Prepping for Spring: what’s been happening on the Farm this winter?
Winter might look like the quiet season on a commercial nursery, but for us, it’s one of the busiest times of year.
While the trees slow their growth, we’ve been putting in the groundwork that sets everything up for the season ahead.
From preparing new growing areas and installing irrigation systems to upgrading our infrastructure and potting up hundreds of trees, winter has been a season of energy and progress here at Arboretum Farm.
With spring fast approaching, we wanted to give you a quick peek at what we’ve been working on, and why it matters for the stock we grow and the projects you’re planning.
Preparing the ground
One of the biggest jobs this winter has been the site preparation. That means turning bare land into a fully functioning part of the nursery.
We’ve been laying gravel and rock, putting in drainage pipes and weed mats, setting up irrigation lines, and installing the posts and wires that help keep young trees standing strong against high winds. It’s hard work, but it’s incredibly satisfying to see a rough paddock transform into a space that’s ready to grow healthy stock.
Why it matters for the farm: Careful ground preparation gives every tree the right start. By investing in drainage, staking, and layout now, we reduce risks like waterlogging, wind damage, or uneven growth. It means the time we spend nurturing stock goes into trees that will perform, not into fixing preventable problems.
What this means for you: Trees grown on well-prepared sites are stronger, more resilient, and more consistent. That translates into fewer failures.
Installing irrigation
Alongside site preparation, we’ve been busy extending and improving our irrigation systems. It’s not the most glamorous job, but it’s one of the most important. Reliable irrigation is what keeps every tree in the nursery thriving, whatever the weather.
Why it matters for the farm: Precision irrigation helps us maintain consistent growth across thousands of trees, even through dry spells. It keeps water where it’s needed, protects against disease, and ensures uniformity of size and quality.
What this means for you: You get reliable batches of stock — uniform trees that establish quickly, withstand stress, and deliver predictable outcomes in the landscape.
Upgrading infrastructure
We’ve also used winter to focus on infrastructure improvements across the farm. From refining the layout of growing areas to updating equipment, these changes may be behind-the-scenes, but they have a big impact on how smoothly we can operate.
Why it matters for the farm: Every upgrade helps us work more efficiently and safely. Better layouts reduce double-handling, new equipment means jobs get done faster, and overall, we’re able to dedicate more of our time to caring for the trees themselves.
What this means for you: Reliable infrastructure is critical for a reliable supply. These improvements ensure that we can scale up, deliver orders on time, and maintain consistent quality of every tree, regardless of the project's size.
Potting up the next generation
The nursery itself has been just as busy. Winter has been a season of potting up young stock into larger containers – a critical step in their growth journey.
This year we’ve worked with a broad mix of species.
On the native side, we’ve been potting up Eucalyptus species like camaldulensis, melliodora, polyanthemos, leucoxylon connata, pauciflora, and viminalis, along with acacias, allocasuarinas, banksias, and callistemons.
On the exotic side, we’ve been handling Pyrus calleryana, elms, ash, acers, melias, oaks, birches, calodendrons, lagerstroemias, and more.
Some species come into 200mm pots, others are bare-root stock, and their timelines vary — anywhere from three to twelve months before they’re ready for the next stage. We also took special care with our grafted trees, Corymbia citriodora Scentuous and Baby Citrio, which are progressing beautifully.
Why it matters for the farm: Potting at the right time gives trees the space they need to develop strong roots and a solid structure. Managing natives and exotics differently — from 200mm pots or bare-root — means each species gets the right treatment for steady growth.
What this means for you: By the time these trees reach advanced sizes, they’ll have had the best possible start. That means sturdier specimens, better survival rates, and trees that are ready to perform as soon as they’re in the ground for your project.
Looking ahead to spring and summer
Winter might be a time when the paddocks look bare and the days are short, but we’ve made real progress this season. We’ve built new growing areas and installed the systems that will keep them running, upgraded our infrastructure, and potted up the next wave of trees that will fill projects in the years ahead.
All of this preparation gives us confidence as we head into spring and summer. We know our stock is healthy and on track to meet the quality standards of councils, landscapers, and contractors across Victoria and beyond.
If you’d like to see what’s ready now, take a look at our current stocklist. And if you’re planning ahead, please get in touch with us to discuss advanced stock availability, contract growing, or tailored support for your next project.
Download our current stocklist or get in touch to learn more about advanced stock availability, contract growing or landscape support.
