over 25 000+ Sidekicks, the platform solution not just delivers a contingent workforce to tap into but also creates hiring efficiencies and transparency with end-to-end reporting capabilities and the benefits of externally managed payroll, administration and compliance. Our platform offers immediate support to businesses and manages the time-consuming nature of hiring with the added option for account managers to support hiring needs.

Understanding the people that make Sidekicker what it is, is the secret sauce to our fill-rate success. We recently rolled out several community initiatives to broaden our network to further attract job seekers outside of the traditional job boards. One of our most successful initiatives commenced in November 2021 in partnership with NGIV as part of Victoria’s Seasonal Workers Initiative Program (SWISP). This initiative highlights job opportunities within the horticulture industry to the Cambodian community with scheduled visits to the local temples with support from the Victorian Cambodian Association and our in-house translator.

To date, Sidekicker has received over 100 applications through this initiative, with over 80 placed into employment, with the community feeling enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to connect with the industry.

Tom

Outside SWISP, we have partnered with many job seeker agencies nationally, including Jobs Victoria, which uses the power of Sidekicker to share its job opportunities and further expand its candidate reach.

In saying this, it can’t be denied that sourcing quality staff within the current market conditions is extremely challenging! Australia’s unemployment rate remains at a record low of 3.5%, and international arrivals are still well below pre-COVID numbers, with 750,000 fewer arrivals in August 2022 vs. August 2019. The increasing cost of living and salary competition across multiple industries has only added to the volatile and transient nature of the current market.

So, what does all this mean for business’ hiring needs? Planning is key! After almost three years of COVID and fluctuating inconsistent buying patterns, this task in itself seems near impossible and arduous, to say the least. Proactive, ongoing recruitment campaigns are the only solution to ensuring hiring needs are met, and natural churn is maintained – gone are the days of advertising a position on a jobs board and being inundated with applications. As of 31 October 2022, there were over 230 jobs available on Seek in Victoria within the horticulture and agriculture industries alone, which indicates the high demand for workers.

Take one thing off your shoulder, reduce the time and money spent on internal recruiting and join Sidekicker, a business with a mission to provide a better hiring method to support you.

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In sickness and in health: Two sides of the same brain

By Gerard Tan

Mental health is often thought of as representing the opposite of mental illness. In that respect, mental health is more than the mere absence of mental illness. It is a positive state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well and contribute to their community.

Where we sit on the continuum of mental health and mental illness is not fixed. It is almost a certainty that we will have ups and downs in our lives – at work, at home, within ourselves, in our relationships and in what is going on about us. These changes pull us towards one end of the continuum or the other: a little more this way today, a bit more that way tomorrow.

A good proportion of us – two out of every five people – will experience a big enough shift during our lives that we find ourselves on the unwell end of the continuum. One out of every five would have had that experience in the last twelve months. Despite mental health problems being so common, there is still stigma attached to having a mental illness.

In one study, more than one third of respondents said they would not want anyone to know if they were experiencing depression or anxiety. Just under one third believed it best to not disclose the same when applying for a new job. More than a quarter expected that a colleague with depression or anxiety would be unpredictable and unlikely to perform adequately at their job.

Everyone has a part to play in destigmatising mental illness. Educating ourselves about mental illness can dispel stereotypes and reshape ideas and attitudes about mental illness and people who experience them. Discussing mental health/illness openly encourages openness and understanding Choosing our language with care normalises respect that most take for granted.

People can and do recover from mental illness and go on to live rich and meaningful lives. Recovery can be framed in clinical terms, with a focus on reducing symptoms, increasing functioning and getting “back to normal” . It can also be thought of as a personal journey of change to achieve wellness, even in the presence of symptoms and functional impairments.

Personal recovery sits very well with the positive construction of mental health described above. The CHIME model of personal recovery outlines five essential elements for life:

» Connectedness

» Hope and optimism

» Identity

» Meaning

» Empowerment

These elements are eminently compatible with the attributes of mental health: coping, learning, working, self-actualising and contributing to the community.

