A mixed bag of natives

[alpineart]

These were started as tube stock then planted into a grow bed for 2 years dug up root pruned and into planter bags for a couple of years

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, estimating them at around 5 years .definitely need some wiring and refinement but they are alive and kicking . there is a few out there in this vast country that were sold but I'm yet to see a topic on them ..

Cheers Ian

[alpineart]

A couple of the older potted ones

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I cut the Pink Iron Bark back real hard to see if it back buds . I need some more shoots to work with .

Cheers Ian

[alpineart]

This has burst into life after a fertilizer change here .

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Its the only thing I can think of as in the past it hasn't back budded to this extent even with an extreme chop , hence the lack of ramification .

The only other change has been the wetter than normal weather { global warming }

I have removed 60% of the multiple shoots leaving just a single branch to grow on and will wire them as they harder up . I hit this and all the other trees with a liquid fertilizer of a different NPK yesterday so I will see if the good growth continues .

[KIRKY]

Great back budding on this one. I think the extra rain has made a big difference to trees this season.
Fertiliser never hurts though, still great result.
Cheers
Kirky

[alpineart]

Hi Kirky , for the life of me I cant fathom why it hasn't back budded in the past . While this was a severe cut back it has had similar in the past few years with very poor results .

It was re-poted into a new mix a couple of months ago or It could be the threat of a blow torch to burn/scorch the upper trunk which was seriously considered .

More than happy with the past 4 weeks of growth , can only get better from here on .

I have another trunk that was 2.5 metres high last week , I have cut it down to 45cm unfortunately it wasn't planned to be removed and has very little taper but good movement . I just need to dig it out and pot it up .

Didn't take any pics prior to chopping but will add a pic or two when it's time to dig , maybe first sign of sprouting

Cheers Ian .

[legoman_iac]

Ian, these are all great! I've just started my native journey, with a bunch of the stock. Still in pots at the moment, so now thinking I should find a grow bed.

Is there anything you would have done different? Curious too, what liquid fert are you using now?

- Daniel

[Jan]

Ian, these are all great! I've just started my native journey, with a bunch of the stock. Still in pots at the moment, so now thinking I should find a grow bed.

Is there anything you would have done different? Curious too, what liquid fert are you using now?

- Daniel

Very interested in your Pink Flowering Iron Bark progress - just started with a small one here so I would be most interested in the fertiliser you are now using and any other tips. Always happy to learn from other growers experience.

Thanks,

Jan

[alpineart]

Hi Daniel and Jan , not much different to growing a good trident maple in a grow bag or grow bed
Wire as tube stock if you get them that small .

Remove 50% of the roots and spread out

Plant into 20 litre planter bags rolled down to around 15 cm , that makes for a 35cm squat pot which is more than enough room to grow material like this .these can be rotated unlike a grow bed . Place the bags into a wet bed , haven't got one simple grab a bit of black plastic and with 4 pieces of timber simply make a square or rectangle and lay the plastic into the box type frame up over the sides and you have a wet bed . Add sand approx' 5cm deep this will stop the mozzies and help regulate the water intake .Remember if using a wet bed hold back on the ferts as it accumulates/multiplies in strength if 10 separate plants are fertilized individually

If growing in a grow bed slip a piece of black plastic or similar 40cm round /square under each plant making a saucer shape 1-1.5cm deep to hold a bit of water then plant the plant into this using an open mix of virtually anything sandy loam , garden bed soil , bonsai mix .

Rustica Plus was the fert I used Very high in NPK around 17-8-14 from memory Changed to Campbells gold commercial 17 -0-12 again from memory 4 weeks ago . Both have worked on all material here but Rustica is my tried and tested fert for all plants here . Both have trace elements however the gold has burnt my tridents and crab apples at the same rate as rustica .

Don't let them dry out ,I haven't been able to over water them , as they grow they drink like fish out of water . Watch the growth and for branch thickening , I didn't monitor close enough hence a few very thick lower branches . .

I have used power feed "Green bottle" in the past {monthly} but not regularly , no other ferts have been used . Gold and Rustica are compound slow release ferts .
I have just hit all the trees here with Manutec Orchid Food NPK 18-8 16 approx' its a soluble .From memory I used native food on all the natives including my gardens and found very little effect.Callistermon , Kangaroo Paws and these trainers including the Pink Iron barks in the ground . I used up the last bag of Rustica on everything here in early Spring and the Natives have flowered with increased density and growth .

The new mix is this NZ volcanic clay clay

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and 10mm minus aged pine bark collected from the plantations here . I did wash and sieve the old mix and added this 50/50 blend to it .I didn't sieve the cat litter as 15 bags were around 4-10mm nice clean material however 3 bags were 1-10mm with more fines than course but it all went into re-potting . .

Hope this helps , good luck with the natives .

Cheers Ian

[alpineart]

Back in growing mode ,

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the wiring is rough and ready as its a bit hard to wire trunks with 1 hand and 2 feet .# of these could be cut down to shohin making for better material but that's just 1 option .

This is the Pink Flowering Ironbark trunk that will be dug out as it is growing under a rock retaining wall .

