More Chilean plants in Tasmania

[Peter Maddox]

Below is a list of Chilean plants I have growing in my garden. I think it is fairly impressive although I would like to add many more species.Tasmania has very stringent import restrictions,more so than mainland Australia which makes it difficult to obtain more species unless they are already present here. Most I have raised from seed produced locally or cuttings where seed has not been available. With the help of Chile flora's seed shop, I hope to add to this collection in the future.

Araucaria araucana , Berberidopsis corallina , Desfontainea spinosa , Griselina scandens, Lomatia hirsuta, Nothofagus dombeyi , Podocarpus salignus,
Aextoxicon punctatum , Berberis darwinii, Dodonea viscosa , Gunnera manicata , Luzuriaga polyphylla , Nothofagus glauca, Puya sp.,
Asteranthera ovata, Berberis x stenophylla, Drimys winterii, Gunnera tinctoria, Luzuriaga radicans, Nothofagus nitida , Prumnopitys andina,
Aster vahlii, Bolax glebaria, Embothrium coccineum ,Jovellana violacea, Maytennus boaria, Francoa sonchifolia, Maytennus magellanica, Nothofagus obliqua, Rhaphithamnus spinosus,
Azara celastrina, Blechnum penna marina, Eucryphia cordifolia, Lapageria rosea , Mitraria coccinea , Nothofagus pumilio, Sarmienta repens,
Azara lanceolata, Blechnum chilense , Eucryphia glutinosa, Laurelia sempervirens, Myrceugenia lechleriana, Nothofagus x leonii , Saxegothea conspicua,
Azara microphylla, Caesalpinia spinosa, Fabiana imbricata, Laureliopsis phillipiana, Myrteola nummularia, Nothofagus x eugenananus, Sisyrinchium striatum,
Azara petiolaris, Caldcluvia paniculata, Fitzroya cupressoides, Libertia caerulescens, Nothofagus alpina, Peumus boldo, Sisyrinchium pearcei,
Azara serrata, Caltha sagittata , Gaultheria myrsinites, Libertia formosa, Nothofagus alessandri, Philesia magellanica, Sophora macrocarpa,
Azorella sp, Crinodendron hookerianum, Gaultheria mucronata, Lobelia tupa, Nothofagus antarctica, Pilgerodendron uviferum, Sophora microphylla,
Baccharis magellanica, Crinodendron patagua, Gaultheria poepiggii, Lomatia ferruginea, Nothofagus betuloides, Podocarpus nubigenus, Ugni mollinae,
Luma apiculata, Weinmannia trichosperma, Geum chiloense, Eccremocarpus scaber, Calceolaria sp X 2 , Castanea sativa, Aristotelia chilensis, Escallonia illinata, Escallonia virgata

[seb]

Yes I'm pretty impressed too. I have hunted around gardens in this area and most of what you list is absent or not really flourishing. Araucaria araucana does well and is fairly common, same with Buddleia globosa, Berberis darwinii. If anyone was interested I could make a more complete list. If you had the time, it would be good to know more about your soil - pH, humus etc., and climate. This winter the soil here was frozen solid down to about 9", then April and May very dry with strong sun, now its pouring. I think that a lot of Chilean plants don't like that sort of thing.

[Peter Maddox]

Hi Seb
Tasmanias climate can be best described as cool temperate. Being in the face of the roaring forties the weather can be quite changeable eg. A summer day ranging from 12- 26C can become 6 -12c the following day without suprising. I am 10 km North of Hobart in the foothills of Mt Wellington( 1270m). Rainfall is around 750mm a year spread throughout the year with typically more rain in early spring. A typical summers day would be 10- 25c with 15.5 hours of daylight and mid winter 0-10c with 9 hours of daylight. During the year we can get everything in between with the occasional long period (2-5weeks) of settled weather. Northerly weather brings hot and dry air from mainland Australia (can get up to 40C) while easterly weather usually brings 4 continuous days of mild weather with low cloud, persistent light rain,fog and drizzle. Southwesterlies bring cold air,rain and snow to the highlands.I receive around 8-12 frosts per year (-2) but they can be very localised around this area because of the topography.It would never get cold enough here to freeze the soil to the depth that you experience. My soil can best be described as **it, i.e heavy black clay that is like plasticine throughout winter and spring. In summer it sets like concrete with deep cracking (hence the numerous amount of tree species I have that cope with the root disturbance). Raised garden beds are an absolute must as well as the need to incorporate large amounts of gypsum (1.5kg/m2) and organic compost into the soil. I also add 20% sandy loam and dig this in to a depth of 30 cm. This works out to be an expensive exercise which is why I have been propagating my own plants for the last 18 years. The money saved on plants goes into improving the soil.
When planting out I use a Hill/Valley method, i.e building a mound on the raised bed of about 300mm,planting on this and then filling the resultant valleys in between mounds with a semi course organic mulch (usually a bush mulch consisting of eucalyptus and other native species). Pine bark (Pinus radiata) is a cheaper alternative but not as good unless aged for 12-18 months. Pine mulch tends to form a mat on the surface if laid fresh and eventually restricts entry of water to the soil.It also leaches growth inhibitors into the soil retarding plant growth. I apply mulch to a depth of 150 mm. For the smaller and alpine plants I creat raised beds ,at least 450mm above the surrounding area.Into these I incorporate lots of rubble and horticultural sand to provide sharp drainage and use a white gravel mulch to enhance light intensity as the alpine species prefer these conditions. Supplementary watering during dry periods is sometines necessary (3-4 times per year). Generally speaking most of the Chilean plants do well here although Crinodendron patagua and Caldcluvia paniculata can get a bit straggly if not pruned regularly. Gevuina and Embothrium can also be temperamental if conditions don't suit. Strangely enough I have never tested the soil PH believing that too much science can sometimes spoil all the fun, afterall in the plant kingdom "Life's the exception,Death is the rule".

[seb]

Thanks Peter, almost wished I had'nt asked - seem to be letting myself in for a load of work. You certainly earn your success! In other words, you're making about a foot layer of humus rich soil over the **it - just like a natural forest really, and they like it; well aerated perhaps being the key. I don't measure pH either, just guess from what's growing. Death's the rule-- I'll tell that to our Polygonum sachalinensis.
I thought you might have floods of rain, but Tasmanian climate seems pretty much like here, except our cold spells are more frequent and colder. We are very rarely lucky enough to get 30C, so perhaps overall you get more heat. Latitude, daylengths, very similar. Looks as tho' I shall have to start building that humus layer.Cheers