THE AIH JOURNAL - Australian Institute of Horticulture
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THE AIH JOURNAL
AIH: National Newsletter Autumn 2018 Vol.11
Dear members, let the garden shows and festivals
begin! It’s a busy season ahead with Melbourne’s
International Flower and Garden Show, Perth’s
Garden Festival, Brisbane’s Garden and Plant Expo
and the Collectors Plant Fair just to name a few.
These events are not only great for us to all to catch
up with friends and industry colleagues but more
importantly for the public to see the hard work and
passion we all place on our industry.
I hope wherever you are around Australia you make
the most of these events and attend or recommend
friends to attend these garden festivals.
Next addition of the AIH Journal will have a
comprehensive wrap up of all the many garden
shows and festivals that have been held throughout
March and April.
If you attended any garden shows or festivals that
you would like to support, then please send through
some photos and a short write up so we can add it to Photo – Michael Casey
the next addition.
All the best.
Regards,
In This Issue
• National Council Update
Michael Casey MAIH RH106 • President’s Report
• Convenor Reports
AIH Victorian Regional Convener • From the archives
AIH National Councillor • Industry Article – By Neville Passmore
(M) 0411 520 796 & Kim Morris
(E) michael@mjchorticulture.com.au • Industry Article – By Nicholas Rivett
• Members news
President’s Report Dear Members By now you will have been contacted by our Website Manager, David, to provide you with new website login details. I am sure you will be happy with the improvements – but if you do encounter problems, don’t hesitate to contact the website manager or secretary. In relation to workshops, there are an increasing number being scheduled by our conveners and they are being listed on the Events page of the Website. I also propose to upload the full 12 month calendar in an “at a glance“ consolidated format. The calendar includes regional group meetings and workshops – this will be updated regularly to include any new additions. Please also be aware that horticultural and garden show events around Australia, and even Asia, are included on the calendar. We hope to include other activities on this schedule as we become aware of them. These might be events run by other industry groups with which we have supportive arrangements. For example, groups representing horticultural therapists, designers, architects, landscapers, nurseries, horticultural media and consulting arborists. Please refer to our calendar of events for more detail. The Collectors’ Plant Fair, which we endorse and sponsor, will be held in Richmond, NSW, in early April. The Perth Garden Festival will be held in mid April. I have just returned from the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). A wonderful event this year. The grounds were well presented, the weather great, and an increased number of displays and industry stands indicated a great success. I took the time to meet with some of our senior, and very active, members and enjoyed the displays provided by many of the horticulture and design students. Wayne Van Balen MAIH and Nicholas Rivett FAIH at Christian Jenkins garden display at MIFGS I’m appreciative of our busy and talented National Council, who met in early March. The Executive also met while we were in Melbourne with much work done on our annual budget, Registered Horticulturist strategies and bilateral arrangements both with other Australian organisations and overseas. It was a great pleasure to meet with the CEO of Fitzpatricks, Annette Baxter, accompanied by Daniel Holmes, who is known to many of us. They have a very positive approach to their relationship with AIH going forward and they have proposed to provide quality information to our members about insurance issues on a regular basis. Next Wednesday evening, I look forward to accompanying Nic Rivett and Michael Casey at the official opening of the Upper West Side Precinct in Melbourne, which is Australia’s largest residential rooftop green space. This was the winner of the AIH’s inaugural Urban GreenSpace Award in 2017. Kind regards Wayne Wayne Van Balen MAIH, RH00027 B.Bus. (Land Econ.), ADFM, Cert. Hort president@aih.org.au www.aih.org.au
Convenor Reports
Victorian News
One of our senior members and a Fellow of the institute, Nicholas Rivett FAIH, was asked by the City of
Melbourne Canopy Workshops this month to discuss his award winning roof garden located in Swanston St
Melbourne. Canopy is a quarterly discussion forum held at different locations around the city, bringing together
people from industry and the general public to share information and ideas regarding the greening of our city.
The garden covering approx. 1 acre of roof space has many garden rooms located around the complex for use by
the 6000 residents that call this space home. The ‘sell out’ night went well with a great discussion and tour
followed by a social catch up with industry colleagues.