The CHIME model also finds resonance in the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, which encourages people to “do the five”:

» Connect

» Be Active

» Keep Learning

» Be Aware

» Help Others

We can all contribute to building mental health – starting with ourselves, including those around us, and extending to our communities. Visit https://5waystowellbeing.org.au to find out more about simple everyday practices to improve psychological and emotional health.

More information

If this article raises any concerns, help is available. Lifeline provides a 24-hour telephone crisis support at 13 11 14.

Gerard is NGIV’s dedicated mental health clinician/consultant. NGIV members can book an appointment by scanning the QR code.

Putting Value and Customers at the Centre of Your Business

By Jon Manning

In the first article in this series, I explored the challenges associated with managing costs. In this second article, I will explore pricing management as a stagflation tool: why it is more important to manage value than costs, as well as understanding customer psychology.

This should help readers acquire that elusive skill of being able to pass on price increases without losing customers.

I have already devoted a fair amount of column space (1,143 words to be precise) to talking about costs, while also pointing out that customers rarely care about them. What they ultimately care about is value.

A few years back, as part of a consulting project I was engaged for, I asked florists what was most important to them when it came to dealing with a flower wholesaler, asking them to allocate 100 percentage points across four attributes. Range and Product attracted 45.8%, Service and Support and Convenience both attracted 18.3% each, with the balance of 17.5% being associated with price

I then asked the florists to rank their wholesalers across those attributes on a scale of 1 – 10. The graphs below show the raw scores, as well as scores weighted by the percentages above, for one wholesaler on the left, and for another wholesaler on the right

The wholesaler on the left is focused on providing value by focusing on Range and Product, Service and Support and Convenience. This has enabled this business to successfully de-sensitise customers to price. The wholesaler on the right, on the other hand, has been less successful in capitalising on non-price value attributes. It is not difficult to work out which wholesaler understands the value s/he provides and can thus command higher prices.

Beside understanding the value you provide, how else can pricing management help you through this stagflation environment?

First, take a segmented approach to products, customers and pricing. Start by identifying KVIs (“Known Value Items”) – the products and services you provide to different segments of customers that they know details of (including price) off the top of their heads. These will also be non-discretionary products that will remain essential to customers. Leverage the differences, in costs, in demand, in different geographies and adjust prices, upwards and downwards accordingly (not across-the-board) .

Second, adopt the same segmented approach with any promotions. Remember that excess inventory you found while looking at your working capital in the first article in this series? Put that excess on promotion, rather than the inventory for which demand is still healthy.

Third, when running promotions, always time-box them with start and end dates and conduct a post-implementation review at their conclusion. Answering the following questions, and applying the learnings, will make your next promotion even more successful:

What was supposed to happen?

What actually did happen?

Why was there a difference?

What can we learn from this?

Fourth, take stock of both your brand power and brand positioning. How did Unilever raise prices 8.3% in Q1 of 2022 and their volumes declined by only 1%? How did McDonald’s, in the same quarter, raise menu prices by 8% and grow overall sales by 3.5% and same-store sales by 11.8%?1 Heinz’s 12.4% price rise in Q2 yielded a 2.3% drop in sales units but a 10% increase in sales value.2

Australian SMEs don’t have the brand strength of Unilever, McDonald’s or Heinz, which would have undoubtedly been a factor in the above-mentioned results. But for a SME running multiple brands, manage them properly. If you’ve got one brand selling non-discretionary products, geared towards more price sensitive customers, that’s where your demand is likely to be strongest rather than a premium priced brand selling a non-discretionary product that is more likely to be susceptible to inflation and customers will cut back on.

Fifth, consider changing your pricing model. Consumers and customers are more likely to try something new in difficult economic times than when things are going along swimmingly (which explains why companies like IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Uber, AirBnB (to name a few) were started during recessions or difficult economic times).

For example, can you introduce dynamic pricing if demand varies by, say, the hour of the day, the day of the week or month of the year? Airlines do it, hotels do it. While I was writing this article, Mercedes Benz was advertising a vehicle on Melbourne radio station 3AW as "dynamically priced".

Sixth, can you de-risk big purchases for your customers? In 2009, Hyundai in the US offered to buy their cars back if customers lost their jobs. The US car market fell by 20% in 2009, but Hyundai’s sales increased by 8%, and they only purchased 50 cars back from customers in the first 9 months of this campaign.

