We hope wherever you are in Australia, you are staying warm and dry. Many of our fellow growers in NSW and QLD have been affected by this weather. With rain, comes an increased risk of Root Rot (Phytophthora) this is one of many fungal root pathogens which is spread through water. Whilst pine and spruce tend to be a little more tolerant to rot compared to their Fir counterparts, site planning and preparation can go a long way for tree crop health.
We recently completed work on field drainage and repairs to a dam. On the flip side, the dam renovation provides extra water security for the next dry season. If you are seeing yellowing needles, toppling trees or dieback, especially after prolonged waterlogged soil conditions your trees are likely suffering from root rot. In NSW, the best way to diagnose rot root is to contact your local DPI office and request a sampling kit.
Root rot progresses faster in warmer weather, so act now (winter) to prevent tree losses.
Here is our quick checklist for root rot prevention:
Mound tree rows
Favour well-drained soils and avoid heavy clay soils
Dig drain trenches/Spoon drains
Avoid planting in wet areas e.g. gullies and river flats.
Assess soil and root health. A high phosphorus fertiliser can boost root health if found to be deficient in soil (DPI can assist with a soil test).
Avoid irrigating from waterways where runoff from plantations of conifers may have contaminated the water source or filter/treat water if possible.
Work is also underway on our nursery extension – perhaps this is just an excuse for the boys to play with machines? We are making space for a whole new selection of tree varieties from all over the world. Watch this space as they will start to make an appearance on the website soon.
Machines ready to go
Already full after the rain
The majority of the 2022 Pre-Orders have now been shipped. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding during this busy time.
A special thanks to our LPO, as this season, we beat our personal best for orders shipped in one day as well as filled up the dispatch room.
Head to our online shop before December 1st 2022 to save 10% on the 2023 winter Pre-Orders.
For many, the winter season is a quiet time, but not for the Spruced team.
Our winter jobs are:
Planting tube stock in the field
Assessing soil and field tree health
Sowing seeds (including some new and exciting varieties such as Grand fir, Korean fir, Oriental spruce, Red spruce, White spruce and Himalayan spruce)
Processing seed harvest and testing germination
Nursery stocktake
Machinery maintenance (including un-bogging)
Road building and improving site access
Did you know
A mixture of egg whites and sand can be used as an effective seedling anti-browsing treatment against pests.
That’s a lot of eggs – luckily we have a lot of chooks on our farm.
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Happy growing!