New Besgrow Bulletin
You can download the latest edition of the Besgrow bulletin by clicking
here.
Caring for your Phalaenopsis in Orchiata
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Watering and Feeding:
Water orchids when the top cm of Orchiata has dried out on the top of the pot. This will generally be 4-5 days in summer and up to 10 days in winter. In all cases it is important to make sure the orchid dries out sufficiently before re-watering as this is the biggest mistake people will make - overwatering. If you think it is still quite damp, then it is!
To water orchids, thoroughly drench the pots with tap water in the sink and allow to drain. Ensure pots drain fully before placing back in pot holders or on saucers. Do not sit pots in water as this will encourage root disease and cause Orchiata to break down.
Feed the orchids at least monthly with a diluted orchid fertiliser such as a 20-20-20 NPK or a standard orchid fertiliser from your garden centre.
Place your orchid in areas which are warm but not in direct sunlight; 22-25°C day temperature is perfect. If conditions are very warm (e.g. height of summer) either move the orchids to a cooler spot or give a regular but light mist with water in a spray bottle.
Getting your Phalaenopsis to flower:
To induce flowering, plants must have a drop in night time temperatures so cool nights in winter or moving to a cooler area in the house at night will generally do this. Expect to see flower spikes in early spring if conditions are met.
Continue to feed plants during flowering and the flower spikes will grow quickly. Feeding will also encourage the flowering to last a long time.
Secure flower spikes early to keep them upright, place a thin bamboo stick into the pot where the flower is coming from. As the flower spike extends, gently encourage the spike upwards and secure to the stick with a twisty tie or clip. NOTE: wrap the twisty tie loosely around the stem to allow the stem to expand during growth.
After flowering, cut the flower spike off approximately 2-3 cm above the base. This will eventually dry off.
Re-potting:
Phalaenopsisroots may creep out of the pot as they are actively photosynthesising and/or looking for water and nutrients. If lots of roots start creeping out then the orchid may require a re-pot. Only re-pot when the orchid has finished flowering.
Re-pot with a larger grade bark nugget such as Besgrow Power Orchiata. Orchids like to be restricted somewhat so use a pot which is approximately 2-3cm bigger in diameter at each re-pot. If the old media is breaking down, remove it and replace with new material. After repotting allow plants to sit for a day or two to recover or heal from any root wounds before watering and feeding again.
Water restrictions in Christchurch
During the 4 September, 22 February and 13 June earthquakes Christchurch’s water systems were badly damaged. This has meant water restrictions are now in place over the summer months for the first time since 1998.
To help keep your plants healthy Besgrow has some products that will help to retain moisture in the soil and suppresses weed growth.
Coir Mulch - produced by cutting the whole husk of the coconut into cubes. Besgrow Coir Mulch is brightly coloured finishing off your landscaped area with intensity.
Coir Weedmat - produced from the long fibres of the coconut husk bound with biodegradable natural latex to form a dense but light mat. Besgrow Weed Mat is a natural, light brown colour that can be left exposed or covered with decorative bark or mulch.
Hydromats - 100% organic sheets of compressed Spagmoss petals for use at the root zone of trees. When placed in plant holes and hydrated, Hydromats act as a natural water reservoir for roots, giving your trees and shrubs the best start in life.
Barkdeco - produced from 100% pure un-aged New Zealand Pinus radiata bark; it is hard in structure and will not break down quickly. The natural red-brown colour creates an aesthetically pleasing and versatile covering both indoors and outdoors.
New Spagmoss Packaging
The new Spagmoss packaging is almost complete. We are really pleased with the new look of the packaging and can’t wait to see the impact it will make when it hits the shelves in the beginning of 2012.
Goodbye to one Ben as we welcome to another
Ben our operations manager at Pacific Bark has decided that the UK is the place for him and he is off to do his OE. We wish him well in his travels and all the best for the future. We would also like to welcome Ben Savage as our new operations manager - isn’t that handy!
Like Besgrow on Facebook
Besgrow has created a Facebook page. You will be able to see out latest photos of trade shows and where the sales team have been visiting.
To find out what has been going on within the group click on the like button below
Besgrow Orchid Trial
The orchid trial at Lincoln University is going really well. The Besgrow team spent a couple of days re-potting the Phalaenopsis into a variety of different substrates.
We learnt a few things during our days there; it is much easier and faster to pot in bark and Orchiata, however you can get some nasty prickles from fir bark. We also learnt how hard it is on your back. We are looking forward to seeing the results.
Kiwi hospitality for Tropicoir
Janindha the General Manager of Tropicoir and his good friend Manoj visited Besgrow while they were over for the Rugby World Cup. Garry took them to visit some local tomato and cucumber growers using Besgrow Coir gropacs. They were also shown around Christchurch with a visit to Akaroa and Lyttelton port.
