Lee W.
BOTANIC NAME
Babingtonia Virgata
COMMON NAME
Baeckea
NOTE
BACKGROUND
SUN
Full sun to late afternoon shade
TEMPERATURE
Grows robustly from 0 centigrade to an occasional day of 40 degrees BUT wants moist soil.
WATERING
A Baeckea is very thirsty! In a shallow pot it does better in a water tray. In a deeper training pot it is only necessary to keep the soil moist. However, one of my Baeckea went to a new home where the water tray was not used. The tree lost all its foliage, reoriented itself, grew a new lot and lives without a water tray.
TRAINING
I have rescued several severely neglected Baeckea, bare rooted each one, potted in very open, gravelly soil mix laced with Native Osmocote, waited several months for each tree to realise life was suddenly good and they each took off. It shoots back on old wood readily [tho not always where you need it to], easily develops padding and can be wired with no trouble as long as you watch the growth and remove before the wire cuts. To get foliage pads I hedge prune and finger comb the foliage.
FERTILISING
Native Osmocote at repotting and Charlie Carp through the season.
REPOTTING
Can take bare rooting and repotting can be done twice a year, spring and autumn. I use a gravelly open soil mix with great results.
PROPAGATION
They can be grown from cuttings in Autumn or from seeds in Spring but why would you bother when there are an absolute mass of them growing in Australia. I have had excellent success collecting tree's from the banks of rivers, private property and even the side of roads. (Permission should always be obtained from land owners).
PESTS OR DISEASES
I have had no trouble with pests and Baeckea.
COMMENTS
This tree is an easy grower, develops rapidly, has nicely textured bark and lovely foliage with the new growing tips red, greening up with maturity. It has small flowers in spring if not pruned too hard.
