August 2016 Page 1

THE JOURNAL OF THE CANBERRA GERANIUM & FUCHSIA

SOCIETY INC.

PO Box 425 Curtin, ACT, 2605

Newsletter: September - December 2016

www.cgfs.org.au

President: Sue O’Brien obieone58@hotmail.com Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Judy Kilpatrick judy.kilpatrick@live.com.au Editorial: Janelle Peel hans.mohr2@bigpond.com Address all correspondence to: The Secretary, PO Box 425 Curtin ACT 2609 MEMBERSHIP FEES The proposed membership fees for next year (January – December) will be Single $20.00, Family $30.00 and International memberships $30.00. Members who join after 1st November will be credited for the following year. All financial members of the Society receive a copy of the Journal, which is currently published three times a year. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information therein is correct, it is the individual authors who accept the responsibility for the contents of their articles. Unless otherwise stated, with the exception of January and July, all meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month at 2.00 p.m. in St. James Uniting Church Hall, 21 Gillies Street, Curtin.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS: SEPT - DECEMBER 2016 Please remember to wear your name tag so that we can all get to know each other, and you must sign the Attendance Book when you arrive, this will ensure that you are covered by the Public Liability Insurance that the Society pays each year.

3 September – Monthly Meeting

Guest speaker is John Weatherstone, a member from Gunning. John is a keen gardener and a passionate grower of Hippeastrums. John is coming along to show photos and speak about growing Hippeastrums and ornamental corn. This will be followed by afternoon tea. 1 October – Monthly Meeting

Karen Richardson (Fyshwick Bunnings) is our guest speaker. Karen is going to speak about growing and using herbs. Bring your plants along for “Show and Tell” and Q & A Time. A well-stocked Library is available to members, as is a great afternoon tea.

8th and 9th October – Keith Reid Memorial Open Garden More details later in the journal. Saturday 5 November – Bus trip to Crookwell Open Gardens. Please note the bus trip is being help in place of the monthly meeting. More details later in the journal. 12 and 13th November - The Society is having a display and plant sale at the Horticultural Society Spring Exhibition and Rose Show at the Wesley Hall, Wesley Uniting Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest. Hours are Saturday noon–5pm and Sunday 11.30am–3:45pm. As the event is being held over 2 days we will be asking members to volunteer their time as they would for our previous annual display. 3 December – Xmas Party is to be held at the home of Hans and Janelle Peel, 95 Radcliffe Circuit, Carwoola. Members are asked to car pool as parking is tight. Members to bring a small plate of nibbles or sweets, a garden related gift to the value of $5.00, a chair and a hat. Please feel free to come any time after 12.30 p.m.

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PRESIDENTS REPORT You will notice from the calendar of events that the society is changing the way things are done. This is partly due to the ever decreasing funds but also to add variety for our members. The two obvious changes are the annual display and Christmas party. The Society is extremely lucky to be able to hold the annual display in partnership with the Horticultural Society. Organising a show of any size takes a great deal of planning and organisation and we will be looking to members to help support the display, this can be done by volunteering on either of the two days, growing plants to display or sell over the weekend. The other event that the Society has been so lucky to receive an invite is the Keith Reid Memorial Open Garden. Again the Society will be asking for members to volunteer over that weekend.

QUEANBEYAN OPEN GARDEN – 8 & 9 OCTOBER An opportunity to showcase our Society

Maria Geppert/Sue O’Brien

Our Society has been invited to show plants at the Keith Reid Memorial Garden being held by Ursula Reid over the weekend of 8 and 9 October, at her home in Queanbeyan. Ursula is opening the garden to commemorate her late husband who was largely responsible for the layout and design, as well as raising funds for a charity called HOME, for which Sir William Deane is the Patron. This charity was established by Father Peter Day in 2010, after working with people living on Sydney’s streets had convinced him mental illness was a major contributor to homelessness. HOME provides care and support in assisting mentally ill people to lead fulfilling lives. It is community owned and receives no government funding. It has 19 residential units providing permanent supported accommodation for people with chronic mental illness. The garden slopes down to the Queanbeyan River and is beautifully landscaped. Ursula’s previous open garden attracted over 2,000 visitors in the course of a weekend and, assuming similar numbers this year provides a wonderful opportunity for us to publicise our activities, as well as see this beautiful garden. Well known glass artist Ruth Oliphant will be exhibiting some of her work and will have some items for sale.