Finally, give some thought to the following:

accepting a customer on a lower-priced product is a better outcome than losing them altogether.

Revisit your terms and conditions. T&Cs are how you get the prices you set. Revisit clauses such as payment terms, upgrades, downgrades and cancellations, for example.

Are there extras or value-adds that you can provide without increasing your own cost base (like electronic data interchange, advice or research, for example)?

1 Chaudhuri, Saabira (2022, April 29). Unilever Increases Prices over 8%, Hurting Demand. Wall Street Journal, B6. And Haddon, Heather (2022, April 29). McDonald’s Price Increases Help Boost Sales in the U.S. Wall Street Journal, B3

2 Butler, Sarah (28th Jukly 2022) Double Digit price increase pays off for Heinz and reckitt, The Guardian, p33

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If you have a pricing forum/council/committee, this should now meet a bit more frequently, changing prices accordingly. If you don’t have one, you should.

Introduce temporary surcharges, for example to reflect the higher price of fuel, while leaving the price of your own products and services at their current levels. This associates the price change with factors unrelated (or less related) to you and outside of your control, preserving margins on your own product. They are easier to withdraw later, without diluting your own pricing when the time is right

Unbundle products and services. Offering them individually priced will create cheaper perceived price points.

The other pricing opportunities for SMEs is to apply some of the learnings from Behavioural Economics, a body of thought that combines economics and psychology. It looks at how humans actually behave in markets and how they make choices and decisions, rather than how orthodox, neo-classical economics has thought humans should behave. It is the difference between what a rational, selfish and independent (wo)man says they will do and what they irrationally actually do.

A series of heuristics has evolved from this body of knowledge that can be applied not only to the pricing of products and services, but also the acquisition of customers, sales generation or market segmentation (to name a few). Here are some of those “hacks” that have the potential to further assist NGIV members through the current difficult trading conditions.

The Weber-Ferschner Law: Tell customers they are getting a discount. If you’re at your local nursery and you see two Phoenix Canary Isle Date Palms, one for $349 and the other for $399 with $50 off, which one do you buy? Despite both offers being identical, more customers will buy the latter. Why? Because they can see they are getting a bargain.

Consumers today love “the thrill of the hunt” (finding a deal) and “the thrill of the kill” (greeting the deal and the accompanying bragging rights that accompany a discounted purchase).

Decoys: Consider introducing a “decoy” offering, with a high “shock price” that makes alternatives look more attractive. Norma’s restaurant at Le Meridian Hotel in New York has a $1,000 omelette on its menu to make the $100 omelette look good. Many fine dining restaurants have an $800 bottle of wine on their menu which few, if any, diners purchase. But it helps sell the $80 bottle of wine.

Offer a Five Star Experience: Invest in the context in which your prices appear, whether it’s in your store, on your website or in your quote or business proposal.

In the 1980s, Nobel Prize winning economist Richard Thaler conducted the famous “Beer on the Beach” experiment. Your best friend, with whom you are enjoying a day at the beach, offers to get you an ice-cold bottle of your favourite beer from the run-down grocery store at the end of the beach and asks what you’re willing to pay. Changing his mind, he then asks what you’d be prepared to pay for the same beer purchased from the five-star hotel at the other end of the beach. Like the Canary Isle Date Palm above, the offers are identical, but Thaler’s research found the willingness to pay is higher at the five-star hotel than the run-down grocery store.

Having improved the context in which your prices are seen, how about improving the ambience? An 8-week restaurant study found that customers spent 11 minutes more at a table when slow beat music was played (compared to fast beat music), resulting in their beverage spend increasing by 41% and total gross margins increasing by 15%.

But staff in a data input centre processed 12.5% more vouchers when listening to fast music (compared to no music) and 22.3% more vouchers when compared to slow music.

The first two washes on the loyalty card are crossed off pro bono.

