Alexanders Nursery Newsletter

This pest is becoming a major problem on the Gold Coast attacking different varieties of palms such as Canary Island Date, Royal, Coconut and Golden Cane. Usually the first signs are sap oozing from holes or splits in the trunk and an unhealthy appearance of the palm head. Damage can be severe and lead to the death of the specimen. While spraying is effective if carried out thoroughly , regular inspections and a planned spraying program seem to be required to keep this pest at bay. Eggs: laid singly in small cavities at leaf bases. Immature: small, white legless grubs with a reddish brown head. Adult: small ( 12mm) snouted beetle varies in colour from light brown to almost black with six discete light and dark markings on the wing covers. Damage: young grubs feed internally on the central section of stems in young plants. Older larvae feed on leaf bases and may chew into the trunk for a short distance. Feeding on the trunk and emergence holes causes trunks to split and sap to ooze, staining the trunk. See photo on web site

Some of the above information regarding sugarcane weevil borer was taken from a new useful guide for horticulture. It is titled Pests, Diseases, Disorders and Beneficial in Ornamentals: Field Identification Guide. With 300 clear colour photographs and 190 pages of illustrations and text, this guide makes it a lot easier to identify a particular problem. This field guide is a companion to the more comprehensive Integrated Pest Management in Ornamentals: Information Guide. Especially useful is that it contains photographs of the predator insects (the good ones) so that they are not mistaken for pests.

It may be possible for landscapers and garden maintenance operators as well as nurseries to obtain exemptions from the water restrictions on the Gold Coast.

If you are using town water for commercial purposes it is possible to apply for an exemption from the Gold Coast City Council. Either on-line by the website goldcoastwater.qld.goc.au by phone 1300 366 69
or fax 55 81 7860.

With the present dry conditions coupled with water restrictions, many soils are showing signs of being water repellent. When water will not easily penetrate soil and runs off rather than being absorbed, it can be treated with wetting agents to overcome the problem.

Wetting agents can be applied either in liquid or granular form and the better quality products are very effective.

If watering new plants is a problem with the current water restrictions, adding water crystals to the planting hole would reduce the chances of drying out. Water crystals absorb a huge amount of water, swelling up into a jelly-like consistency, holding the water ready for the plant to use.
Water absorbent crystals are being used increasingly, especially in planting situations where watering is infrequent or non existent. The current range of crystals like Rainsaver etc work very effectively in holding onto large amounts of water for the plant to use, even when soil around them has dried out. It will last for a number of years, swelling and shrinking hundreds of times. Always apply the crystals already 'charged' (swollen) with water, it is the most practical method, and is quick and easy to mix in the planting hole.

Anti-transpirants like Envy and Stressguard sprayed on plants can reduce their water loss by 50%. They are ideally used when transplanting ex ground or when potted plants being put into the ground have had root disturbance - thus they cannot take in the moisture required to keep all their foliage. Once sprayed on the leaves, it will expand with any leaf growth and is not harmful or restricting for the plant for 1-2 months until it breaks down.

The recent drought has highlighted the use of various water related products .They are being increasingly used to help control water and plants

Even established plants that are undergoing water stress from drought can be given a breather until rain occurs. Anti-transpirants are one of the most useful plant products that have come onto the market in recent years.

Completely dry soil or potting mix can be very hard to re-wet sometimes, and that's where wetting agents are very useful. There are a few brands on the market but they all enable the soil to once again absorb water. Working basically like a detergent , they remove the waxy layer around soil particles that cause water to run off and not be absorbed. Liquid wetting agents are the most popular but there also slow release granular forms available.

Society garlic is a very useful landscaping plant for borders or mass planting areas such as roundabouts. It is very hardy, forming clumps only 40 cm high with lilac flowers over a long period during the warm season.
The grey-green leaves are evergreen and exude a garlic-like odour.
The variegated form has leaves edged in white, and is not as vigorous as the green/grey form.

In addition to the plants listed, we have available for landscaping other lines such as Cycas revoluta, Strelitzia, Camellia sasanqua, Golden Cane Palms etc

We are constantly sourcing plants for our customers so let us take the hard work
out of finding plants for your landscaping needs - give us a call !

Syzygium Cascade (PBR)
' Pink Flowering Lilly Pilly' is an exciting new addition to the popular " Lilly Pilly"
range of plants.

Forming a round bushy shrub with flowing 'Cascades' of drooping
red new growth changing through shades of pink to green. Syz. Cascade is strong and hardy reaching 2-3 m high with a spread of
1.2m . Thriving in full sun or part shade. Cascade is a hybrid
between S leuhmanni and S. wilsonii. It produces clusters of
pink flowers in spring followed by pink edible fruit in early
summer. Good in large tubs, as a weeping specimen plant
or pruned into a dense colourful hedge.

There are signs that the days of Tuscan style architecture
and garden with its formal hedges and topiaries may be numbered.

The Asian influence is growing stronger with "Balinese" gardens in particular getting a lot of publicity. Interior decorating and landscaping are both using Asian themes to dress uo our home environment.

Regularly seen in the gardening and lifestyle media are the Balinese pavilion/hut, bamboo plants, moongatesFeng Shui principles etc. The gardens are less formal and more relaxed looking which in Queensland is surely more appropriate for our climate and lifestyle.

As Queenslanders we are known for our easygoing relaxed outlook on life so it is only natural to reflect that in our garden design and planting.

Plants that tie in with this Asian influence are clumping bamboo and palms, with colourful foliage such as crotons, Cordylines, Calathea, ginger , bromeliads, Rhoeo and variegated plants.