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The Society will have the use of a glass house to display plants, set up a small sales table and hand out information on the Society and our next Display. The garden is at 7a Thorpe Street and will be open between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. We will be asking for members' participation to represent the Society at this lovely event over the two days.

BUS TRIP TO CROOKWELL

A bus trip is being organised to Crookwell on Saturday 5 November 2016. Please note: The bus trip is being held instead of the monthly meeting. Pick up points are Queanbeyan at 6.45am, Mawson 7.15am and Southwell Park 7.45 am. Unfortunately we cannot wait for people who are late, so please be on time. Cost of the trip is $45 members, $60 new members and non-financial members. (Expenses are $20 entry to gardens, $25 bus, $15 proposed membership fee for new and non-financial members). We ask that you make cash/cheque payments prior to the trip and please call me if you would prefer to deposit direct into the society's operating account. We will be travelling with Bensleys Buses. Morning tea will be provided. First stop will be the Garden Lover's Market at St Bartholomew's Church hall and grounds in Denison Street. We will have morning tea here and those inclined can visit the market for a tempting array of garden related products such as plants and trees, olive oil, lavender and honey products, tools, handmade furniture, garden art and much more including Mount Murray Nursery (rare trees and maples), and Post Office Farm Nursery (hellebores). Toilet facilities are available. There are 9 gardens open and it will depend on time as to how many we will see, so if you know of any of the gardens or have any preferences which gardens we visit please let me know. There are four gardens in the immediate Crookwell environs, (two of which we visited last year),

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and five gardens in the nearby villages of Laggan, Binda and Roslyn (only one of which we visited last year). A more detailed itinerary will be advised on the day but generally we will aim to visit the four town gardens, and then lunch in the memorial park as per last year (some seats and toilet facilities). After lunch we will visit as many outlying gardens before heading for home with maybe a brief refreshment stop in Goulburn. We hope that the bus will be able to reach most garden entries so as to minimise walking between gardens. Bring along your lunch, hat, chair and water. I would expect that we would get back to Canberra at approximately 6.30 - 7.00pm or maybe earlier. The bus will carry up to 48. If you have any friends who may be interested please ask them as a full bus means a great day out. The web site is www.crookwellgardenfestival.com or if you like I can print you out the details of the gardens open. Call Judy Kilpatrick on 62315032 if you need any further information.

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ORGANIC ROSE GERANIUM SOAP - SOCIETY FUND RAISER

Sanctum Sustainable Organics has kindly allowed the Society to purchase some lovely soap, at cost price, to use as a fundraiser. The soap is certified organic and scented with Rose Geranium and Calendula. Each bar weighs 100g and at $5 each would make a lovely gift so get in early for Christmas. Members can purchase soap at our monthly meetings. It will also be available for purchase at the Open Garden in Queanbeyan in October where the Society will have a display and also at our stall at the Horticultural Society Spring Display on Saturday and Sunday 12 and 13 November. For further details regarding these locations please see related articles in this month's journal. Due to postage costs we cannot mail out purchases. Soap will remain on sale until sold out.

OPEN GARDENS IN OUR AREA Bowral Tulip Time – 13-25 September 2016 Corbett Gardens Bowral – 13-25 September 2016 Moidart Moss Vale/Bowral – 15 September-31 October 2016 Red Cow Farm, Sutton Forrest – 18 September – May 2017 Berrima – 24-25 September Robertson – 8 -9 October 2016 Bundanoon Garden Ramble – 22-23 October 2016 Burra – dates unavailable usually October Chinoiserie Mittagong – See their web page Perennial Hill Mittagong - See their web page

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HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY EVENTS

The Iris, Rhododendron and Azalea Show 22-23 October 2016 The Spring Exhibition and Rose Show 12 – 13 November 2016

The larvae will often burrow into the stem near a node which weakens the plant and often causes disease to enter the plant.

