Lyn Ellis and Murray McCracken at Currajuggle Creek Nursery 2014 Champions of the Catchment Place Story

You’ve planted our trees. Here’s how we make them.

Potting mix made from sand, pine bark and bush soil, providing mycorrhizal bacteria and other inputs that help the seedlings grow.

Mixing by hand and mechanically.

Sieving to ensure fine particles.

Home made triple-scrubbers to wash and re-use pots.

Washing to re-use pots.

Re-used pots drying in the sun for further sterilisation.

Filling pots with the potting mix.

Making a dip in the potting mix with the back of a screwdriver.

Seeds gathered locally by Lyn.

Distributing seeds into pots.

Covering the seeds, eg with a layer of sand.

Labelling each tray.

An old standard shower head provides a gentle spray

Hand watering minimizes waste and lets us inspect each plant every day.

Greenhouses help keep out pests, and provide a stable growing environment.

Murray made the high benches. These avoid bending and prevent slug and snail attack.

Did you know that we still have some stock available from last season?

See the space under the pots? This is the key to air-pruning of the roots.

The pots have vertical ridges. This makes the roots grow straight down, and not coil around.

Vertical roots.

The air-pruned roots have nubs ready to shoot straight down into the soil when planted.

Even the advanced “long stems” have vertical roots and healthy root nubs.

Long stems can be planted deeply into the soil, and will sprout roots from the trunk.

Protecting a Monga Waratah from birds, so the seeds can be harvested.

Place story by Su Wild-River, Upper Shoalhaven Landcare Council and Matilda O’Brien, Braidwood Central School Spoken by Lyn Ellis and Murray McCracken With grateful thanks and congratulations from all of us who plant your trees and shrubs, and watch them growing strong and tall.