Seawinds Monthly Schedule

JANUARY/FEBRUARY - Summer

Quiet Retail Sales in hot weather.

Busy for Propagation.

•   Check existing stock for anything ready to transplant after summer break.

•   Maintain stock presentation in the retail area of the nursery

•   Contracted orders – Sow fast growing acacia, senecio & native grass seed for Gunditj Mirring & Winda-Mara orders

•   Transplant native seedlings into hiko trays for orders & nursery use

•   February -Sow small number of vegetables and flowers for early autumn punnet sales

•   Succulents- Good time of year to focus on propagation & tidy stock

•   Perennials- Sow into trays, then transplant seedlings into hiko followed by grow on pots when roots established

•   Easy Colour – Purchase petunias in punnets & bulk order with any 4/6 cell varieties that can grow on. Keep orders small this month

•   NPW– Keep orders to a minimum depending on how quiet retail sales are

•   Murray Valley Citrus and JFT bareroot fruit tree orders to be sent off before the end of the month. Order fruit tree bags with JFT

•   Use water trays in retail area, check stock for dry spots in poly tunnels & water regularly

•   Increase irrigation in poly tunnels & shade houses if necessary

•   Higher risk of snake sightings

MARCH/APRIL – Autumn

Cabbage moth is in abundance.

Steady vegetable & native plant sales.

Retail sales pick-up when citrus order arrives.

•   Sow autumn annual flower & vegetable seeds – Aim for 5 to 10 punnets per sow to avoid excess stock and maintain succession. Check stock numbers, some varieties might need to be sown weekly or fortnightly

•   Perennials- Continue to transplant into grow on pots or larger pots for Spring sale & nursery use. Check planting calendar for seasonal varieties

•   Cuttings & Division- Propagate native & non-native cuttings. Perfect time of year. Keep moist but not sitting in water. Store in Patty propagation poly tunnel in water trays

•   Divide grasses, carex, ficinia etc.

•   Transplanting – Native seedlings into hiko or tubes

•   Overflow of hiko trays for Seawinds stock for shelterbelt season (mid-winter). Native seedlings can stay in hiko for a year. Transplant into tubes as needed

•   Liquid fertilise all stock when required, add dynamic lifter to Citrus & last seasons bagged fruit trees

•   Treat yellowing grevillea & banksia with Iron sulphate as required

•   Easy colour – Purchase pansies & snapdragon in punnets. Bulk order with any 4/6 cell varieties that can grow on

•   Murray Valley Citrus – Delivery usually arrives at the end of April - ANZAC day

•   ERA Nursery early March - Order native trees in hiko for shelterbelt season- Will deliver from Hamilton for a fee

•   PESTS – Watch out for aphids, cabbage moths, eggs, and caterpillars

•   Remove water trays from retail area when autumn rains arrive. Stock can dry out quickly so maintain regular watering in retail area

•   Check irrigation in poly tunnels & shade houses. Reduce watering time

•   Garden maintenance – As weather cools, safer to tidy gardens outside nursery

•   Order seeds- Spring season tomato & vegetable seeds sell out fast

MAY - Autumn

Vegetable & flower sales slow.

Growth rates slow.

•   Citrus – Fertilise regularly with liquid fertiliser. Treat with eco/neem oil spray applications to prevent pests and disease

•   Sow small regular quantities of vegetable & flower seeds. Sales slow but so does growth rate

•   Easy colour – Purchase small quantities of punnet pansies & snapdragon early in the month. Bulk order with any 4/6 cell varieties that can grow on e.g Heuchera & strawberries

•   Water trays – Weather depending. Remove water trays from retail area and shade cloth from “Selma” poly tunnel

•   Cuttings- Store in Patty propagation poly tunnel in water trays. Keep moist but not sitting in water

•   Garden maintenance – Weed & tidy retail area & outside nursery

JUNE-JULY- Winter

Quietest time in the nursery

Advertise fruit trees.

•   JFT- Delivery arrives in June. Write variety name on bags. Cut back roots & don’t overfill bags. If delivery arrives late, tagging & branch pruning can be done the following day

•   NPW- Minimum $600 orders only. Every few weeks until business picks up.

