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ASHBURTON

- What is the true cost of that “expensive” plant?

ALAN TROTT is the creator of Trott’s Garden in Ashburton, rated as a six-star garden by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. He has been awarded a QSM for services to horticulture and is a fellow of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture.

Importing plants into New Zealand is now almost impossible as strict border controls do not allow plant material into the country unless you have a permit. Only approved plants can enter and to quarantine them once they arrive is both costly and time-consuming, and most nurseries say this is now not profitable.

Tissue culture is an easier way to get new cultivars into the country as they are sterile and brings no diseases with them. They are brought here in flasks, then their numbers increased in a laboratory; vast numbers can be produced at a faster rate and we as the consumers get a cheaper plant, and a new plant that has only just been released from another part of the globe.

Many new perennials are produced this way and getting only the best named varieties is a bonus. It’s exciting for the gardeners getting these new plants but we must pay the price – which you might think is high, but think about the effort involved to produce a tree.

To get one grafted tree, one must produce a tree seedling of the same species to graft onto – this can take up to two years. Then one must obtain grafting wood that needs to be grafted onto the seedling – this takes both time and expertise, and not all grafts take. Then one needs to grow the tree for two years before it is saleable to us, the consumer. And remember, it has to be weeded, staked and possibly sprayed for those two years. When it finally becomes saleable, it then has to be dug, labelled, and dispatched to a nursery which, in turn, pots it up in good potting mix with fertiliser. This takes time and effort and huge costs.

Growing perennials takes a little less effort, but still takes time. Once the retailer obtains the plants, they may need to take time to stake them as the plants grow fast once spring arrives. Many plants will need trimming and deadheading to make them presentable. Most perennials are done by division, as this is the only way to obtain named cultivars. The newer plants that are coming into New Zealand are, of course, tissue cultured hence we get these plants that we see in glossy magazines within a year. (For example, many of the new dahlias that you see in coloured packs are imported from Holland. When you get them home, start them off in a little damp potting mix in a pot and when they show a leaf, plant them on in your garden.)

Water is an issue, and many nurseries are metered and have to pay for litres used which never happened many years ago. This is why many nurseries now use capillary beds and this in turn saves in costs and the excess water, and keeps the plant cool for all seasons. (Many consumers are wanting to use plants that require less water too, and this is happening all around the world. Many cities have water metres so the consumer is aware that they must now buy plants that require less water.)

Land is a big issue, and many nurseries which were once on a town boundary now find themselves in an urban environment, where of course council rates are expensive so the plant production costs increase yet again. If the nursery owner wants to move, they also find land to be expensive unless they move well out into the country. Capital costs setting up the nursery are now huge as well and all this has to be added to the price of the plant.

Wages now are a real issue and costs such as holiday pay, accident compensation and sick pay have to be added into the cost of the plant as well. Employing people has its issues now with health and safety as well. Your site has to have all hazards covered.

Potting mix has to be bought into the nursery and this usually comes from a firm that specialises in certain mixes. Most mixes are made from pulverised pine bark with peat added to retain water. Most of the mixes now come with fertiliser added and some of the special mixes are now very expensive and has to be added to the plant cost accordingly. (Most of the fertilisers used are slow releasing and release over a period of 12 months so the consumer need not worry about fertilisers. When I plant a plant from a container, I always tease the roots out and add a little fertiliser to the bottom of the hole and around the sides when I have half the soil in the hole. Always water the plant in after planting as I often find the pot has dry spots in the potting mix.)

Next time you pick up a plant from your nursery, thinking it’s too expensive or wondering if you’re paying too much, spare a thought on what goes into that precious plant that you have in your hand. Say to yourself: “This plant did not happen overnight”.

When you take your plant out of its pot, fresh from the nursery or garden centre, have you ever thought of the effort, time and cost of producing a plant?

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2022-01-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

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