Choice architecture: Always offer customers three options, with the equivalent of (but better names than) “Good/Better/Best” , or “Small/Medium/Large” . If you offer customers one choice, you’ve got a 50:50 chance of closing the deal, and that’s it. If you offer two choices, you will force the customer to make a price-based decision (and in the majority of purchase decisions, that will be the cheapest of the two). But when you offer the customer three choices, two things happen: firstly, you force the customer to make a valuebased decision and secondly, they ask themselves “which one do I buy?” not “should I buy?”

Help the customer reach their goal: In an experiment conducted at a Los Angeles car wash, 19% of drivers visited 8 times, enough to earn a free car wash. But when the first two washes on the loyalty card are crossed off pro bono (once again, making both offers identical), 34% of customers visited the car wash eight times, earning the free clean.

Finally, some other ideas to tick of the list:

Mention the daily equivalent price, rather than a weekly, monthly or annual price.

Remove the dollar symbol from price list (it reinforces that customers are parting with their money).

Count the syllables in your price points. Prices with more syllables are perceived as more expensive than those with less.

Focus on the price difference: if the price is $200 and the customer wants to pay $150, focus the discussion on the $50

Provide social proof: this is our most popular product.

As Churchill once said: ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste.’ For many SMEs, getting their pricing in better shape during this difficult trading period would be a Churchillian achievement.

About the author

Jon Manning is the Head of Pricing at a SaaS tech company based in Melbourne, the founder of www.PricingProphets.com, a start-up mentor (at MAP, AIM, Blackbird Giants & River City Labs), a micro and behavioural economist, and the author of “Overcoming Floccinaucinihilipilification: Valuing and Monetizing Products and Services” . This book is a guide to value-based pricing for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and side-hustlers.

Jon has around 30 years’ experience in pricing strategies, pricing models, business models, monetization and the use of behavioural economics and pricing psychology.

National Nursery Survey

Nursery growers across the country are being urged to participate in a nationwide census, which aims to accurately assess the value and volume of wholesale greenlife production in Australia.

In addition to growers, the industry will also be surveying retail nurseries and landscapers to validate production data and gain further insights into how the supply chain operates

Funded by Hort Innovation using industry levies and funds from the Australian Government, this project is being led by Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) in conjunction with ACIL Allen Consulting and Down To Earth Research. Survey data will be gathered through a series of quantitative interviews with greenlife businesses, with the aim to produce a reliable and robust snapshot of the size, value, production, employment and sentiment of Australia’s thriving nursery industry.

Crucially, the data collected in the sur veys will be provided back to industry participants in the form of the nursery industry business benchmarking tool. The tool is an easy to use and functional program which uses industry data to provide businesses with information to inform shortterm decision making and long-term strategy based on trends amongst peers.

Joanna Cave, Chief Executive of GIA, encourages all growers to participate in the survey in order to build the most accurate and reliable picture of the industry.

‘This is the fifth year that we are carrying out this survey and with each year, the data becomes more clear and we become more capable of drawing trend-based conclusions,’ she said.

‘We would love to see an increase in respondents this year to better reflect the diversity of our growing industry

‘With each completed survey, we are able to add another piece of the puzzle when it comes to determining the true value of our industry. The more input we get, the better we can understand trends and make strategic investment decisions accordingly.

‘Additionally, the more accurate the data is, the more valuable the benchmarking tool will be, meaning our growers will get greater value from the tool and be able to make more informed decisions about the future of their business.’

Last year, the industry generated $2.8 billion in sales, increasing over 8% on the previous year. Growers also reported making decisions on investment in education and technology, based on insights that other growers were prioritising investments in their businesses.

Launch of the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement

A new plan to build a climate-resilient agriculture sector in Victoria by reducing emissions and collaborating with industry and community has been released by the Victorian Labor Government.

Minister for Agriculture, Gayle Tierney, launched the “Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement” at Agriculture

Victoria’s Ellinbank SmartFarm in September 2022.

The Statement outlines a plan towards a profitable and productive agriculture sector that takes action on climate change, and is a key part of the Agriculture Sector Pledge released in May 2021.

What is the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement?

We are committed to a profitable and productive agriculture sector that takes ambitious action on climate change.

We are working together to accelerate climate change solutions, including taking steps to:

» understand and reduce our emissions

» adapt to climate risks and

» capture future opportunities.

