CβL

The local garden centre had a single A. bidwillii - so it's become the first tree that we've planted on our block Just need to get another 9~ now

Did you end up going? I'd be keen for some seeds if you did (happy to pay).

Awesome thank you - happy to pay or send some other seed in exchange

I would be interested if anyone is able to gather seed from A. bidwillii and post to NZ. There are a few fruiting trees available in NZ, but I'm unsure whether those that fruit are being pollinated by other Araucarias (I think it's unlikely, but it's not a risk I want to take if I'm going to invest 25+ years to growing the tree).

Please note that most permaculture places prefer the sterile plant (Bocking 14 for example), which only spreads via roots. A random comfrey plant can spread by seed and then you'll have it everywhere, and it also may not have the hybrid vigour of Bocking 14.

Here's the info on Acacia grafting: https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/fnr/htirc tropical/pdf/Pubs/Nelson_koa_graft.pdf Grafting is not just about growth speeds, but disease resistance and soil tolerance too . I'm thinking I'll give it a shot, but I don't really know what I'd bother with grafting on. Also since I first asked, I've settled on Castanospermum australe as another Aussie nitrogen fixer I'll be planting. Can be eaten, although it's apparently a huge faff.

Yeah I think it can get weedy in NZ too. But luckily it doesn't do well in established forest, so as long as there's natives about it shouldn't establish. Another thing that I've read you can do is to graft acacias. So I could quite probably grow another acacia on a melanoxylon rootstock to get the resistance to the boggy ground. I was hoping there were some other acacias similar to melanoxylon to get a bit of diversity though.

Hi folks, Acacia melanoxylon grows well at our site. I used to hate it, but the fact the timber is so good, and it fixes nitrogen, and it grows so fast have made the damn tree grow on me. I was wanting to know about any other acacias which will grow in a wet NZ climate approx USDA 9b? The area gets about 2.2m of rain per year (+- 20cm) spread evenly with no real dry season, and temperature mostly stays between 5 and 20 degrees the whole year (with forays down to -1 and 25 degrees respectively). The soil drains okay from what I can tell, but perhaps best to think of it as a bit swampy. Any ideas for other Australian natives, that fix nitrogen, and ideally have another use (e.g. edible seeds/fruit)?

Hey folks - long time no see. I have been very busy, and so not had much time for posting here (in fact I'm supposed to be at work right now). I've still been learning about plants as much as I can, although more native plants and useful plants.Here are some photos I thought you might enjoy of the wall paintings at the Eden Project (http://www.edenproject.com/) - drawn by two visiting curanderos. I hope everyone is well! Kind regards,-CBL