Trees, trees, trees...
It's getting late in the planting season but we have finally taken delivery of more trees and after several days of planting have them all safely in the ground. Let the growing begin.
August 08, 2012
Found 24 results tagged with 'tree'
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Pruning fruit and nut trees
Time of year for pruning, and an attempt to improve the shape of the trees for easier picking.
Our orchard has a number of large trees as well as a collection of younger ones, all require attention.
Our orchard has a number of large trees as well as a collection of younger ones, all require attention.
June 16, 2010
More Trees
This weekend I planted a number of crop trees. For the most part it was seedling walnuts collected from under my grandmothers tree but also included 5 grafted fruit trees I purchased.
2 x apricot
2 x nectarine
1 x almond
2 x apricot
2 x nectarine
1 x almond
July 25, 2010
The myth about tree & pasture incompatibility - photographic evidence
I am passionate about trees and their numerous benefits so I frequently encounter this commonly held misconception when I try and encourage grass growers to consider incorporating trees on their farms. The argument goes something like this: "I can't plant trees in or around my pasture because they compete with grass for light, water and minerals, grass production would suffer".
This photo, taken a few hundred meters from my home on a conventional sheep and beef farm during the worst drought in decades is evidence that certain tree species can actually improve the performance of grass. If only people were as observant as they are quick to dismiss the value of trees in the landscape.
This photo, taken a few hundred meters from my home on a conventional sheep and beef farm during the worst drought in decades is evidence that certain tree species can actually improve the performance of grass. If only people were as observant as they are quick to dismiss the value of trees in the landscape.
May 06, 2015
Service berry seeds
Common name June berry, Saskatoon
Botanical name Amelanchier alnifolia
Details Produces flowers and fruit after 5 - 6 years
Seed sourced from plants growing in North America
Seed sourced from plants growing in North America
Edible
Fruit / berries
Perennial
Propagate
February
March
April
May
Price $4.90
30 seeds
Visit from Tree Crops North Canterbury
Details We enjoyed a hot and sunny afternoon touring 11 people from the North Canterbury Tree Crops group. I think our alternative and rather unorthodox approach and philosophies were quite an eye opener for most of them...
Date November 04, 2017
Long lasting tree identification labels
While I have a detailed planting map in the computer, it is useful to be able to identify trees out in the real world so I made these metal name tags using sheet aluminium. The names are stamped out using individual letter stamp / punches.
September 09, 2013
Tagasaste (tree lucerne)
Botanical name Chamaecytisus palmensis
Details Fast growing, drought resistant nitrogen fixer (legume). This small tree has white flowers which are loved by bees, bumblebees and native pigeon.
Grown as a nurse or support tree during the establishment of more long term tree plantings. Useful as a quick canopy / umbrella over citrus, avocados etc. or used as physical scaffold for climbers such as grape, kiwifruit etc.
Good firewood from mature trees.
Pour hot water over the seeds and soak for 24 hours before planting into course sand.
Grown as a nurse or support tree during the establishment of more long term tree plantings. Useful as a quick canopy / umbrella over citrus, avocados etc. or used as physical scaffold for climbers such as grape, kiwifruit etc.
Good firewood from mature trees.
Pour hot water over the seeds and soak for 24 hours before planting into course sand.
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Price $3.90
50 seeds
Large fruited thornless hawthorn seeds
Common name Chinese Hawthorn
Botanical name Crataegus pinnatifida
Details Seed collected from largest fruit that have been under the tree over winter. This is the only type of hawthorn we grow and there are no wild ones in close proximity (that I am aware of) so seed should be pure.
Price $3.90
30 seeds
Another batch of trees in the ground
Winter is a time to purchase and plant trees. This year we have put in 110 new trees which has basically filled up the remaining available space.
Going forward it will mostly be shrubs or replanting specimens that don't survive.
Going forward it will mostly be shrubs or replanting specimens that don't survive.
July 30, 2011
Laburnum
Common name Golden chain or golden rain tree
Details Yellow pea-flowers in pendulous leafless racemes 10–40 cm (4–15.5 in) long in spring, which makes them very popular garden trees.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, although mortality is very rare. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, although mortality is very rare. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils.
Family Fabaceae
Flowers Yellow
Diameter 6.00
Forest layer low-tree
Height (m) 6
Drought tolerance
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Shade / Sun Full sun / part shade
Soil type Most
Wind tolerance Good
Propigation method Sow pot / tray
Laburnum
Common name Golden chain or golden rain tree
Details Yellow pea-flowers in pendulous leafless racemes 10–40 cm (4–15.5 in) long in spring, which makes them very popular garden trees.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, although mortality is very rare. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, although mortality is very rare. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils.