What is the Statement’s purpose?

The Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement’s purpose is to make a commitment under the first Agriculture Sector Pledge to partner with industry to set a long-term vision for the sector’s role in a climate resilient, net-zero emissions economy

What is NGIV’s position?

NGIV and our members are committed to achieving net zero emissions and improving our climate resilience.

Victoria’s horticulture industry will continue to play a key role in tackling what is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. We already produce over one third of Australia’s

greenlife which aids in reducing emissions, storing carbon and cooling our communities to help mitigate the impacts of a changing climate.

Operationally, our member businesses embed a range of sustainable practices and innovations to lessen their impact on our environment. These include utilising renewable energy, water saving strategies, improvements to soil health, circular economy practices, plant biodiversity and integrated pest management methods.

NGIV is committed to leading our industry to further improve its sustainable operating practices, while continuing to supply the greenlife which is key to achieving net zero emissions and improving our climate resilience.

More information

For more information, please visit:

» premier.vic.gov.au/victorias-ag-sector -united-taking-climate-action

» agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate-statement

Vale David (Dave) Vanderuit

18/11/1953 – 4/10/2022

David (Dave) Vanderuit, former owner of Tall Trees Nursery, passed away suddenly in the early hours of Tuesday, 4 October 2022.

David Vanderuit and partner Garry Evans started Tall Trees Nursery back in 1988. Growing advanced trees from 14cm to 200 litre, mainly native and exotic varieties, while also undertaking brokerage services for some clients. Tall Trees provides advanced trees to developers, landscapers, councils and other wholesalers throughout Victoria. Some of Victoria’s most prominent developments, such as Rod Laver Arena, Caroline Springs and Woodlea Estates and the Melbourne Museum all used stock from Tall Trees.

Originally starting with a small plot of trees out the back of the family’s home, on a quarter acre block, the business grew considerably.

After 34 years at the helm, Dave and Garry officially passed ownership of the nursery on to brothers Joel and Jared Vanderuit. Now, in 2022, it encompasses over 8 hectares (20 acres) and a has team of 35 staff.

Dave was known for his incredible hard work. Early starts and late finishes were the norm. And when you run a nursery you never fully switch off, there’s always a distraction. Son Joel Vanderuit reflected on his dad’s work ethic: ‘Dad taught me about being good to your staff, treating everyone with respect – he was fastidious about it. Tall Trees is not a hierarchical business; if something needs to get done, it doesn’t matter who it is, we get it done. Dad managed a lot of the business admin and drove a truck nearly every day and even up until just recently, when we’re in a jam, he’d pitch in.’

These lessons are not necessarily things you’d learn in a university class, but practical insights that have stood Tall Trees in good stead.’

He was also a strong community man, financially supporting the Westernport Warriors football team which was started by a local policeman and provides opportunities for men who are long-term unemployed, have alcohol and drug addictions, mental health problems or other disabilities.

Over the last five years, Dave enjoyed his retirement playing golf, fishing, leisurely lunches with friends and extensive travel to the corners of the earth, including the north pole and Antarctica. He was a member at Devilbend Golf Club and was on the committee there, providing business advice. We all knew how much Dave liked his golf and was good at it (well beating the handicapper) and celebrated success on more than one occasion during NGIV’s Annual Golf Day as part of “Team Vanderuit”

He was a valued member of the Victorian Nursery and Garden industry and will be sadly missed by so many.

On behalf of the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria Board, staff and members, our condolences are expressed to wife Karen, sons Joel and Jared and the extended Vanderuit family.

Joel Vanderuit, Shane Male, David Vanderuit

Joel, David, Jarrod Vanderuit, Shane Male

Bayer completes sale of its Environmental Science business

The purchase price for the business, which generated sales of approximately 600 million euros in 2021, amounts to 2.6 billion US dollars (2.6 billion euros). Bayer will use the net proceeds from the transaction to reduce its net financial debt.

‘We thank the employees of Environmental Science Professional for their many years of commitment and the associated success of Bayer.

