HOW TO RUN A NURSERY...WEEK 6/52

TAKING KZbinS ADVICE, THIS IS A RE-RUN AND RETITLE OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES THAT WAS FILMED OVER THE INITIAL COVID YEAR.
A gardeners world; Nursery, gardens, propagation, plants galore and all the growing tips that go with them. A unique weekly documentary series filmed throughout 2020. A must for gardeners worldwide.
Informative, irreverent, funny and totally without comparison. After a lifetime in horticulture, Malcolm Hockham and his young team answer The Royal Horticultural Societies 2019 article that the industry is in crisis. Not here it isn't!.....Malcolms final full year on the nursery shows you why.
In week 6 we are starting at last to see a little colour on the nursery....however, the threat of bad weather constantly hangs over us. We are due storm Ciara at the end of this week, extending into week 7 when blizzards are also being forecast. It will make for an interesting February as we have Roses and a large batch of perennials due soon....we have yet to process all of our own....the worst for us is a freeze up or snow, not because of damage, but simply because it slows or halts the work we need to get on with. February is a month that despite its short length, seems to drag endlessly on. However, on warm days we are getting a few visitors, so there is an upside.

[@karolynjs44]

Thomas, thank you for sharing your story. I think you have the best education right where you are with Malcolm and your own passion as a self-learner. So much knowledge and skill has been lost, and I thank you and Malcolm for your willingness to share on KZbin.

[@billastell3753]

Thomas said a whole lot of truth. "If you can you do. If you can't you teach". It was the same in my trade.

[@sammyboy13ify]

Thomas has taken the words straight out of my mouth when he mentioned that he did not learn anything in education. Although I never did the national certificate at Kew Gardens, I studied Level 2 and Level 3 B-Tec Diploma in Horticulture for 3 years and honestly I found the level 3 course to be a complete waste of time. We never got to really study practical plant propagation or practical landscape design as it was mostly paperwork that at times had no relevance to anything horticultural-related. Just like Thomas, I learnt so much more working as a landscape gardener and a nurseryman's assistant. I would urge anyone who wants a career in horticulture to either apply for an apprenticeship or to start off working part-time working as a landscape gardener or nurseryman's assistant whilst studying a B-Tec or an RHS diploma; I would advise working in the industry hands-on whilst studying as you will learn so much more working in horticulture than you would in education.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

Sammy.....that is a good response to Thomas’s minor rant. I think ours is a business/industry that does not lend itself to learning theoretically as much as others....you need to feel, touch, smell, and develop an instinct for plants and all things plant related. I have never been a great believer in paper qualifications, though much is judged by them today. I like references and a portfolio. It is good to see what people can “actually” do as opposed to what they can “supposedly” do. In this world with its modern technology such as I’m using here, it should not be difficult for a young person to build up a portfolio of projects he or she has worked on, with references. I have always advocated youngsters to take on a little private work, log it, develop it, gain actual accreditation from actual people as opposed to educational bodies alone, often in these places it is more about providing employment for tutors and educationalists...it always sounds good but very often it’s a case of bullshit baffles brains....just to get a wonderful certificate that will probably live in your folder or drawer till the day you die. and they over complicate the job. It’s simple really....work and learn and never be afraid to experiment or ask stuff. Get stuck in, get your hands dirty, bend your back, keep a good humour, keep good time, be honest, build your portfolio of gardens, references, ideas, projects and so forth.....something to actually show a prospective client/customer. Do the college stuff if your so inclined, but don’t expect to much from it and remember....it is in no way essential or necessary. Make yourself good at what you do and you will never be short of employment. There are two types of gardeners.....doers and talkers. Always be the former in all things, not just horticulture. Very best wishes.....Malcolm

[@vinceransome5561]

Excellent. The ramble on about education is bang on the nail 👍🏻well said. Your working in paradise with some good people. Enjoy your week 🤞not much storm damage for you.

[@davidblackwell6842]

great series takes me back this how it should be .proper knowledge

[@annettebowersox1976]

Love your 4 legged babies!!

[@wilder957]

Waaaaa another one! My lucky day week 6 is here. And young Elizabeth is doing an excellent job I see. Tell her she has an admirer from the United States as well and to keep it up and Chelsea awaits.....

[@maryfallon2474]

Loved the intro!. Way, way, way down deep you're really an old softie😁

[@kahvac]

Yes he is and incredibly smart too...you can tell by his humor. :)

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I wouldn’t want that to get out Mary....it would spoil my misanthropic image....I just love dogs really, there’s nothing complicated about them. They return the affection, trust and kindness you show them with interest. People not always so, at least not till you find a good one....and there are good ones out there. Very best wishes...Malcolm

[@johnbladykas4885]

Embarrassment you are way too funny. That’s for sharing. Brilliant work. I just like Malcolm way about him., great plant knowledge. Thomas has a good hand of plant knowledge and leading the crew. Crew needs to study 10 plants characteristics each week. They use take the bark off and identify by bud only. Thomas i you will achieve the knowledge of propagation regardless I was told to go there for finishing school for Horticulure

[@plantsmanscorner128]

Thank you for your kind comments John. Best wishes...Malcolm

[@377499]

Beech trees can keep their leaves right up until budbreak the following Spring. The leaf petiole lacks an abscision layer allowing it to drop. Same goes for White Oak.

