Plant profile: dwarf conifers - a visit to a specialist nursery!

This week on The Horti-Culturalists we're visiting the wonderful Conifer Gardens Nursery just outside of Melbourne - www.conifer.com.au/ - to look at their fabulous collection of dwarf conifers. So just what is a dwarf conifer, because some are...quite tall! How do they come about and how do you propagate them? We'll take a look at some with amazing form, or incredible colour, variegated plants and end up with a look at how to cloud prune these conifers. Many thanks to Conifer Gardens Nursery for having us and their collection and gardens are well worth a visit if you find your self in Melbourne! The plants we mention in this video are:
Picea glauca albertiana 'Conica'
Sciadopitys verticillata
Pinus mugo 'Winter Gold' - Swiss mountain pine
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Chamaecyparis obtusa - 'Sparkles'
Thuja occidentalis - 'Rheingold'
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - 'Barry's Silver'
Chamaecyparis pisifera - 'Curly Tops'
Thuja occidentalis - 'Ericoides'
Juniperus squamata - 'Blue Spider'
Chamaecyparis obtusa - 'Spiralis'

[@user-st3pg4dw1y]

I've visited Conifer Gardens Nursery several times and it's amazing. So much to choose from. Thanks for highlighting this diverse range of plants.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@mikeedwards3889]

Good botanical content is not that easy to find and good CONIFER content is even harder. You have ticked both boxes. Well done, sirs. A request: a series of vids on specific conifer genus', i.e. Cedrus, Juniperus, Pinus, Picea...maybe the rest but I admit I don't care as much about the rest. :)

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for the suggestion and we will look at it in due course. Regards Stephen

[@mitzi605]

Yes,please

[@dogblessamerica]

Best gardening KZbin duo since Catherine and Susan of Gardenville TV!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Well thank you. Regards Stephen

[@Kramfors1]

A lot of interesting information, as always!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thank you!

[@DanandPatKerr]

Hello Steven and Mathew: Would you please show us how you do cloud pruning in your garden. Thank you. Pat and Dan Kerr Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

we will have a crack at it sometime. Regards Stephen

[@dianecotton9531]

Wow, fascinating! Love your videos. Full of so much information.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@shandke]

I’d love to see a video by you two talking about cloud pruning! ☁️

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I think we cover it in this video?

[@shandke]

@@thehorti-culturalists true. I just want to sort out if there’s a wrong way/time to do the cloud pruning.

[@biekken849]

3 years ago I planted a giant sequoia. It is still a dwarf conifer 😉

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Won’t be for long! Regards Stephen

[@davidantill6949]

Adrian Bloom was the guy that chap who espoused Conifer and Heather Gardens in the '60s and 70's here in the UK

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Of course he was! Thanks for the nudge. Regards Stephen

[@pocketsofmayhem]

Great info. Loved seeing the baby “Pom Pom” junipers. I have one that started like that 30 years ago but a particularly icy winter took out two of the branches. I let the tops grow bigger and into each other and now it looks like a beautiful silvery blue cloud. I have also lifted some gold tipped junipers so that you see all the twisty branches topped by a golden green cloud. ❤ this group of trees- they are so versatile.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for sharing! Regards Stephen

[@MyFocusVaries]

Thanks. What an amazing selection. I have a small garden and have an assortment of dwarf conifers, since they fit the scale of my garden.

[@MyFocusVaries]

I have a different dwarf pine that turns gold in winter then back to green in summer. It's brilliant for winter interest.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Sounds great! Regards Stephen

[@soulgirlktf]

I really enjoyed this, new subscriber here. There's something so wonderful about conifers and for structure and interest in the wintertime you just can't beat them. Have you seen the 'fourseasons' garden in Walsall UK ? Marie and Tony, they have an amazing mature collection which they prune annually to keep in check size wise and it's just a jaw droppingly beautiful garden and their website is packed full of helpful tips and lots of photos. I'm chuffed I took some cuttings last year of Sekkan Sugi one of my faves in my garden and also Zebrina a Thuja and some Blue Star Junipers, they are only small tiny things but they have new growth and roots ! 🌲

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad that you enjoyed our video and welcome aboard. Regards Stephen

[@kerryjean2223]

I absolutely love blue foliage. Particularly blue conifers. Given the opportunity I would have loved to have a garden with predominantly blue foliage. I can't argue that green conifers do make a good looking contrast. Any chance you can take us to a completely blue garden somewhere?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

You never know but I don't know of one at the moment. Regards Stephen

[@karlsorchidparty2395]

❤

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@AC-pv2vz]

Good show. As it's becoming very warm up here in sunny Newcastle NSW and as you mentioned the wollemi pine what fertilisation and feed strategies would you say best suit Australian conifers in pots. For context I have two wollemi pines (that are starting to look a bit bonsai) in post about 2 meter tall and several miscellaneous Australian conifers in pots and a very special Pherosphaera fitzgeraldii (blue mountain dwarf pine).

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Most of our native conifers need high light level but not direct sun particularly in the middle of the day. A well drained but moisture retentive mix and for the long term an occasional root pruning. In pots I would only use a 9 to 12 month slow release like Osmacote. Regards Stephen

[@mitzi605]

I have been adding to my collection here in Oregon zone 8b. It has been hard to find new ones.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@mariale7821]

Great video. I have a small garden, zone 7a, and have started incorporating conifers. I’m still learning. What are the most common infections/bugs to look for?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I have to say I don’t really know what may be a problem in the USA but we have very few we need to contend with here. Regards Stephen

[@paulinecrispin121]

Hi. Loved this video. ❤ I only have a small garden. I am trying to make an Italian style, so I would like to find a thin conifer that would grow no more than about 12 feet. Is there one that would di this? I li e in the south of England. 😊

[@thehorti-culturalists]

there are a number that would stay this small at least for the next 30 years or so. I would find a local conifer specialist as what is available here may not be locally available for you. Regards Stephen

[@paulinecrispin121]

Thank you

[@MNH73]

Hi Pauline. You could look at Juniper 'Blue Arrow' as a substitute for italian cypress. It might ultimately get taller than 12 ft but is slow growing and controllable

[@davidantill6949]

They'll be using drones to collect witches brooms soon

[@thehorti-culturalists]

What a great use for them. Regards Stephen