Besgrow discuss Orchiata with Acadian Wholesale
Tim Maye of Acadian Wholesale Supplies and Garry Clark of Besgrow discuss Orchiata's superior qualities. Check out their video on YouTube where they discuss Orchiata, how is it made, what makes it different from other substrates and how growers responding to Orchiata
Visits to Korea and Japan
Anthony has been busy travelling over the past few weeks. He has been to Korea where he visited distributor Ever Green. Mr Chung arranged for Anthony to visit a number of Phalaenopsis and Cymbidium growers, some of which were growing in Orchiata.
Anthony has also just returned from Japan where he was visiting our distributors to present a new Spagmoss packaging design. The design was received well and we are looking forward to moving into the new packaging in the future.
Aftershocks continue to shake Canterbury
We realise some of you may have seen and heard enough about the earthquake in Canterbury, but for us the apparent aftershocks which are earthquakes are a constant reminder.
Tony and Andrea Norton sent us through these photos showing what happened inside their glasshouse. The Gropacs were shaken off the hanging gutters, but we understand generally the damage to structure of there houses were minimal.
Profit Gropacs - A Polish grower prefers these to Rockwool
Jan de Smet is the Executive Director of Fortico BV. Jan has been out to New Zealand visiting our growers promoting Profit and Crush. Profit and Crush are our largest selling grade of Gropacs in the New Zealand Market.
Please read the following article
Polish nursery Mularski cultivating on Forteco Profit for five years already
Very Interesting!
Coastpak purchase of Suttons Moss ensures a healthy future for the local industry
The West Coast based moss industry has undergone further consolidation with the announcement of the purchase of Suttons Moss by Coastpak (part of the Pacific Wide Group).
Effective as of 1st November 2010, this brings together two businesses with complimentary offerings and history in the industry. Both are family owned operations and have a long association on the coast with strong West Coast management and staff.
Well known and respected for their value-added specialist products, Suttons have been integral to the development of the moss industry in New Zealand. With the decision to pursue other interests, the Sutton family wanted to make sure their company would be left in good hands, but more importantly, stay as a NZ owned and operated business.
“We began exporting 22 years ago and have watched the industry go through many changes over that time. The purchase of Suttons Moss by Coastpak can only be good for the local industry,” says Les Sutton’ “as they will bring to the table a more globally aware level of sales and marketing.”
Coastpak has a proud heritage and will continue to strive to produce the highest quality Sphagnum moss to grow the world’s best orchids. Their portfolio of moss products, along with an excellent range of other horticultural growing substrates, is well respected nationally as well as on the global stage.
With carefully controlled management and monitoring, Coastpak ensures this quality resource is ongoing, which is good news for the survival of the industry.
“Three years ago’” comments Anthony Washington, Pacific Wide (NZ) CEO, “the NZ dollar was crippling to the NZ exporter and industry, however Coastpak continued to support the industry during those difficult times and has now come out of it stronger for the experience. Focussing on customer requirements, plus meeting and maintaining strict quality control standards have been the key to this success.”
As 70% of moss is sourced from independent suppliers, Coastpak views these partnerships as integral to the success of Coastpak and the local independent supplier. The purchase of Suttons will truly benefit the industry as a whole, strengthening demand and ensuring a healthy future for all concerned.
Backed by the sales and marketing team of Pacific Wide, Coastpak believe with the added product lines from the purchase, they now have the opportunity to not only strengthen their stake in the Japanese market, but also develop new sales channels into the lucrative US and European arenas.
For further comments please contact Anthony Washington- CEO Pacific Wide New Zealand, (03) 3598 230 or 0274 396 309
Serious earthquake shakes Christchurch and surrounding areas
A serious earthquake hit Christchurch city and surrounding areas (Canterbury district) at 4.35am Saturday 4 September. The earthquake has done some serious damage to buildings in the CBD and some specific areas that surround the city area.
There have been no deaths and we are thankful for this and think it is due to the hour that the shake hit the city.
As far as the Pacific Wide Group is concerned our processing facilities in Hokitika and Matamata have experienced NO damage and it is business as usual. Lyttelton and Tauranga ports are still operational therefore there will be NO disruption to any shipments.
All our staff are safe and well and we are working as normal in our Christchurch office. Some of our filing cabinets had fallen over and a few minimal breakages (see photo of Clive’s model car collection). We are some of the lucky people of Canterbury. We look forward to any orders that you may have and will ensure they are processed promptly.
Kind regards
Clive Washington
Managing Director
Gro Pacific and Daltons visit Melbourne
I was lucky enough to go to Melbourne with Daltons and nursery men from around NZ, I have to say what a great bunch to go away with. The main purpose was to visit Garden City Plastics who will supply exclusively to Daltons pots for the New Zealand market.
During our visit to GSP it was a real eye opener to see the robotic machines producing pots at an incredible pace and still able to maintain a high quality. I must admit though during our nursery visits I got very excited when I heard how so many nurseries there are using coir in their potting mixes. Water conservation and recycling are imperative in Australia, the use of coir in there mixes gives them a huge saving in water usage.