Nic addressing the Canopy session Guided tour around the gardens
Photos – Michael Casey
Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions Michael@mjchorticulture.com.au
Michael Casey MAIH
AIH Victorian Convenor
Western Australian News
Events running throughout April in Western Australia
The 2018 Perth Garden Festival presented by Kleenheat is held from Thursday the 12TH of April 2018 to
Sunday the 15TH of April 2018.
http://www.perthgardenfestival.com/
Singapore News
Attached is the information with regards to the Singapore Garden Festival running from July 21st to 3rd August
2018
It was officially launched on the 10 March 2018 at Takashimaya Square where a Guinness Book of record was
awarded for the Biggest Basket Flower during the launch event.
This year the show has been extended by 5 days with the addition of 2 new events having being announced;
1) Singapore Orchid Show in 21 April to 29 April
2) Singapore Horticulture Show in 2019 at the new Lake District Park, this event will be biennale alternating with
SGF event. This will mean have one major event every year.
Read the press release on 10 March 2018
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-garden-festival-returns-in-july-2-new-separate-
events?xtor=cs1-10
https://www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest/
The Show Garden designers for SGF 2018 from Australia are:
Jim Fogarty
Myles Baldwin
https://www.singaporegardenfestival.com/SGF-2018-Designers/Landscape-and-Fantasy-Gardens
Regards
John Tan MAIH
Singapore Convenor
john@esmond.com.sg
ACT/Southern NSW News
We have recently had a meet and greet in Canberra for past members and new Horticultural Canberrians that
would also like to raise the profile of Horticulture in Canberra. We had 8 people have a cuppa and look at a
program for 2018 and really happy to see enthusiastic people coming together.
We will be working with the CIT students and make the workshops accessible for them and welcome them into the
industry that we all enjoy very much. Our first topic on the agenda is a Business development seminar with details
to be released shortly and look forward to meeting more members at this event and many others planed for 2018.
The weather is cooling for a beautiful autumn and we are starting to prepare for frosts in Canberra from the end of
the month and changing out horticultural jobs in the workplace to suit our seasons.
Jackie Warburton MAIH
ACT /South East NSW Convener
jackie@terrasolarus.com
0414 845 238
From the archives Written by Gordan Morrison FAIH July 1973
Industry Article – Neville Passmore MAIH & Kim Morris FAIH
Food Security – Fertiliser Security
Australia has the potential to be the food bowl of Asia and at the same time feed our own population
with high quality food. One of the long term worries however is the rundown of fertiliser resources,
in particular phosphorus. This is one of the big three nutrients needed for plant growth, you may
have heard this expressed as N.P.K or Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash.
These elements are present within the soil, on the surface, in water and in the atmosphere of our
planet. The quantity is constant, in other words, these are never destroyed but they can become
unavailable. Two examples can be seen where nutrients are sequestering in landfill, or these can be
washed out into oceans where recovery is extremely difficult.
Phosphorus is a particularly concerning nutrient. The world’s supply of mineable phosphorus is
dwindling with an estimated life of 40 to 100 years. Today 72% of the globes known high-grade
phosphorus ore resource are found in one country - Morocco.
For me the inspiring thought is that much of the phosphorus in Australia is available for recycling,
we just haven't cottoned on to how we can do it. Food waste is a brilliant example. These days we
send it off to landfill with little thought. Not only do we need to develop ways to divert this
material, as well as green garden wastes, into composting facilities that can turn rubbish into
valuable composted products which enable us to capture this vital growing element and return it to
our soils.
Australia's soils are extremely old and nutrient depleted. Over millions of years this land has not
had glaciers or volcanic activity to bring new nutrients to our soil. One of the great breakthroughs
in agriculture was the discovery that the deficiencies in phosphorus could be overcome with
applications of Superphosphate. Early results were spectacular so the annual regimes of application
became almost religiously unquestionable.
Billions of dollars worth of Super have been deposited in wheat belt soils and the worrying thing is
most of it is still there, locked up in an insoluble form which is of no use to crops. Some of this
material is finding its way through catchments and is flowing eventually out to sea. On the journey it
is contributing to nutrient pollution and fuelling algal blooms in our waterways.
An astonishing attribute of some purpose made, very mature composted products is their ability to take
up this sequestered phosphorus and turn it into a plant available form.
