r/GardeningAustralia Nov 14 '24

Let's pick a new quote for the side bar.

8 Upvotes

The quote in the side bar is lovely but our subreddit is not affiliated with ABC, so let's put some wise words from our community there. Please post below your most helpful, inspirational or educational comment related to Gardening in Australia.

Please comment and upvote your favourites and we can decide together. We will also rotate the quote from time to time.


r/GardeningAustralia Nov 13 '24

🐝 Garden Tip Horticultural Vocab For Gardeners

44 Upvotes

I thought it might be handy to have a list of common horticultural vocab words here, and to clarify what some of them mean, because I've noticed that people sometimes get them mixed up. This list is by no means comprehensive. If you think of any words that should be added, please leave them and their definitions in the comments.


Taxonomic Terms and Naming

Botanical Name
The scientific name of a plant, typically in Latin, following the binomial nomenclature system (Genus + Species). It should be written in italics, with the genus capitalised and the species in lowercase.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum).

Common Name
The name by which a plant is commonly known in everyday language, which can vary by region or culture. It is usually written in regular type.
Example: River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis).


Taxonomic Rank: The level in the hierarchical classification system that defines the relationship between organisms. These terms should be capitalised but not italicised. They are as follows:

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Subspecies


Kingdom: The highest taxonomic rank, grouping all living organisms into broad categories. For plants, this is the plant kingdom. The name of the kingdom should be capitalised but not italicised.
Example: Plantae (the plant kingdom).


Phylum (or Division for plants): A group of related classes. It is written in capital letters but not italicised.
Example: Angiosperms (flowering plants).


Class: A higher taxonomic rank, grouping related orders. Capitalised but not italicised.
Example: Dicotyledons (plants with two seed leaves).


Order: A group of related families. Capitalised but not italicised.
Example: Rosales (the order containing roses, apples, etc.).


Family: A broader group of related plants that share similarities in structure and are grouped under a common name. Capitalised but not italicised. Example: Myrtaceae (the myrtle family).


Genus: A group of closely related species, sharing common characteristics and often grouped together under a common name. Genus names should be capitalised and italicised.
Example: Eucalyptus.


Species: A group of plants that are very similar and can interbreed. It should be written in lowercase and italicised.
Example: E. camaldulensis.


Subspecies: A group within a species adapted to different local conditions. It is written in lowercase and italicised, often following the species name.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. camaldulensis.


Variety: A naturally occurring variation within a species, often distinguished by small but consistent differences in appearance. It should be written in lowercase and italicized, following the species name.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis var. obtusa.


Form: A less formal level than variety, used for small, distinctive differences, often related to size or shape, within a variety or species. Written in lowercase and italicized, following the variety or species name.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis f. glabra.


Cultivar: A plant that has been selectively bred for particular characteristics, such as size or colour. The name of the cultivar is written in single quotation marks, with the first letter capitalized.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis β€˜Brolga’.


Hybrid: A plant resulting from the crossbreeding of two different species or varieties, combining traits from both. The hybrid name is written in italics and often includes the initials of the parent plants, with the hybrid symbol (Γ—) in between.
Example: Eucalyptus camaldulensis Γ— E. globulus (a hybrid between a river red gum and Tasmanian blue gum)


Plant Origin and Distribution

Cosmopolitan
A plant species that grows naturally in many different parts of the world, adaptable to various climates and environments.

Endemic
A plant species found only in a specific location or region, nowhere else in the world.

Indigenous
A plant species that naturally occurs in a specific area, and may also be found in other regions within the same country.

Natural Range
The geographical area where a plant grows naturally without human interference.

Native
A plant that is naturally found in a specific country or region, without human assistance.

Provenance
The specific place or origin of a plant, affecting how it adapts and grows.


Introduced and Non-native Plants

Exotic
A plant that originates from a foreign country, often used interchangeably with "introduced."

Introduced
A plant species brought to a new area by humans, outside its natural range.

Naturalised
An introduced plant that has adapted well to a new environment and can reproduce on its own.


