12 “In the same way, we can also hold plants at late notice, whereas from interstate they may have arrived and not been able to be planted.” The main selling period for the nursery is from November through to May, while in the months between the family also is busy growing their own celery crops. The nursery sources high quality vegetable seeds and seedlings can be ready for growers from about two weeks later for coriander and out to 10 weeks for leeks. Over the years, they have tried different potting mixes in the seedling trays, including peat moss, however pine bark has proved to offer the best ability to control the seedlings under the nursery conditions. The Guidottos undertake soil tests to monitor pH and once the seedling trays have been in the nursery for a day or two, they fertigate them with Haifa’s high quality Poly-Feed NPK fertiliser (19-19-19), sourced through Elders at Virginia, where the family has worked closely with Justin Nicol. Gino’s Nursery always striving to set up best vegie crops for growers THE Guidotto family’s Gino’s Nursery has become an institution in the vegetable crop industry throughout the Adelaide and surrounding areas and it is always seeking ways to ensure growers can plant the best seedlings to maximise their production. The nursery originally supplied seedlings of mainly iceberg lettuce before the brassica field crop range expanded to also include cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, cos lettuce, celery and leeks, while it also offers some hydroponic crop lines. The family has been steeped in the industry, with Gino’s father working on farms before he continued the lineage from 15 years of age, later developed the nursery under a partnership arrangement and then diversified with the business. Today, the business is a full family affair, with Gino’s sons, Ben and Fabian, taking the reins, while Gino’s brother also spends four days per week at the nursery and a nephew is assisting the operation as well. Being based locally always has been a key strength for the business over interstate suppliers. “There are a lot of advantages from us being local. A grower can ring up and we will have plants ready for them in 10 minutes. It could help them quickly get in and plant before rains come,” Ben said. “We have been using Poly-Feed for 20 years,” Ben said. “We previously used another brand of crystalline fertiliser, which was good, but it’s not as good as Poly-Feed. We had to use more of it compared with the Poly-Feed, even though the nutrient ratios were similar. “Haifa’s quality potassium nitrate provides for the higher quality.” The seedlings are irrigated every day using good quality bore water and are fertigated every second to third day. “Our standard feed is 500 grams of Poly-Feed per 400 square metres, equating to about 12 kilograms per hectare. We may need a double application at times,’’ Ben said. “We also could have three foliar applications of Poly Feed that might be applied with other trace element foliar products. “We do leaf testing once a month and we also do our own blends on the property with Poly-Feed. It’s all been compatible. We use a calcium chelate, zinc chelate as well as iron, magnesium and boron. “For lettuce seedlings over a six-week period, we are applying about 12.5kg of Poly-Feed per 400m2. “Different to the past, we now start slowly with the Poly-Feed early and ramp it up as the seedlings go out to the paddock, so it provides a good boost for growers. “They are not stalling when they get into the paddock and we can get them out a week earlier, so we are almost getting another seedling crop into the year.’’ Ben said they enjoyed and highly valued their family approach to the nursery business and they continued to receive fantastic feedback from local growers. “Growers appreciate the flexibility of supply to suit their programs and they say the plants are the best they have ever had,’’ he said. 13 Ben, Gino and Fabian Guidotto look over some of the finished broccoli seedlings from Gino’s Nursery at Virginia in SA with Haifa Australia Southern Agronomist Sheri Robinson. Ben takes Sheri through the family’s fertiliser applications and system used in the irrigation pump shed at Gino’s Nursery in Virginia SA. Pictured shows the excellent root development of the broccoli seedlings following fertigation with high quality fertilisers. Justin Nicol, Elders Virginia in SA, Sheri and Ben chat on the early growth stages of the broccoli seedlings. Click for further info Poly-Feed
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