‘In Cinven, we have found a strong new owner with a firm commitment to the long-term growth potential of the business and to its people,’ said Rodrigo Santos, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division

‘At the same time, we can concentrate on our core agricultural business and the successful implementation of our growth strategy in the Crop Science Division.’

The divested business is set to operate as an independent company called Envu. The business is a global leader offering solutions to control pests, diseases and weeds in non-agricultural areas such as vector control, professional pest management, vegetation management, forestry, plus turf and ornamentals. It is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, USA, and is active in over 100 countries. Nearly 900 employees in total will transfer from Bayer to Envu.

About Envu

Envu was founded in 2022, a new company built on years of Bayer experience, for the sole purpose of advancing healthy environments for everyone, everywhere. Envu offers dedicated

services in: Professional Pest Management, Forestry, Ornamentals, Golf, Industrial Vegetation Management, Lawn & Landscape, Mosquito Management and Range & Pasture. Across each of its lines of business, Envu focuses its work in chemistry and beyond, collaborating with customers to come up with innovative solutions that will work today and well into the future. For more information, www.envu.com.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2021, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 44.1 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

About Cinven

Cinven is a leading international private equity firm focused on building world-class global companies. Its funds invest in six key sectors: Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and TMT. www.cinven.com

Bayer has completed the sale of its Environmental Science Professional business to the international private equity firm Cinven. The business to continue operations as an independent company called Envu.

Vale Roy Geoffrey Schirmer

Roy Schirmer, owner of Karinga Nursery passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday, 7 September 2022.

Roy was involved in the nursery sector for over four decades beginning as a student, completing his Trade Certificate at Oakleigh Technical College and eventually establishing his Keysborough nursery, Karinga in 1974. The original one hectare site produces about half a million pots a year and specialises in poinsettias, chrysanthemums and miniature roses.

Roy’s hallmark was his progressive outlook and his many changes to traditional growing methods. Automation was his key tool, with all potting done on-site in the houses utilising the latest in potting machine technology from Europe in combination with conveyor systems.

Roy was an innovator. In the early ‘90s he installed a state-ofthe-art greenhouse complete with controlled atmosphere, conveyors and the first fully automated ebb and flow irrigation/ fertigation system in Australia. The 1000 square metre house represents a milestone in Australian horticultural production.

The current Karinga Nursery is a vastly different business to that started by Roy as a youth, when he raised a range of selected shrubs in 7 lb jam tins!

Roy was president of two Garden Clubs and an executive member of the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria. In his spare time, he liked scuba diving, was a qualified “Dive Master” and was actively involved in this sport as president of the Dandenong Scuba Diving Club.

He will be remembered as a member of the Victorian horticultural community who was always willing to share his expertise, knowledge and passion. He will be sadly missed by many and on behalf of the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria Board, staff and members, our condolences are expressed to the extended Schirmer family.

NGIV partners with Jobs Victoria

Two Events in One

On Monday, 10 October 2022, Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV) was announced as a recipient of a $1.9M grant through the Jobs Victoria Fund.

Part of the Victorian Government’s $19 million inclusive employment package – helping businesses find staff and supporting Victorians into secure work – this project will help our members tackle current workforce challenges.

NGIV is partnering with Jobs Victoria to connect people looking for work with its members looking for employees. Priority will be given to young people, women aged 45 and over, people with disability, long-term jobseekers, people seeking asylum and refugees and newly arrived migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds.

NGIV, in conjunction with a training organisation, will recruit, train and aim to place 100 employees into permanent employment over the next 12 months. New recruits will also receive wraparound support including mentoring and workplace buddies to help them succeed in their new careers.

The project will target existing vacancies for full and part-time (minimum 19 hours per week) and will be entry level roles.

‘With the state’s low unemployment rate and labour force participation at record highs, our industry, like many others face staff shortages and employers are struggling to fill vacancies. Receipt of this grant is a great step forward for NGIV and our members,’ said Craig Taberner, CEO, Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria

If you wish to know more about NGIV’s project and how you may be able to get involved, please contact Craig Taberner or Policy and Technical Manager, David Reid.