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I have found that damage to pelargoniums from the Geranium Plume Moth appear to be confined mainly to the zonal pelargoniums. Spraying every 7 days for 3 – 4 weeks with DIPEL or SUCCESS can control the pest. OUCH!!! PINCHING FOR A HEALTHY, FULL AND BLOOMING

FUCHSIA Maria Geppert

What is the purpose for pinching (or “stopping”) your fuchsia plants? There are two purposes: controlling the growth and hence the shape of the plants; and increasing flower production. These fuchsia growth principles are key to a pinching program:

Flower production occurs at the tips of new growth. If new growth is encouraged, the potential for flowering is increased.

Dormant buds are situated on the stem at the base of each leaf. This area is termed the 'leaf node'.

Fuchsias usually develop two opposite leaves at each leaf node and thus two dormant buds.

When a branch or stem is cut off (pinched), new growth usually shows from the dormant buds on nodes nearest the cut. This plant characteristic allows controlled increase of the number of branches. Each pinching should double the number of branches 2:4:8:16 etc.

Size, compactness and shape of a plant are determined by the length of the new growth allowed to remain after each stage of pinching. So for trailing plants, vary the distance between pinches: short on the top of the plant, and longer on the sides for wider and lower branching to cover the pot. For uprights, the opposite. Uniform pinching results in a balanced plant.

In addition to paying careful attention to pinching, a planned feeding program with appropriate fertilizers, increased light exposure and rotation of plants are all important elements of growing a pleasing (and perhaps prize winning) fuchsia.

BACK TO PINCHING. It is important to know how long after pinching you can expect blooms. The schedule that follows is timed

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to result in maximum blooms for the Display in November. Note that Triphylla, Double and Single bloom fuchsias have different timings from pinch to bloom.

PINCHING SCHEDULE

Type Next to

last Pinch

Next to last Pinch Date

Final Pinch

Final Pinch Date

Species and Triphylla

15 weeks before Display

First week of August

12 weeks before Display

End of August

Doubles and Semi-Doubles

13 weeks before Display

Third week of August

10 weeks before Display

Mid-September

Singles 11 weeks before Display

First week of September

8 weeks before Display

Last week of September

By October, all pinch dates will have passed if you’re aiming for the November Display. You will want to encourage your Fuchsias to continue to grow and fill in during the longer, warmer days. As they grow, they will need more watering and feeding. You may need to begin watering daily:

If fertilising daily, do so at ¼ strength using your favourite water soluble fertiliser;

If you don’t have time for daily mixing of fertiliser, add it to your water at half strength once a week;

Using plain water once a week to flush out accumulated water is a good idea;

Watering with Epsom Salts (1 Tabs/5 litres) about once a month is also good to wash out accumulated fertiliser salts and promote lush green foliage.

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Continue to turn plants ¼ to ½ turn daily. This will help them grow and fill in evenly on all sides. But even with daily turning they will need some help to form that perfect shape. Attach a clothes peg to a leaf near the end of a branch to help it fall over the sides of a hanging basket. Using bamboo skewers to encourage branches to grow in different, and desired, directions works really well. After a few days you can remove the prop and the branch will stay there. Keep an eye out for pests. Look carefully for aphids hidden among branches and whitefly under leaves. If the weather is humid be on the lookout for Rust. Keep plants moist, not wet. Be aware of any spring storms and protect your Fuchsias from heavy downpours. Too much water will drown them. And if we have strong mid-day sun in the lead up to the Display, your Fuchsias will appreciate being shaded from it. And remember, wipe your pots down so that they are clean and the soil area is free of plant debris before they are brought in for the Display. Happy growing and showing! Excerpts and adapted from “NW Fuchsia Facts” the newsletter of the Oregon Fuchsia Society, June 2014 and April 2016 issues

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TIMELY FUCHSIA TIPS FOR SPRING

Maria Geppert

Give plants plenty of light and turn them regularly to balance growth.

Keep plants damp but not wet. Watch out for heavy spring rain, and get container plants under cover to avoid wet roots and drowning.

Keep soil surface clean.

Watch for disease or insects and treat as soon as you have a diagnosis to prevent spread and improve the chance of pulling the plant through. Aphids especially like soft, new spring growth.

Fuchsias are heavy feeders once growth begins. Establish your fertilizer plan and schedule and be vigilant in maintaining your plants with it.

Experiment with misting the woody parts of mature plants to soften the surface to help new growth break out more easily in spring. Hot water will cool quickly in the air, and won't harm the plant.