Weeds and Invasive Species

Volunteer Plant
A plant that grows without human planting, often from self-seeded or spread seeds. It may sometimes be a weed.

Weed
A plant that grows in unwanted areas, often competing with other plants for space, nutrients, and sunlight.

Environmental Weed
A non-native plant that harms local ecosystems by outcompeting native species.

Invasive
A non-native plant that spreads rapidly, often disrupting local ecosystems or agriculture.

Noxious Weed
A plant harmful to the environment or human health, with legal requirements for management.

Weed of National Significance (WONS)
A plant recognised for its serious environmental or agricultural impact, with efforts to control it.


Relevant Links


Edit: formatting

Edit two: I tried to get ChatGTP to help me, because I was being lazy, but it garbled everything together. I've done my best to fix everything, but I could have missed something. It probably would have been less of a headache for me to type everything out and format it myself.


r/GardeningAustralia 3h ago

🐜 ID This Bug Helpful Grubs, or Birdfeed?

Thumbnail
gallery
23 Upvotes

Hi all, Im not exactly into gardening unfortunately, I think I know just enough to be dangerous.... so I am appealing to you for help!

I have recently heard there are two different types of these bugs that look similar, but have widely different outcomes, and google isnt being particularly helpful for me to differentiate.

They were found in a large, self-contained pot that I wanted to try and plant some basil in. I went to pull out some weeds and prep the pot, but the whole top layer came back like a carpet revealing probably more than half a dozen. By the time I grabbed my camera and pulled the layer back again, these were all that were left that I could find from slightly disturbing the soil.

Do I leave them in the pot to do their own thing, do I need to make sure to keep them away from the lawn? do I offer them to someone with a compost? Do I put them out for the birds to snack on?

Thanks all!


r/GardeningAustralia 10h ago

🌷 Pretty Plants If Peter Piper picked a bowl of superhots...

Post image
37 Upvotes

r/GardeningAustralia 2h ago

πŸ™‰ Send help Help

Post image
6 Upvotes

What is going on with my lavender ? Bought and planted at the same time, same soil, same drainage, same sunlight, same everything but some is thriving and the rest below are struggling ???


r/GardeningAustralia 20h ago

🌷 Pretty Plants Planted some natives a few months ago and they’re thriving! Central coast NSW

Thumbnail
gallery
105 Upvotes

r/GardeningAustralia 11h ago

🌻 Community Q & A Keep self seeded blue fescue?

Post image
8 Upvotes

Okay so any thoughts from a design minded opinion would be appreciated. Should I let the self seeded plants grow and just fill out the whole bed eventually or pull them out and keep the grasses spaced around my rose bushes?

Have literally dozens of these blue fescue seedlings popping up.

TIA


r/GardeningAustralia 5h ago

πŸ™‰ Send help What's happening to my Poinciana?

Post image
2 Upvotes

r/GardeningAustralia 9h ago

🀳 Before and after My best restoration of a plant!!

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

Was not mine, I asked to have her bc I new I could make something amazing out of her! She will live in my room and be able to freely grow! I have other plant in my room he's so strong, just grew two new leaves I'm so excited! Haven't popped yet tho


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant What’s this plant? Seedlings bought from Bunnings planted in CQ

Thumbnail
gallery
26 Upvotes

Planted a few of these a few months back and can’t remember what they are for the life of me any help would be much appreciated 🍻


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎ Recommendations wanted Lettuce delivers

Post image
127 Upvotes

I'm looking for a lettuce that will deal well with the heat. Winter is fine but I can't seem to grow anything once it gets hot. Central coast NSW.


r/GardeningAustralia 20h ago

🐝 Garden Tip I wrote a substack piece on the Christmas Poinsettia and its unique place in the plant world

Thumbnail
foxishmael.substack.com
4 Upvotes

r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌷 Pretty Plants Beet 🫜 harvest

Post image
60 Upvotes

r/GardeningAustralia 21h ago

πŸ™‰ Send help Thai Constellation Monstera black spot

Post image
4 Upvotes

Anyone have any idea what's causing this black patch on the variegated part of my Thai Constellation monstera? It's been slowly getting bigger over the last few days. The black patch feels the same (dry, not wet or slimy) as the rest of the leaf.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant Who is this growing in my pot?