Another currently wasted phosphorus resource is human and animal solid wastes, yes I am talking about
manure or poo. Whenever this material finishes up in landfill it adds to the loss of resources. If applied
to soils in a raw form it can be very dangerous from a disease point of view, plus it tends to dump soluble
nutrient such as nitrogen and phosphorus into our sandy soils to exacerbate the pollution of our
waterways.
Modern day composting can take this smelly, toxic material and convert it into safe-to-use, sweet
smelling composted product suitable for growing plants, including food
crops. The high temperatures achieved in controlled composting pasteurise the mix killing off
pathogens, weeds and even break down drugs and pharmaceuticals. We have to change some attitudes
here.
Is there anything that householders can do to make a difference to this global problem? Recycling food
waste is a good start. This can be done through home composting. I have an Aerobin compost bin at
home and this gets fed every day. Chooks are great value in recycling food waste, as are compost worms
in a worm farm.
Lobby for a third organics bin with your local council if you don’t have such a service.
Use organic, ideally composted, soil improvers and mulch in your garden to build soils and reduce
fertiliser needs. Composted material in the soil also holds on to nutrients and moisture, which is of great
benefit to the soil but also reduces nutrient leaking.
Neville Passmore
Registered Horticulturist N0 0060
Kim Morris Response
Neville, I found this subject rather timely and interesting as Andrew (Prowse) and I spent a week doing
work in the Republic of Nauru in February.
They say the Nauran phosphorus is of the highest grade and is often mixed with the lower grades of
phosphorus that are mined in Morocco and Kiribati.
Interesting how phosphorous has been the lynchpin of the
Australian agricultural Industry for over 100 years. Australia
knocked out the German Wireless stations around the Pacific
in the early months of WW1. We did a memorial at Bita Paka
at Rabaul PNG to commemorate the battle there to wrench
control of the wireless station from the Germans, which at that
time was the plan to shut down their communications in the
Pacific as they had a strong hold on most of the strategic
islands of the pacific.
After removing German control, Nauru became an
essentially Australian territory with joint interests from the
British and Kiwis. But predominantly became for Australia,
its essential source of phosphorus.
We would all acknowledge in our horticulture and the
discussion on phosphorous sensitive plants like banksia,
Large cantilevers overhanging Naruan reef this was because of the lack of phosphorus in our soils.
Photo – Kim Morris FAIH
So superphosphate the became the big answer to the agricultural industry and the means by which great
plains of wheat and other crops eventually appeared. Mostly supplemented with phosphorus from
Nauru.
Billy Hughes who was PM at the end of WW1 refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles unless he got
possession and control of Nauru as he considered it a strategic requirement of the Australian agricultural
industry and its place as an international trader.
Australia lost Nauru to the Japanese in WW2 and their efforts to mine the phosphates were thwarted by
sabotage and ignorance. Australia dispatched HMAS Diamantina pretty much on the day the war ended
in the Pacific to sign the surrender on board and regain control of phosphorus mining again before
anyone else could lay claim.
The Island is running out of phosphorus and with new technology
they are devising a secondary method of going over the mined
areas again, while the current method is likely to run out next
year.
So Nauru in spite of its recent notoriety with the establishment of
refugee camps, has played a big part in our nation’s agricultural
development.
Phosphorus rock is however a great building block for landscape
and many walls that are painted white that offset the most
spectacular frangipanis we have ever seen. Likely to be the sandy
soils and phosphorus rock (considering the republic is only 21 sq.
kilometres and is 19 kilometres around its circumference and
65m above sea level less 5m of mined phosphate off the plateau
top of the island, which is now part of Australia forever.
Photo – Kim Morris FAIH
Noni fruit – a staple of each Nauran village Photo – Kim Morris FAIH
A bit of a David and Goliath story or a case of the world’s smallest republic, helping to fertilise the largest
island continent. One island to another.
Kim Morris FAIH
Registered Horticulturist No 0002
Industry Article – Nicholas Rivett FAIH
Review of TPZ Assessment for Australian Trees
Tree Protection Zones (TPZ) were invented in the USA, based on American Species and American units of
measurement. For Australia they are, at best, an arbitrary guide structured around the American unit of
measurement of 12 inches being 1 foot.
For the sake of simplicity, it was determined to measure, in inches, the diameter of an American tree’s trunk at 4ft
6” (56 inches), the average height of an American Breast, above the ground line and convert that transposing
directly from inches to feet, to establish a TPZ radius.
