Propagation workshops prove popular

In areas with low rainfall, there are a variety of native plants that will thrive in your local climate. They include trees, large shrubs, annuals and groundcovers.

The first of the workshops was held at Hawker on 12 November, where Amy Morgan shared her experiences in propagating natives in the local environment and the methods she had found to be most successful.

Seventeen attendees from Hawker, surrounding properties and Nepabunna learned about pre-treatment and sowing of seeds, preparation of cuttings and the best planting mediums for different species.

All participants had hands-on experience and took home a tray of cuttings and a tray of seeds they had prepared, with some reporting in the week following that their Sturt Desert Pea seeds had already germinated.

At Iron Knob landholders from the town and surrounding areas had an opportunity to propagate a cutting of Old Man Saltbush and Desert Rose, various eremophila species and plant Sturt Desert Pea and Everlasting Daisy seeds. They were able to take home native tube stock to plant in their gardens. They also heard from Port Augusta-based bird enthusiast Peter Langdon who explained characteristics of birds that make them easier to identify, and what native plants to have in your garden to attract birds.

North East Pastoral Community Landscape Officer Ryan Hayward shared his propagating experiences, having worked at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens for 12 years. Ryan demonstrated how to make your own seed raising material, easy to make ‘hot houses’ and discussed how landholders could collect their own seed and make use of materials they have on hand.