Growing Rotary Christmas Trees - Bellbridge Lake Hume RC - These people grow the trees you buy for your homes
Our guest speakers, Trevor Jenner and Reg Hinton, are both long term Rotarians and now members of Bellbridge Lake Hume. Their club meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Thurgoona Country Club Resort at 6.30pm. There are 13 active and 2 honorary members, and the President is John Parry.
On 15 October the club will celebrate 40 years since being chartered. Its community service activities and projects include the Australia Day Breakfast, the Bellbridge Foreshore Walking Track 2 km in length (now maintained by the local council), Carols by Candlelight, Year 6 awards at 2 local primary schools and of course the Christmas Tree Plantation.
Right: L to R Trevor Jenner, John Wood, Reg Hinton & Alan Sharp
Charter member Austin Elliott originally provided the land 25 years ago, when the project commenced. Now the Christmas trees are grown on 2.5 acres, situated near Bethanga village, on land generously provided by charter member and farmer, Bob Martin.
To quote our speakers, “Managing the trees is a challenge.” Changes in the weather, drought, water logging from a subterranean spring and variations in the community’s economic circumstances are all unforeseeable changes to be addressed. It's a process of refinement, continuous improvement and innovation as you’ll see exemplified in the facts and figures below:
❖ Rotarians plant in autumn between three to five hundred trees a year, with five to thirty percent wastage or loss depending on conditions. The trees are placed 1.5 metres apart in rows, with a 3 metre alleyway to allow for mowing and access using the club’s recently purchased second hand tractor.
❖ It takes around about three to five years to take a tree from a seedling to a saleable item. They grow quite loose and straggly and need shaping into the form suitable for our lounge rooms. From using secateurs, a slow and laborious method, Rotarians now use very sharp knives, like swords.
❖ To drought-proof the trees, drip irrigation is now available, as Bob Martin allows the club to tap into the water from a big tank he has had installed on top of the hill for farm and domestic purposes.
❖ Tree guards stop the hares nibbling the seedlings. The soil is very good quality so fertiliser tablets are seldom required. Weed control is managed using Reg’s expertise.
❖ From manual lifting, the loading process has been refined using Bob’s equipment to lift multiple trees onto trucks or trailers.
❖ Fellowship and sharing smoko together at the working bees the first Sunday of the month is an integral part of this project. But the rewards are worth it, as you all see when people come and buy the trees.