Drought tolerance
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Price $3.90
30 seeds
Thornless Honey Locust Seed
Botanical name Gleditsia triacanthos f.inermis
Details Excellent shade and autumn colour tree.
Produces very large pods with sticky sweet pulp, valued for stock fodder.
Thrives in the heat and dry.
Produces very large pods with sticky sweet pulp, valued for stock fodder.
Thrives in the heat and dry.
Drought tolerance
Jugulone tolerance
Nitrogen fixer
Price $4.90
30 seeds
Buy organic plant seeds - grow your own fruit, vegetables, berries and more
Browse our selection of organically grown vegetable, flower and tree seeds. Hand harvested in Autumn from healthy plants growing in the blockhill forest garden.
Our collection sometimes includes imported seeds from popular permaculture shrubs and trees that are difficult to source locally.
Our collection sometimes includes imported seeds from popular permaculture shrubs and trees that are difficult to source locally.
Grafting fruit and nut trees
Grafting is the process of adding part of a known, desirable tree onto existing, growing roots of a similar species. This can be done for a number of reasons such as having many types of fruit to one tree or influencing the characteristics of the tree such as size, soil requirements and disease resistance.
Planting shelves
I grow a lot of plants and trees from seeds. One space saving way that I have come up with is to use the vertical wall space at the back of the house where my nursery is located. Adding these metal 'gutters' as plant growing shelves has given plenty more growing area situated at perfect working height.
March 23, 2019
Trees for animal fodder
By now it should be obvious that we need more trees in our landscapes, however inconvenient that may seem. The benefits are numerous. Using trees for supplementary animal feed is a smart strategy in drought prone areas. This includes:
- Fresh leaves / foliage
- Fruits and berries
- Nuts and seeds
September 04, 2018
Osage Orange seeds
Botanical name Maclura pomifera
Details Thorny tree with very hot burning wood, also used for making excellent bows and natural livestock fencing.
Price $4.90
30 seeds
Learn to graft fruit trees (seasonal)
Grow your knowledge of fruit tree cloning through the ancient art of grafting. Learn by seeing and doing with hands on examples and one on one tuition and explanation. We will cover:
- Collecting and storing grafting (scion) wood from desired trees
- Understanding and propagating rootstocks
- Grafting tools and techniques
- View many examples of grafted trees of various types, complexity and age
2 hours
July
August
September
$80.00
Tree growth on terraces
Details 6 years of growth from 2014 - 2020
As part of our water wise landshaping, we spent considerable effort creating a number of hand dug terraces as well as having a mini digger create an access track on a sloping amphitheater.
Terraces allow for improved rainwater infiltration, reducing runoff and erosion while also making it easier to work and harvest from the trees.
This particular area is a nice sun trap and has excellent cold air drainage. The biggest challenge is the dry and, in some places, the blackberry. Here we grow a number of fruit tree types with a focus on apricot.
As part of our water wise landshaping, we spent considerable effort creating a number of hand dug terraces as well as having a mini digger create an access track on a sloping amphitheater.
Terraces allow for improved rainwater infiltration, reducing runoff and erosion while also making it easier to work and harvest from the trees.
This particular area is a nice sun trap and has excellent cold air drainage. The biggest challenge is the dry and, in some places, the blackberry. Here we grow a number of fruit tree types with a focus on apricot.
Date April 28, 2020
Piptanthus nepalensis seeds
Common name Evergreen Laburnum
Evergreen
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Price $4.90
30 seeds
Flowers Yellow
Senna Seeds
Common name glandular senna, downy senna, buttercup bush
Botanical name Senna multiglandulosa
Details A fast growing evergreen shrub which become treelike. The leaves are each made up of several pairs of thick, hairy, oval-shaped leaflets each measuring up to about 4 centimeters long. The leaves are studded with visible resin glands between the leaflets.
Evergreen
Frost sensitive
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Price $3.90
30 seeds
Forest layer shrub
Japanese Raisin Tree seeds
Botanical name Hovenia dulcis
Edible
Perennial
Price $4.90
30 seeds
Sea Buckthorn / Sea Berry seeds
Botanical name Hippophae rhamnoides
Drought tolerance
Edible
Evergreen
Fruit / berries
Nitrogen fixer
Perennial
Price $4.90
30 seeds