ASSOCIATION OF SOCIETIES FOR GROWING AUSTRALIAN PLANTS Inc. EPACRIS STUDY GROUP Group Leader: Gwen Elliot, P.O. Box 655 Heathmont Vic. 3135 NEWSLETTER No. XS (ISSN 103 8-6017) Qctaber zaQ4 Greetings as once again we begin to enjoy the longer days of spring-summer and the encouragement this provides for many of our flowering plants. Despite the generally dry conditions many Epacris species are putting on outstanding floral displays. How are you going with your recording of the flowering times of Epacris impressa in your garden, as well as in nearby bushland or in other areas as you travel within Australia? It really is quite an exciting project because together we, as Study Group members, can make a real contribution to the overall understanding of this species, adding to the knowledge and research of botanists who look in detail at the features of the plant under the microscope and in its natural habitat. It iis a species which occurs both atsea-level and at higher altitudes. How are the flowering times affected when highland plants are cultivated at lower altitudes? Are flowering times different when plants fiom New South Wales for example are gvown much further south in soulhern Victoria or Tasmania ? Epacris impressu seems like an excellent species for us to research in this way. If our project is successful we may perhaps be able to continue with looking at the flowering times of other Epacris which are relatively common in cultivation. In case you have misplaced the recording sheet from our October 2003 Newsletter, another is included in this issue. Maybe you wilZ wish to keep one copy for your own records arryway, sending the other back for our Study Group project. We are almost at the end of the main flowering period for Epacris lmpressu now. Some members have made good records of when plants first came into flower, but please don't stop now. Almost certainly same forms will continue much longer than others, and it is equally important to note how they perForm at the end of their flowering period. Many thanks to all who have contributed towards this Study Group NEWStEll€R. Particular thanks to Dawn Barr for a great item detailing results in propagating and growing Epacris which she and her husband Lyn have experienced in their garden in East Gippsland Vic. It is certainly a lovely part of the world and Rodger and I were delighted to stay with Dawn and Lyn during a recent visit to 6airnsdale APS group. Items such as this are really great to be able to include in our Newsletters. Please consider putting pen to paper with your own experiences, as we have so much to learn from each other, through successes and also failures. If you have an Epacris problem, why not ask other members for comment via our Newsletters? Two gardens of EPACRIS STUDY GROUP members are included in this year's ~ustralia'sOpen Garden Scheme. The gardens of Bill Er Doris Gunn and Margaret Guenxel, both in tochard Drive, Ocean Grove Victoria will be open on the weekend of October 2nd and 3rd, from loam to 4pm on both days. Visitors will certainly be inspired and encouraged by the beauty and diversity of these gardens in an area of salt-laden winds and alkaline soils which provide a challenge to all who garden in such regions. Participation in Australia's Open Garden Scheme is an excellent means of introducing a wide range of gardeners to the beauty and diversily of Australian plants, induding of course Epacris species. Congratulations to Bill, Doris and Margaret on being accepted into the list of gardens open this year. If you would like further infomation on participation in the scheme in future years you could contact Helen Kennedy, Vice-President of A.P.S. Victoria, and a selector with Australia's Open Garden Scheme, at 13 Faiwiew Av., Wheelers Hill 3150. 1 Zrustypu are enjaying a great springtime in your gardens, with good rains to sustain the plants through the coming summer. If the membership date on your address label is in arrears your renewal would he appreciated as will any snippets or larger items for our next Newsletter in March 2005. In the meantime, warm greetings and best wishes for an enjoyable festive season, /> 4 News U Notes from Members From Tasmania George Wade wrote in autumn saying how dry it has been during recent months, and plants such as Epacris longiflora which he has enjoyed in his garden for many years have really shown signs of stress, and even though they are still alive they may need replacement. Unfortunately this situation is not confined to just Tasmania, as several other regions of Australia have alsy been extremely dry. Epacris have certainly suffered, as have other native and non-native species, including many well- established large trees, both in their natural habitat and in cultivation. If you have any thoughts on helping our plants to cope with dry conditions these would be very welcome for our Study Group newsletters. Barbara Henderson from Queensland is leader of the Wallam Er Coastal Heathland Study Group and an ongoing concern is the loss of native heathland due to commercial and residential developments in coastal regions of Queensland. Barbara currently has 3 plants of the local Epacris pulchella in various areas of her garden, all 'rescued' from areas of peaty sand. All are doing well, despite being in situations quite different from their coastal heathland habitat, and are rarely without a flower. They are on a slight slope in shaly loam and while two plants receive only a few hours of sun each day the third is facing west. Further details on E. pulchella can be found in the Profile Page of our Sept. 2001 Newsletter Pat MacDonald has been recording the flowering times of Epacris impressa in her Langwarrin, Vic. garden and as well as in natural bushland on their property. It is interesting to note that some difference occurred - with the white-flowered 'bushland' plants flowering first. We may have anticipated that garden grown plants could be earlier, due to increased nutrients or water - but there are so many variables aren't there. Soil types on properties can vary considerably, as can aspects such as sun, shade and the proximity of other plant root systems. There is also the aspect of presence or lack of mycorrhiza in the soils. Well done Pat. Please keep up your good work. We certainly look forward to receiving lots of reports from Study Group members within the coming months and years, and hopefully our combined information may lead to some very fascinating and informative observations. 'Eucryphia' the Newsletter of the Australian Plants Society Tasmania, January 2004 issue included a report of activities from the Kingborough Group which included the comment 'As the weather has at last warmed we were especially interested to hear of different propagating methods Kay Geeves told of her success using self-sealing plastic bags. She showed a flourishing Epacris as evidence of her results. ' A follow-up note was sent to Kay and she has very kindly passed on the following information - 'My son, Mark teaches Horticulture at TAFE and taught me this method. It is useful forpeople who do not have bottom heat and is simple and inexpensive. I've found it works well for Epacridaceae species. The bags need to be relatively strong and I've used Glad or Hercules bags. These are the snap-lock or zipper zeal type and are 17 cm x 19 cm approx. Use an open cutting mix and fill bag tojust under half full and insert small tip cuttings. (Treat with hormone mixture or honey.) Do not wateev, but seal bag to within 5-6 cm. Blow into the bag and then seal fully to keep the air in. Place in a sheltered place such as a potting shed out of the sun. You need to check they do not dry out. When they do need moisture simply use an atomizer and spray into bag, being careful to blow more air in and reseal as previously. If overwet the material will rot Many th,anks to Kay, for this information, and to Mark Geeves also. It is a simple, but obviously successful method which I'm sure many of our Study Group members will be keen to try. Success with propagation of Epacris from seed Jeff Irons has sent an email from Wirral, England to let us know that he has had good germination of Epacris impressa seeds which were sent to him and that he has distributed some of the plants through the local group of the Australasian Plants Society there. Unfottunately to date he has had 'no joy' with seed of Woollsia pungens. For those who missed Jeffs article in Newsletter No. 8, extracts from that item are reprinted below: Growing Ericaceae fi Epacridaceae plants from seed The Ericaceae is one of the most frequently seen plant families in northern hemisphere gardens. Consequently it is not at all surprising that som; British gardeners are equally en'thusiastic about the Epacridaceae. However both plants and seed are almost impossible to obtain. If seed is found, it is unlikely to germinate. I believe that, in at least some instances, the poor germination results from incowect handling at the collection stage. Europeans know that many Ericaceae must be kept moist when coRected, and stored in cool and moist conditions. Heathers, for example, are placed in a bag containing a piece of moist sponge as soon as they are collected. Their seed is stored in conditions which are both cool and moist.