Thus, a tree with a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of 14 inches gets a 14 ft TPZ radius circle all around the tree.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SIMPLISTIC SYSTEM
The problems with this over simplified system are numerous and include, but are not limited to:
Ø Age of the tree – Young, Mature or Over Mature,
Ø Time frame – Understanding the “Dogs Life of a Tree”
Ø The vigour – genetic capability,
Ø Vitality – What it is doing within its environment,
Ø Differences between tree genera and species
Ø Soil type and structure
Ø Organic content of the soil
Ø Soil Depth – root profile depth
Ø Hydrological differences between sites and within a site
Ø Slope and drainage – drain a bog and flood a site
Ø Exposure, etc.
CONSIDER THESE EXAMPLES
Trees in deep sandy soils over gravels and deep-water courses. Such trees will have no feeding or structural roots at
or even near the surface. The first lateral root may be 10 or more metres below grade so digging a 1 or 2m deep
trenches adjacent to the trunk will not be an issue.
Conversely, with a tree on a slope that receives its water from higher up the slope. Any excavation that occurs, even
well outside the notional TPZ, the back fill will act as a barrier or diversion thus will cut off the flow of water that
sustains the tree, it may subsequently die due to dehydration of the root plate
Root pruning is routinely implemented to provides new space and to extend tree’s health and vitality. Appropriate
and timely root pruning programs in combination with regular remedial actions of crown maintenance such as;
thinning, shaping, removal of dead dying branches, in combination with soil amelioration, fertilisation and irrigation
provided the tree with resources and energy to resist pest, disease. Highly vital trees will have the energy reserves
to fight their greatest threat, significant climatic and biological changes.
Trees with large DBH but that have a crown less or much less, than the healthy norm, will not have a root system
commensurate with DBH calculation. The DBH of trees with little or no crown will have a very similarly reduced root
system. This will not comply with the notional construct of the TPZ formulae.
Trees of different genera and species have different ability to tolerate root disturbance and or reduction. Some
Australian native trees are very tolerant of root plate changes while others are very intolerant to changes. Here you
need to know which tree is which.
Deciduous tree species, having an obvious dormant period, are generally far more tolerant the evergreen species,
which have no fully dormant period.
The required time line, to alter the root plate through disturbance or reduce, is much shorter in a young healthy tree
than in a fully mature tree. However, get the time line correct and anything is possible.
WHAT IS THE ANSWER? The consulting Arborist with experience will take into account what is possible for any given tree. Rather than use a rule of thumb, that dictates an arbitrary measure. Rather they will, using their skills, training and research to assess on merit, health, soil type, topography, apparent distribution of roots from both a structural and sustaining viewpoint etc. Having evaluated all these factors and in comparison with the time line for such works they will determine what is, or is not, possible for each tree. The proposal to alter the root plate of a tree is a complex matter. Trees are living organisms that grow a new tree on the outside of the last growth cycle tree with each subsequent growth cycle. While having a document is considered desirable in some quarters, so that untrained people in different disciplines can the determine what can and can’t be done to a trees. This is a short term cost saving and more a self-serving exercise that good horticulture. Such arbitrary documents with actions implemented by unskilled individuals would not be considered appropriate for other living organisms such as in Human or Animal health. There is seldom a better outcome, than by seeking advice from a suitably qualified and experience person in that particular field and then fully implementing that advice. Town Planners, Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers are not Horticulturalists nor do they have those disciples and training. Let each professional represent his field of knowledge and accept the advice given by professionals representing their field of knowledge. Horticulture and Arboriculture is more than just being a gardener, which everyone thinks they can be. REPORT PREPARED BY: NICHOLAS J. RIVETT Principal Consultant Dip. Hort. (Burn.), Cert. Arb. (Eng.),R.F.S. Cert. Arb. (Eng.), Member IPPS,ISA, NGIV Fellow of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH 2015) Register Horticulturalist 31 - RH31