Successful day for our NextGen-ers and Tree & Shrubs Growers as they visit Tall Trees

In September members were invited to tour Tall Trees, a production nursery that has been growing trees and plants for civil, commercial and residential landscapers for over 30 years.

First up were our NextGen-ers, with some 30 hearing from owner Joel Vanderuit as to how the business began on a ¼ acre block in the seaside town of Balnarring, before now extending over three growing sites on the Mornington Peninsula.

He then took the group on an informative tour before handing over to Roger Boyle, Regional Manager for ICL. Roger shared tips and procedures aimed at reducing weed impact in growing areas and finished products and explained the components of a comprehensive weed management plan.

Later in the day, Tall Trees was joined by more than 55 Tree & Shrub Grower members. We were then treated to a tour which highlighted the business’s focus on “best practice” tree development, with particular emphasis placed on the root systems and utilising the best technology to achieve optimal tree health. Joel explained how the nursery was fully powered by solar and batteries, and uses recycled water. He is continually looking into ways to reduce Tall Trees’ impact on the environment and local community.

The night ended with dinner at the Westernport Hotel.

A big thanks to Joel and the team at Tall Trees for hosting both groups and their great hospitality and sharing of information.

Ozbreed comes full circle

Ozbreed returns to its roots: new plant releases.

Formed decades ago, Ozbreed has been integral in the Australian landscape scene. Pioneering the release of new breeding in Australian native grasses and strappy leaf plants, this innovative company soon became a major source of functional, reliable and no-fuss plants for the professional landscape industry. With this success came lots of company growth, the expansion of growers, a wide landscape industry following, and lots of overseas success, especially in the USA. Success also meant business systems and distribution models became complicated, so over the last few years Ozbreed has worked hard behind the scenes, greatly streamlining and semi-automating its royalty and grower administration systems. Just last year, Ozbreed successfully launched Ozbreed Easy Access (OEA), allowing new nurseries to experience the benefits of growing Ozbreed plants, whilst continuing to provide support and extra benefits to legacy growers and propagators. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/ ozbreed-easy-access/

This was all possible because Ozbreed delayed release of many new and exciting plants to focus on business. Now completed, it is time to return to Ozbreed’s roots, namely new plants. After a decade of breeding and testing,

Ozbreed has a truly remarkable stable of new plants:

1) Landscape flowers: Ozbreed will soon release a new range of landscape flowering plants that beat the heat, help reduce weed invasion, lower maintenance, and are purposely bred for Australia’s climate – this range includes Salvia, Pentas, Scaevola, Argyranthemum and more

2) New and exciting Strappy Leaf Plants: these are bred to be cleaner, tougher, and to survive disease pressures that would have meant certain death for common- or olderbred strappy leaf plants, Lomandra, and Dianella

3) Native grasses are back: new Poa, and other grasses are on the way

4) New additions to our Native Shrubs and Groundcovers range that are tough, low maintenance, and highly functional

5) Exotic plants that are safer, cleaner, and have many stand out features: vivid purpurea Crepe Myrtles, compact improved Trachelospermum jasminoides, new hedging plants and more

6) Even introducing ultra-low growing plants: a new Zoysia grass, and Chamomile that rarely (if ever) needs trimming, and functions as the ultimate lawn alternatives. More to come.

Ozbreed will continue with its full circle theme, and work hard with landscape industry professionals, promoting these new releases. In the past, Ozbreed has become well known for its inclusive marketing to landscape architects and designers, and this long-lasting successful strategy will be a cornerstone of Ozbreed’s future direction.

Agapanthus

Crepe Myrtle

Trade Day report

By Nan Cleven

Riding high on the tail of a ‘super September’ Spring market, the October market took in the buzz and hum of a busy day with all the fabulous new growth, fragrance and colour of this beautiful time of year. Busy times for everyone … standholders were caught up in the rush with buyers keen to source stock in readiness for customer demand. Buyers were out and about early – longer daylight hours now and a mild start to the day ensured business was brisk.

– All Green – was recognised as

Coffee Cart sponsor of the day

«

« The footy season’s over, congrats to the Geelong Cats on their success, and to our superstar footy tipster winner, Daryl Pulford of Toolangi Wholesale being congratulated by Greg Carrick of GCP. Our thanks again to GCP for their generous sponsorship – Daryl will no doubt enjoy a trip to the MCG next year – supporting the Brisbane Lions no less...

