Growing a big future
From the Winter 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
John Hornbuckle has clocked up almost 40 years working in Forests NSW nursery at Narrandera.
For the past 33 years, he has been the nursery’s foreman, and then ultimately its manager. John is as committed and excited as ever about the future of the nursery.
“The past few years have definitely been a challenge to get viable seed and we’ve had to deal with water constraints.
“But we’ve not had to reduce the quantity or quality of seedlings and have continued to have excellent sales, even with the dry years,” John said.
Narrandera Forest Nursery was set up around 1948, and even then it was a big business producing about 20000 plants for sale to the public.
“We’ve always been commercially oriented and everything we have grown, up until the past few years, has been for sale to the public,” John said.
The production nursery occupies about five hectares on Lake Drive on the eastern side of Narrandera. There is also a vibrant retail operation on site, which is open to the public on weekdays.
The production nursery supplies the tube stock to all eight Forests NSW retail nurseries at Inverell, Gunnedah, Dubbo, Forbes, Wagga Wagga, Muswellbrook, Narrandera (retail) and a smaller number (30000 to 40000 seedlings) goes to Cumberland in Sydney.
The trees are grown in forest tubes about 50 millimetres square by 125 millimetres deep with total production out of the nursery this year around 1.3 million seedlings.
The nursery produces about 350 different species, mainly acacias, callistemons, banksias, eucalypts, hakeas and melaleucas as well as a small quantity of exotic species with an important amenity usage.
“We accommodate trees for farms, streetscapes, landcare and afforestation projects. The work is very varied and councils are big buyers most years,” John said.
The nursery employs four permanent staff and about 11 casuals for the production season from September to March.
“Our retail nurseries from around the state put in orders and we grow to their specifications,” John said.
“I love the growing part. It is very satisfying to plant the seed and see it grow to the point where it’s hardy enough to leave the nursery and survive as part of the landscape.
“It is great to travel the countryside and see what has grown from some of seedlings I have helped provide. Some of them are massive trees now.”
Public Affairs & Media, Albury