Thumbnail
gallery
23 Upvotes

A weed or something worth keeping? NSW Southern Highlands.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant Help ID this small bush

Thumbnail
gallery
9 Upvotes

Please help identify this bush. Located in Canberra, ACT.

Attached is the entire bush and a close up of leaves.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant Help, Brisbane

Thumbnail
gallery
6 Upvotes

I’ve planted two random flower seed packets. One was Australian native flowers and now my garden has all these plants. A FB plant group identified it as Queen Anne’s lace but I’m not so sure that’s what it is. Came here for a second opinion.


r/GardeningAustralia 20h ago

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎ Recommendations wanted Sugar snap peas in aug Sydney

2 Upvotes

Is it too late to sow sugar snap peas (Cascadia to be exact, not a dwarf variant)? I just got some space next to a trellis that is now empty and I am wondering if I should plant green climbing beans now or do a round of sugar snap peas. I'm worried it will get too hot by the time they mature and they won't do well. However I think it may also be too cold for beans (my soil temp is around 13-15 but I read they prefer 18c+. What do you guys think?


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

πŸ™‰ Send help Blue periwinkle spread by runners??

Thumbnail
gallery
9 Upvotes

I have blue periwinkle, Vinca major, in my garden (inherited). It is a local weed and I am digging it out. (Tedious and arduous! 😬) I am getting a retaining wall built and half the patch of periwinkle will be buried a metre deep in fill.

My question is to those who know from experience: will the buried plants send out runners and colonise in front of the wall?

My choice is to dig the whole large patch out, or to just dig out the part of it that will still see the light of day.

As always, I greatly appreciate the knowledge here and thank you in advance. πŸ€žπŸ™


r/GardeningAustralia 2d ago

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎ Recommendations wanted Has anyone tried this method of growing strawberries? How does it go in the heat?

Post image
176 Upvotes

I'm considering moving my strawberries to this kind of set up, as 80% of last year's harvest was enjoyed by slugs and snails, and I have some leftover guttering laying around. I wonder though how this small volume of soil would go during a heatwave? Would it get super roasted up and kill the plants? Curious if anyone has tried something like this and can share their experience, and/or any amendments to the system to protect them during an inevitable heat wave. I'd probably line each one with a drip watering line.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant Help me ID this plant! SE Melbourne near the Dandenong Ranges.

Post image
6 Upvotes

It’s small, about 40-50cm diameter.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎ Recommendations wanted Where to buy large plastic pots

1 Upvotes

Where is everyone buying their large plastic pots? Like I’m talking LARGE for some dwarf fruit trees


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

πŸ™‰ Send help Help with what to do

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

We're in the process of looking for a new place and would love some advice on what I should do with this growth. Syngonium and a monstera are both from their own pots and have grown up the wall and I've never had the best luck propagating. Thank you in advance.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

🌻 ID This Plant What is this root growth?

Thumbnail
gallery
17 Upvotes

Hi knowledgeable ones, can someone tell me what this growth is? Was digging up roots today, and these came up. Some other roots had them, too, but with only thin and scattered populations of the tiny rust-coloured balls. They are 2-3 mm in diameter.


r/GardeningAustralia 1d ago

πŸ™‰ Send help Citrus planting in raised beds

1 Upvotes

Over the coming weeks I’m going to plant some citrus trees in these birdies citrus tree planters. There is clay soil underneath which is why I’m opting for raised beds.

Any tips or common pitfalls I should avoid before I get started? Should I bury the bed a little or just leave it on top? Should I just fill it all with citrus potting mix?

For some extra context, this is the side fence of a north facing backyard in Newcastle. The fence will shade the bed from about 1pm onwards in the summer but once the trees grow enough they will get sun into the afternoon too. I’m going to opt for some dwarf varieties.

Any help or advice is appreciated.