We've been in our home here for 18 years now, and when we moved in I said to myself "that banksia is in the wrong place" for various reasons. It was well established then but has never grown much , probably due to overwhelming competition from nearby palms and other larger plants. So a few months ago I air layered the top half of the trunk and last week finally cut it and planted it in a pot as it had produced some good roots into the sphagnum moss. Today I finished the job by digging out the bottom half of the trunk and planting it in a pot. It had a very thick tap root which I had to cut to get it out.
I thought it had a lot of fibrous roots as well, but on cleaning it up after digging it out I found that almost all the fibrous roots were from the surrounding plants . On the pics you can see that not much in the way of roots remains. Can anyone tell me if the tree has much of a chance of surviving with the tap root cut short and so few other roots? Any advice or opinions would be welcome.
Cheers, Frank.
Banksia Serrata dug from garden
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Banksia Serrata dug from garden
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Re: Banksia Serrata dug from garden
Hi Frank
I tried to recover 2 seratas last year dug out by a excavator but mine had a few more surface roots.
Despite my confidence of their survival neither of them are with me today.
Hope you have better luck
I tried to recover 2 seratas last year dug out by a excavator but mine had a few more surface roots.
Despite my confidence of their survival neither of them are with me today.
Hope you have better luck
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Re: Banksia Serrata dug from garden
Post digging aftercare is the key.
I have dug a few native species and I have had my best success if I sit the pot that the newly dug tree is in is placed in a saucer of water for about four weeks. I have about 80% success rate with that method.
I have dug a few native species and I have had my best success if I sit the pot that the newly dug tree is in is placed in a saucer of water for about four weeks. I have about 80% success rate with that method.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Banksia Serrata dug from garden
I've dug a few Banksia marginata from our garden and all have survived. In my experience banksias can survive really radical root reduction and I think this one seems to have enough roots to get through. I normally wait for warmer weather before root pruning banksias and other natives but I expect it is far warmer up there at this time of year so probably a good time for you.
My aftercare consists of potting up into my standard mix, water in then put the tree on the ground under the bench in the nursery. I expect that position maintains constant soil moisture equivalent to Watto's saucer method.
Good luck with this one. Banksias are great to work with as bonsai.
My aftercare consists of potting up into my standard mix, water in then put the tree on the ground under the bench in the nursery. I expect that position maintains constant soil moisture equivalent to Watto's saucer method.
Good luck with this one. Banksias are great to work with as bonsai.
http://shibuibonsai.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;