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I might just get out there now and have a go at digging it out can only kill it , worst case scenario

[Jan]

Thanks for the information.

The plant I bought is only a seedling in a tiny pot. I'll aim for shohin size or similar to suit space available, and my future lifting ability .

I've been trialling water-well hanging baskets (I had some old ones) for growing on so one of these will meet the "Don't let them dry out, I haven't been able to over water them, as they grow they drink like fish out of water", instruction.

I have some Manutec Orchid Food and will look into getting some Rustica Plus or Campbells gold commercial in my area (Southern Tablelands, NSW). I suspect I have not been using enough fert. on the natives to date. I should be able to find some 20 litre planter bags locally.

Best of luck with the "dig",

Thanks,

Jan.

[alpineart]

HI Jan , I have grown plenty of material over the last 30 years and have found that with the right attitude anything is possible .

My grow beds started life as shale and heavy red clay , some garden beds here are still the same with a bit of humus added over the years .

Plants will grow in anything as long as they don't get too wet or too dry .The better the mix be it bed or bag the better the growth for sure . All my potted material is in the same mix and watered the same on a daily basis . Every plant here was re-potted in a matter of weeks bare rooted washed the root mass , root pruned and potted into a new mix of Cat litter and aged pine bark .The old mix was washed out sieved and added to the new mix but all in all its a new mix .No dead trees yet from these methods , probably killed a trunk or too being heavy handed with a root prune .

In Spring everything is fertilized with the same fertilizer be it native , evergreen , deciduous , conifer and collected material . It works here in my climate with my neglect or care as does trimming , re-potting , grafting and growing .

I dont follow a timetable when a plant needs a feed I give it one if I remember , water when needed and that's daily except when temps get over 30 degree then its 2 to 3 times a day depending on the heat , If I don't they will die .
There are better times to do things like trimming , collecting , wiring , but if I think something needs doing I do it .Some might disagree , actually most bonsai people would disagree however if it works "do it"
The Rustica and Gold are available at farm co-op's not too sure where else it is sold as I purchase it in 20kg bags . If you cant find it any fert with a high NPK should do it .
Definately trial those self watering pots , I haven't, but anything different is worth a trial it's how I learnt and I'm still learning how .

All the best .

Cheers Ian

[PWC]

Hi Ian,
When you repot what ratio of Cat litter and aged pine bark are you using? Do you use pine bark for any other reason than availability, obviously the ratio would need to be adjusted to suit location and different climate. I have over 10 cubic meters of wood chips most likely of mixed varieties, not sure as it was on the property before I got here. I have used it as mulch for fruit trees in the past but didn't consider it for Bonsai mix. I could trial it with cat litter and see how it goes, being in south Qld may require a higher ratio of the bark for water retention.

[alpineart]

Hi PWC the ratio is 50%pine bark sieved trough a 10mm sieve and 50% cat litter un-sieved that is the new blend

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.Pic 1 is 50-50 + 10% of the old mix , Pic 2 is 50-50 new mix with 50% old mix which was the same pine bark and scoria plus diatomite add for weight loss , Diatomite did nothing for the plant growth or water retention in my book . Most of the diatomite was wash out over the last couple of years .
Pic 3 is the new blend of 50% pine bark sieved through a 10mm sieve and %50 cat litter, NZ volcanic clay .
The only reason I have change the mix is Beveridge scoria 10mm minus is no longer available and all the other scoria's within 250km have far too much salt content .
The old blend was washed of the fines and mud every year with fresh 10 pine bark added to the cleaned scoria mix .I'm hoping i can do the same with the cat litter pine bark mix . .
I wouldn't use garden mulch euca' mulch you will end up with more bacteria fungal growth than you could imagine the PH levels would also be hard to regulate .
I have read here where various people now use pine nuggets but I have a good supply of aged pine bark in the plantations hence I use it with good success . I have found the pine bark hold a surprising amount of moisture , that needs to be determined by the individual and his or her climate .
Hard red or Black scoria is like marble and wont hold water it needs to be the soft red material .

It not soft as in it will break down it just its like glass , its very porous lighter in weight and absorbs as good as diatomite but much quicker . Y
es I have tested the water weight after a watering and again after soaking . in my opinion the soft red scoria from beveridge is better than diatomite but unfortunately it a lot heavier .

I have used scoria for close to 20 years now , this cat litter is a weight saving and water retaining aid for this old bloke . The cat litter was tested by a couple of fellow who give me the heads up , I didn't test it as their word was good enough for me so I through cation to the wind and potted everything in it .

Hope this helps .

Cheers Ian

[alpineart]

into action yesterday and sorted these out .The neglected Pot plants were removed from there plastic root bound pots , root pruned by 70% with a hand saw then raked out and potted into bonsai pots

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The Pink iron bark was dug , bugger all roots to speak of but potted up and soaked I did soak prior to digging however the ground was water repellant under the trunk

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. The pics appear squat for some reason must be in the camera settings .

I will have to sort that issue out .

Cheers Ian

[PWC]

I appreciate the feedback from your experience, I am using the cat litter at about 30% with standard potting mix in some of my stock but not uniformly and this does require closer attention when watering as they do dry out quicker than others.

Thanks for your reply.