« All action in the carpark – the challenge of loading up purchases of plentiful stock.

« Robyn (Mt Evelyn Garden Centre) appears all loaded up with lots of colour, but then there’s more to come!

Dean Lamb (Watts Nursery, Kyneton), another happy member with plenty of space on the Watts truck to make the most of loading up with some great seasonal stock.

Women in Industry Award for Bio Gro’s Sage Hahn

Congratulations to Sage Hahn, operations manager at Van Shaik’s Bio Gro for her recent success in winning this year’s Business Development Manager Award at the “Women in Industry Awards” held in Sydney.

Sage is the Victorian State Manager for Van Shaik’s Bio Gro, a family-owned business that is at the forefront of the circular economy. When she was promoted in 2020, she identified three streams of new business opportunities.

During 2021, Sage worked on creating visibility of the capability of the Bio Gro business as well as building solid customer relationships with existing and potential customers. At the end of the 2021 financial year, the business had taken in 60,000 tonnes of product, representing a 50 per cent increase. Going into 2022, Sage was confident that she could bring through additional volumes from metropolitan councils. At the end of the 2022 financial year, 112,000 tonnes of product was processed through the Dandenong South facility, representing an 85 per cent increase over the prior year.

Sage, who manages a team of 45, was recognised for creating new growth opportunities that have allowed Bio Go to expand and generate greater revenue.

The “Women in Industry Awards” recognise outstanding women from a range of industrial sectors that are traditionally male-dominated.

From all at NGIV, well done Sage! You represent our sector with distinction and this recognition is well and truly deserved

Interview with NextGen AMBER JOYCE

Peninsula Advanced Trees

Where do you work and what is your role?

I work at Peninsula Advanced Trees located in Mornington, on the Mornington Peninsula. I’m a first year nursery apprentice.

How long have you worked where you are and has your role progressed?

I have worked at Peninsula Advanced Trees for just over six months. At the beginning I didn’t know anything about nursery work but over this short period of time I have already learnt so much. I know how to root prune, repot, stake and prune.

What do you like most about the Industry?

I like working with plants and learning all the different things about them. I also like working outdoors and seeing how the weather can affect plant growth.

Where would you like your career to go?

I would like to further my knowledge and study so then one day I could own my own business.

How did you end up working in the nursery industry?

I wanted a change of career and scenery and started looking for jobs within the horticultural Industry. It was exciting to come across an apprenticeship opportunity close to home.

What is a typical day like for you?

I’m an early riser and it’s only a short drive to work, with my day starting at 7:30am. I work within the production team that involves mostly potting smaller stock into larger containers. After work, I have netball training a few nights each week.

Are you currently studying, and if yes, where and what?

I’m currently studying a Certificate III in Nursery Operations at Swinburne and after completing my apprenticeship I’m hoping to undertake the Diploma in Horticulture course.

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to spend time with family and friends. I enjoy playing sports and being outdoors.

About NextGen

The Victorian nursery and garden industry is full of young, enthusiastic people, who are shaping the industry of the future. NGIV’s NextGen is a forum for people under 35 years of age to meet, exchange ideas and hone their leadership skills.

NextGen provides a unique opportunity for young horticulturalists to form networks and develop their careers, learn more about the industry, and have fun.

Proudly sponsored by

Decreased by $48.34 per tonne (2.47 cents per litre) Prices effective 1st-30th November 2022 (inc GST)

Cat Cents per litre Melbourne Geelong Other Mildura

A Base Price 102.08 102.63 103.73 104.17

B Usage below 2,500 litres 92.73 93.28 94.27 94.82

C Usage between 2,500 5,000 litres 92.18 92.73 93.72 94.27

D Usage between 5,000 – 10,000 litres 90.53 91.08 92.07 92.62

E Usage between 10,000 – 30,000 litres 89.43 89.98 90.97 91.52

F Usage between 30,000 – 50,000 litres 88.88 89.43 90.42 90.97