Pinch plants to encourage fullness and pleasing shape, as well as encouraging blooms. Check the pinching table (see separate article on Pinching) to see how long after pinching you can expect blooms. It's longer than you think!

Once spring growth starts, prune in-ground fuchsias back to 6 inches or less above the ground. Fuchsias bloom on new growth and you will have leggy fuchsias with blooms out on the ends if you don't grit your teeth and cut them back. If you like the look though.....

Excerpt from “NW Fuchsia Facts” the newsletter of the Oregon Fuchsia Society, April 2016 issue

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SCENTED LEAF PELARGONIUMS Rex Daley

The Scented leaf Pelargoniums in my opinion would have to be the most underrated plant of the Geraniaceae family. Perhaps this has something to do with the generally insignificant flower of the plant. I feel this plant has a place in every garden. The fragrances of some of these plants are outstanding. Movement of the plant from wind, watering or simply brushing against the plant will create the release from the leaves of the plants fragrance. These plants are mostly frost tender, and need shelter during the cold frosty winter period, particularly here in the Canberra Region where we can have heavy frosts with temperatures going down as low as minus eight degrees Celsius. I am not aware of any of these plants that will not grow satisfactorily in this area given winter protection and usual plant care. Naturally there are many which are preferred to others because of their fragrance and growing habit. Foliage scents include: Rose, Lemon, Citron, Nutmeg, Apple, Orange, Lime, Spice, Peppermint, Coconut, and the indefinable aromatics. One excellent plant for the Canberra garden which will survive most winters is P. fragrans. I have quite a few of this plant in the open garden mainly as a border plant, they will suffer slight damage on the tops from heavy frost however in the early spring pruning the damaged parts of the plant will soon see fresh growth appear. After five to six years they tend to get woody and may need to be replaced with new plantings. After growing many of the plants in this category over the years, my present personal choice is the following group which I find grow satisfactorily for me and provide a lovely fragrance throughout the garden. P.Graveolens - Means heavenly scented. Grown extensively in Southern Europe for the Perfume Industry. – Strong Rose scent

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P. Lady Plymouth - Rose scented – variegated form of P.Graveolens. P. Both’s Snowflake - Lemony – rose scent – lavender – pink flowers with purple markings. Can grow to one and a half metres in a protected spot. P. Fragrans - Nutmeg scent. Smaller growing plant, excellent for an attractive border. Also in a variegated form. Often said by some to have a distinct pine/eucalyptus aroma. Small white flowers, velvety ruffled and lobed leaves. P. Ionidiflorum (species) - Evergreen species woody type stems with bright to dark violet- pink flowers, bearing burgundy markings. Will survive extreme high temperatures up to 40 degrees C and to low temperatures of -5.0 to -6.0 C in winter. Long flowering. Will even produce some flowers in winter. Ideal for borders. A species of South Africa. P. Candy Dancer - Will grow to a metre or more in height. Has a strong Rose scent. Pink flowers with small purple marking. A lovely plant for the garden or large pot. There is quite a large range of the pelargonium scented plants to pick from. The Society Library has a few books on the Scented Pelargoniums, the names and how best to grow them.

PELARGOIUMS USED IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINES

Diana O’Brien

In their native habitat in various parts of South Africa, the leaves and/or roots of certain species pelargoniums have long been used in traditional medicines for all kinds of conditions, some of which are currently undergoing tests for use as modern alternatives. In the meantime there’s a whole group of pelargoniums (commonly known as scented leaf geraniums) that is commonly put to some culinary as well as decorative use.