•   E.E.Muir- Order punnets & tubes for Spring Sale

•   Cuttings- Store in Patty propagation poly tunnel in water trays. Keep moist but not sitting in water

•   Sow small regular quantities of vegetable & flower seeds. Sales slow but so does growth rate

•   Citrus – Fertilise regularly with liquid fertiliser. Treat with eco/neem oil spray applications to prevent pests and disease

•   Catch up- On any outstanding transplanting or jobs before spring sale preparation

•   Winter clean – Quiet time good opportunity to organise work shed

•   Sow tomato seeds - Last week of July. 30 seeds of each variety. Use seedlings for early sales & to check seed viability

AUGUST – Winter

Business begins to pick up.

Pleasant weather with some frosts.

Begin seed sowing for Spring sale.

•   Plan for Spring sale – Begin communicating with Kyeema about Spring Sale

•   Succession sow – Every 2 weeks to avoid a glut of seedlings for Spring Sale (sometimes unavoidable)

•   Seed sowing for Spring sale – Early August - Sow half trays of tomatoes, full trays of chilli & capsicum (germination can be slow/low) & small amounts zucchini, cucumber & pumpkin etc.

•   End of August- Sow full trays- Require a large amount of vegetables

•   Tomato tubes & 4/6 packs- Begin transplanting the first 20 of each variety and 40 of early varieties

•   NPW- Begin placing larger orders in preparation for spring sale. NPW doesn’t always send all stock on the order form. Store overflow on back benches or grow on small stock in poly tunnels

•   Check water – Retail Nursery is prone to drying out in winter months. Excessively dry retail stock will need to be soaked in tubs!

SEPTEMBER – Spring

Prepare for SPRING SALE

•   Succession sow – Every 2 weeks to avoid a glut of seedlings for Spring Sale. Seawinds will also need stock to sell after spring sale

•   Keep track- Document varieties that are being sown & grown to monitor amounts of stock. Excellent reference for following years

•   NPW- Begin placing larger orders in preparation for spring sale. NPW doesn’t always send all stock on the ordered. Store overflow on back benches/shade house or grow on small stock in poly tunnels

•   Set aside Seawinds transplanted stock that will be ready/flowering

•   Prioritise Spring Sale transplanting- Bulk tomato and vegetable seedling for transplanting. For example, 10 trays of zucchini will be likely to sell out! Expedite growth in poly tunnels and harden off in back “Barney” shade house

•   Hand water & soak – Excessively dry retail stock will need to be soaked in tubs!

OCTOBER – Spring

SPRING SALE

Busy for retail sales

•   Set aside stock for spring sale. Begin filling back “Barney” shade house with Spring Sale only stock. It is easier to load trailers from the back & less confusing for volunteers. It also prevents Seawinds customers from taking sale stock

•   NPW- Early October -Continue placing orders in preparation for spring sale. Focus now on ordering plants listed as “in flower” or “budding”

•   Easy Colour- Order petunias etc for spring sale

•   Prioritise Spring Sale transplanting- Bulk tomato and vegetable seedling for transplanting. For example, 10 trays of zucchini will be likely to sell out early! Expedite growth in poly tunnels and harden off in back “Barney” shade house

•   AFTER SALE – Spring vegetable & tomato sales will continue to be steady

•   NPW- Weekly order necessary when busy

•   Maintain stock presentation in the retail area of the nursery

NOVEMBER- Spring

Sow native seeds

•   Book Venue for Seawinds staff Christmas party

•   Winda-Mara – Usually makes contact for next year’s order. They will need to provide seed. They request that an invoice is sent as soon as purchase order is received

•   Begin sowing native seeds- For Seawinds & contracted orders. Don’t sow grass seeds, acacia or senecio/indigenous “weed” seeds until the new year. Put in “Patty” propagation poly tunnel to germinate. Move to Poly tunnel with shade mesh “Bender” or “Selma” to prevent drying out over summer

•   Growing Australian Native Plants from Seed – Use as a reference

DECEMBER- Summer

Wind down

•   NPW- Order early December, if necessary, otherwise reduce retail stock over summer

•   Seawinds staff Christmas Party- Mid December

•   Water Trays – Use in retail nursery & polytunnels

•   Irrigation- Check for dry spots & hand water in poly tunnels. Leave doors open when hot weather predicted

•   Deep clean Work Shed

•   Higher risk of snake sightings