AIH Member News Newsletter AIH Newsletter is settling into a monthly program. You are invited to provide stories, maters of a technical nature to share, projects, awards and other related information. Contact Editor Michael Casey Michael@mjchorticulture.com.au Competitive Insurances with Fitzpatrick We revisit our preferred insurance broker arrangements with Fitzpatrick Insurance Brokers to provide a range of competitive and customised insurances specific to horticulture and general insurances that also include Professional& Indemnity (a requirement of all RH members to hold). Registered Horticulturist (RH) Program We are constantly working on refining the Registered Horticulturist (RH) program and what members should be getting from its accreditation. More work on promoting to government and industry to specify an RH. National Council will soon appoint an administrator to manage the program. Guidelines for Establishing Fees AIH has produced a booklet called ‘AIH Guidelines for Establishing Fees’. An excellent tool for your business and to use to demonstrate ‘your ‘Institute’s’ support. The booklet covers a range of possible charges for your work. The booklet is being revised and will be available to members free of charge as a pdf downloadable document. You can reserve a copy by contacting secretary@aih.org.au
Web Site www.aih.org.au The AIH web site is up and running with a comprehensive data base that will provide a range of useful features. It is a work in progress. Your comments are invited. AIH Facebook and Instagram AIH receives good numbers of ‘likes’ on our FB page and Instagram account. The more you like the better. Get the minute by minute info on the AIH program with links to the AIH website. https://www.facebook.com/AustralianInstituteHorticulture/ and www.aih.org.au Instagram – aust_institute_of_horticulture CPD Programs and Timetable AIH CPD programs and events are on the FB and website calendars. We are seeking more for the next year program - need more or collaborative arrangements. One More AIH member – Makes a Difference Our strength is in our numbers and our information. We need to rebuild, refresh and replenish our membership. Each of us knows one other horticulture practitioner who could be a member. All we need to do is ask. One more is easy, that’s all it takes. Contact secretary@aih.org.au or Natasha Membership Office at finances@aih.org.au or someone you know at AIH. AIH Extends its Free Student Membership to June 2019 After last years successful student membership drive AIH have extended this offer. Any student studying horticulture at an institution, RTO, University is eligible for FREE membership. The offer is open to June 30 2019 and may be extended. AIH can send details to the organisation if you can provide details other than what we mayalreadyhave. secretary@aih.org,.au or membership@aih.org.au AIH Membership Flyer and Application form is attached with this newsletter Regards, Kim Morris FAIH RH 0002 Secretary PO Box 2238 Toowong Q 4066 P (02) 8001 6198 Direct 0409 59 1133 secretary@aih.org.au www.aih.org.au
AIH Workshops
These workshops and events form the basis of the AIH Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program.
All Registered Horticulturists (RH) can earn required points to meet their biannual requirement.
These events are open to members of the public and industry colleagues.
AIH Member Insurance
AIH MEMBER INSURANCE
AIH has a negotiated arrangement with Fitzpatrick Insurance Brokers to provide a range of
insurances for members.
If you have AIH Registered Horticulturist (RH) accreditation you will need Professional & Indemnity
insurance amongst others.
Fitzpatrick’s can arrange cover for Public Liability, tools, household, motor vehicles and other general and
financial insurances. They specialise in cover for the horticulture industry and are familiar with our work.
Our member support also helps AIH as Fitzpatrick’s are our major sponsor and long term AIH Corporate
Members.
631 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley, 3150, Melbourne, Victoria
PO Box 2230, Mt Waverley Victoria 3149
Phone: 03 8544 1600
Toll Free: 1300 554 633
Fax: 03 8544 1699
Email: insure@fitzpatrick.com.auAIH Noticeboard
AIH Member Support
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Ø AIH has been representing, supporting and developing the profession of horticulture practitioners since 1960.
The first of its kind in Australia.
Ø AIH is the only organisation to offer individual horticultural practitioner accreditation through the Registered
Horticulturist (RH)Program that is promoted by the Institute across the profession.
Ø AIH has active alliances with many other like organisations in promoting Australian’s health through
horticulture and green space development to government and the community.
Ø AIH has an established Memorandum of Collaboration with the National Parks Board Singapore (since 2008)
and other overseas horticulture organisations to share techniques, business opportunities and experiences.
Ø AIH supports students of horticulture with free membership, help in career development and entry to the
profession.
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management and other relevant activities that affect horticulture practitioners and community health.
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promotion of their businesses.
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public liability insurances for members with Fitzpatrick Insurance Brokers.
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