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P. graveolens and P.radens-. Both strongly rose-scented and the rose-scented P. capitatum are a must- grow for those who like to bake cakes and custard as well as make ice cream. But for those who are a little wary about ‘cooking’ with plant leaves… try the sugar test first. Simply collect several handfuls of pristine clean rose -scented foliage and layer alternately with sugar in a lidded jar. Place on a sunny windowsill for at least two to three weeks and then use the sugar (minus the leaves) to flavour whatever you have in mind- cereal, stewed fruit, jam or custard? Now that you know that was a worthwhile exercise, try making a cup of tea or rather what is often known as a tisane (an infusion of herbs). You will have to estimate just how many leaves you need for a small potful of weak tea (three or four), or twice as many for something stronger. The cultivar ‘Mabel Grey’ offers an acceptable lemon flavour; P. radens for rose and P. tomentosum for peppermint. Use a china teapot rather than metal to brew fresh or dried leaf. Sip warm tea with or without milk, or simply chilled on a hot summer’s day. Pelargonium scented oil is made from an infusion of foliage – but make sure that you don’t confuse the use of different types of oil. Commercial mineral oil, for example, Johnson’s baby oil can be infused and used for a scented massage but you wouldn’t want to taste it. However, anyone who requires a few drops of scented oil for culinary purposes needs to use a plant -derived oil such as vegetable, olive or canola. Each can be infused with scented leaves in exactly the same way, by leaving on a sunny window sill or in a warm place for several weeks. Seven drops of scented pelargonium oil seems to be the secret ingredient of a ‘quick-to-disappear at shows’ cake made by Heather Godard-Key from Fibrex Nurseries – home of the UK National Pelargonium collection.

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PELARGONIUM CARE: AUGUST – NOVEMBER

Joan Powell August through September is when Pelargoniums put on their best growth and the ideal time to prepare them for the coming growing season. Check the shape of your plants, if they need to be cut back and there is sufficient growth; you may still be able to take cuttings to grow on for sale at the November Show. At the same time check for any sign of disease or pests and spray if necessary. Many plants will need potting on, those that don’t will benefit from a top dressing. Carefully remove a few centimetres of soil from the top of the pot, taking care not to damage any surface roots and top dress with new soil. For the top dressing I add blood and bone, a little dolomite and some crushed shell grit to my regular potting mix and then water it in with a weak solution of seasol and some molasses. In early September commence feeding with a good balanced fertilizer. I use Debco All Purpose Plant Food at ½ strength fortnightly until the end of September and then full strength through to flowering. You should always water plants before adding fertilizers to reduce the risk of burning the roots. Late August or early September is a good time to give your Regal and Angel Pelargoniums a top dressing of Sulphate of Potash to improve flower colour. Apply at the rate of ¼ teaspoon for 125ml pots, ½ teaspoon for 150ml pots and about a teaspoon for 200-220ml pots. Angels make a lovely display when mixed with other plants in a large pot or hanging basket. Team them up with some trailing petunias, lobelia, fuchsias or some cranesbill geraniums. In early October inspect your plants again to see if they have a nicely balanced shape. If not, a further light prune may be necessary. Don’t forget to also inspect your hanging baskets and pinch out the growing tips to encourage branching and to ensure a well-shaped bushy plant. However if you want to have flowering plants for display or sale at our November show don’t pinch out the growing tips after mid-August. Spring is also the best time to take cuttings of fancy leaved varieties but wait until the possibility of frosts are over. Repot if necessary and then

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move to a warm protected position. Fancy leaved varieties do not like to have wet feet so I always add extra sand to my growing medium to provide extra drainage. They will also benefit from a light dressing of blood and bone watered in with a weak solution of Seasol and molasses. Check again for any insect attack particularly white fly, aphids, mites and caterpillars. If these pests are not brought under control at the start of the growing season it will be almost impossible to eradicate them. There are several good products available for controlling these pests. When using any chemicals ensure that you read the label and carefully follow all safety directions. Make sure you remove dead leaves and old flower heads from potted plants and give them a quarter turn weekly. To grow a well-shaped compact plant they need to have good light conditions and be spaced well apart to provide good air circulation. Keep checking for signs of mildew, black rot or rust, if necessary spray with a fungicide such as Zineb or Mancozeb. Yates Zaleton is a relatively new dual action systemic fungicide and although it is a little expensive [around $26.00 at Bunning’s] it is excellent for rust. I recently sprayed some of my Zonals with rust with excellent results. Clean used pots, growing benches and sterilize cutting implements. Good hygiene will help prevent disease spreading. As the growing season progresses a careful watering program is essential, water early in the day and avoid wetting the foliage. The size of containers, type of potting mix and position of your plants should determine how much water is needed. I find that most potting mediums on the market benefit from the addition of perlite and/or coarse river sand to aid drainage [fine river sand remains wet for too long and should not be used].