Interesting foliage to add interest can come from
cycads, Liriope, Dracaena, Agave, Pandanus and Yucca.

Agave attenuata
This Agave is rapidly becoming a trendy plant as seen on many lifestyle/gardening shows. Agave attenuata has the dramatic form and elegance beloved by garden designers without the spines and teeth of other Agaves.

The smooth silvery green to grey coloured leaves are tolerant of salt laden winds and perform well in seaside gardens.

A.attenuata relishes full sun but also tolerant of shade, is fully drought proof thriving in very dry areas but can flourish in well watered gardens if the drainage is good.

COLOURFUL CORDYLINES
The current range of Cordylines come in a wonderful array of colours from rich purples, maroons, and incorporating reds, pinks, yellow and lime colours. Looking great to complement subtropical foliage they will brighten up an overly green garden and provide rich colour all year around.

Regular water, food , good drainage and yearly pruning produces stunning effects.

GROWER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Alexanders Nursery was recently chosen as the Grower of the Year by the Qld Nursery Industry Association. The award was given " in recognition of superior customer service, plant quality and nursery presentation " at the annual conference in November.

The honor of this achievement recognises the progress of the past, but also spurs on further advances in the future. We understand that we need to progress together with our partners - our customers. The provision of E-mail facility and shortly a web site on the Internet will ease the task of finding plant stock for some of our customers. The providing of up-to-date correct advice on horticultural matters will continue, now with the addition of information sourced from the Internet.

Gardens and nurseries have noticed widespread damage to plants caused by the sudden extreme heatwave of January. Some plants that would normally not be damaged by summer heat have had leaves burnt or scorched, despite adequate water being available. In some cases branches or even entire plants have died. The unseasonably cool summer may have contributed to plants reacting badly to the sudden record high burst of extreme heat.

Back in the 1980's a popular practice was to put down black plastic over the soil in new gardens, supposedly to decrease weed problems. Although that unfortunate experiment is not continued anymore, the effects are still around. Unhealthy soils beneath this impervious layer are very poor in biological terms, and it has been said that 1 year of black plastic can cause 5 years of soil damage. Bringing such soils back to life, apart from removing the plastic, requires considerable addition of organic matter such as manures or composts. Organic fertilisers and enriching mulch will also help.

Some of our customers have been asking for Agave attenuata which we now have available in advanced sizes . These incredibly hardy succulents are becoming more popular especially with landscape architects and designers.

We all need to recharge our batteries now and again, for our personal lives and our businesses. Fresh ideas and new energy are vital - and for our plant and garden inspirations there are several places to go.

The Australian Open Garden Scheme gives us the opportunity to see wonderful gardens in our local areas. Most weekends there is an open garden available in S/E Qld to see - last weekend there were two fantastic ones to visit on the Sunshine Coast. These gardens are the best that can be achieved. The different styles of gardens shows us the variety of landscapes that can be achieved - believe me its better than watching those shows on television.

The Roma St Parklands in Brisbane are now nearing completion and will hopefully be another place to get ideas on new plants, new ways of showing plants and new landscaping to inspire us. Like all gardens they will improve with time, but I'm hopeful there will be enough to " wow" the visitors. Just as Southbank Parklands and other public landscapes can encourage better landscapes, Roma St should be a catalyst for further raising of standards.

Further afield there are other great places to pick up ideas. In April the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is probably the best of its type in Australia, and there is a similar event in Auckland N.Z. the Ellerslie Garden Show( November). In Brisbane the Mt.Cootha Botanic Gardens are always worth a visit, and hopefully the Gold Coast Botanic Gardens will soon also be a " must see" Garden.

In the last 12 months there has apparently been widespread damage to lilly pillys due to attacks of the psyllid pest. New growth is attacked with pimpling of the tips and young leaves, with twisting and distortion of this growth. Psyllids are quite small ( several mm) and difficult to see with the naked eye but the damage they cause to lilly pilly foliage can be severe.

The common name of lilly pilly now covers a range of plants in the Syzygium , Waterhousia , Acmena and Eugenia groups. There has been widespread use of Syzygiums in landscaping work and in particular plants of the type Syzygium australe - which includes Syzygium Aussie Southern, Bush Christmas, Lillyput, Blaze, Aussie Copper, Aussie Boomer, Tiny Trev and many others.

Very popular as hedging plants , lilly pillys can be attacked by psyllids and this year there appears to have been more damage than usual - perhaps due to the wet warm conditions in the first half of the year. Some lilly pillys seem quite resistant to this pest for example the Syzygium australe select - also known as Syz. Paniculata dwarf, Syz.Aussie Compact, Syz Elite ( the confusion in naming this plant has been covered by an article in an earlier price list). Also seeming to have strong resistance is Syzygium Tiny Trev.

In certain areas the psyllids are more severe , perhaps being closer to native bushland for example paperbark forests.

Solutions to this problem vary depending on the situation, for example with hedges that require regular trimming the damaged new growth would normally be pruned off. There are a number of chemical spraying options but they would need to be well timed to when the insect is present- seemingly at its peak severity in early spring or late summer when its natural predators are in low numbers.

Would you like a red flowering low shrub/ groundcover in your bed? The Calliandra
tweedii prostrata, also known as Red Flash, flowers bright red in flushes throughout summer and was even in flower here at the nursery in our recent mild winter. While reaching small size it can easily be kept even lower as a groundcover.

It is not liable to any pests and diseases and only requires a well drained, sunny moist position with reasonable fertility. While not as well known as some other plants it deserves being used more widely.

Exemptions from Water Restrictions

It may be possible for landscapers and garden maintenance operators as well as nurseries to obtain exemptions from the water restrictions on the Gold Coast.