[@patrickgallagher3513]

Brilliant!!! - it's a soap opera with a horticultural bent! I was watching you crown budding the delphiniums and thought that one thing that would be good to see someone from the team talk about, is how (and how often) you look after your tools.

[@stuartanderson7671]

Stuart anderson...... this morning it was -28c how the plants survive beats me, though the snow cover helps. Thomas is very good explaining his work, I see a young Malcolm brewing. Very interesting video, enjoyed the willow and dogwood section by Liz. Look forward to 7.

[@gabijones2445]

Awesome update!!! Thanks all.

[@ajones8699]

A very interesting rant.👍

[@simonwhite5535]

Hope you do a post storm Ciara assessment of the nursery. Cannae wait to hear you waxing poetically about the aftermath. If it's half as bad as it is here in Edinburgh, it'll have been a nightmare! Hope it wasn't too bad for yous...I'll be counting the "beeps". ;(

[@dc0145a]

Liz nice job on the willow and dogwood. Thomas enjoyed hearing your education story; you are very fortunate to be learning under Malcolm's mentorship. Where's Clara studying? (When she's not apprenticing)

[@stuartanderson7671]

Stuart anderson.

[@pegsbarton6353]

You answered my question Thomas! About grafting, thank you. In all honesty your reply was a bit above my head, but I understood that conifers have to go on the 'matching' root stock with regard to needle sets, 2 or 5. But part of my query was - why graft at all? I'm sorry, I may have phrased the question badly in the first place. Are some species not strong enough on their own? I know some things are grafted to regulate growth - making them more suited to small gardens and such. Does it help with disease etc? Is it to combine a sturdy apple, say, with a sweeter one? Does it create a new species or would it be incapable of reproducing in it's new form? Stuff like that. And yes, my name is Pegs and I hate it with a passion but that's what I'm stuck with! Interesting to hear your experience with Kew, it's so good to know you found a great teacher in Malcolm but it sounds as if Kew is shooting itself in the foot not giving you youngsters the learning you need. They'll need good people to carry on there same as everywhere and if no-one stays, Kew will be the loser.

[@thomaswilson5070]

Hi Pegs, Glad I could help, sorry I never covered grafting fully, I was just conscious that I was waffling on too long! Anyhow, the main reason for grafting conifers is that some only propagate vegatively through that method, for example named cultivars of Abies (firs) can only be grown by grafting, cuttings simply don't work. Pines can be done from cuttings but the success rate is minimal, grafting is far better. Typically the conifers with more of a needle (Pines, Abies) are easier grafted and the conifers that have more of a scale (Thuja, Chamaecyparis) work easier from cuttings. Spruces (Picea) can be done from cuttings but you get a far stronger plant by grafting them, especially with some of the dwarf forms that we grow, the same goes for dwarf Hinoki cypress. With regards apple trees, they are largely grafted to gain a desired vigour/ultimate size as you suggested, they need to be propagated vegatively as they are too variable if grown from seed, this is the case for many/all cultivars of woody plants. Some things are grafted to help with disease, especially in the US, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana are grafted onto rootstocks that are immune to a particular fungus that they have a lot of problems with over there. Grafting does not create a new species (apart from two particular cases), the grafted plant is largely unaffected by the rootstock apart from vigour. The cases where grafts and rootstocks intertwine are called chimeras, but there are only two known types of these, Laburnocytisus and Crataegomespilus and these are freaks of nature! Indeed, Kew was a great disappointment, just full of gobshites with the practicality of a chocolate teapot! Anyhow, I hope I've just about covered everything, sorry it's a bit long-winded, I'm sure Malcolm will correct me if there's anything I've said that's wrong. If there's anything else you'd like to know, just ask. Thomas.

[@pegsbarton6353]

@@thomaswilson5070 Thanks Thomas, received and understood! Cheers.

[@andrewsharp3451]

Do you winter prune or march prune your cornus or salix. Thanks.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

We prune them in March Andrew. Best wishes....Malcolm

[@andrewsharp3451]

@@plantsmanscorner128 thanks i thought so. But saw a vid of thomas doing some cuttings not long ago. Thought id check. I normaly do prunning msrch aswell but after i saw you lot doing cuttings iv done the same and only cut the best thickness stems and left the rest to prune in march as normal. Which variety do you sell the most of. Also are you able to send through mail hard wood cuttings please. You have so many things id love to buy non rooted. Do you have a website for the nursery. Cheers. Also whats the nsme if the acer grafters as iv met them at garden shows. Cheers mate.

[@karlninh2863]

what plant is it at 27:25, orange/yellow?

[@plantsmanscorner128]

It is a Thuja occidentalis Karl......probably sunkist or Rheingold......best wishes...Malcolm