Banksia Spinulosa Bonsai

[marleeney]

Hi all has anyone ever bonsaied a banksia birthday candles. I have a lovely one here but do not know if it would make a successful bonsai
Many thanks
Marleeney

[Elias]

Hi Marleeney,

Weird I just purchased once of these yesterday, in an 8" pot I will be working on it in Late November as its getting a bit cold in Melbourne.
I'm really getting into Banksias, I recently saw on ABC a gentleman who had some beatiful Banksias and Proteas obvbiously not for Bonsai but really beautiful plants nonetheless, and I will try work with a few other varieties this summer...
Good luck!!

Elias

[marleeney]

Thanks Elias we will have to keep notes for one another! I have no knowledge of them as a bonsai. I bought one today which is pretty large and do not want to kill it!! Is it best to work in the warmer months on it? I have some Serratas which I love and they seem to work well but the birthday candle is another story. Please let me know how it goes. I will take your advice and begin work in the warmer months although it is nice up here in Sydney at the moment.
Many thanks
Marleeney

[Kunzea]

Hi Marleeney
Great to hear that you are trying Banksia 'Birthday Candles' as bonsai. They can make a great bonsai.

I've one specimen that is about 14 years old. It has flowered well last year and is in full bloom right now.

It has been in a bonsai pot for most of its life and the trunk is not massive, but then the species is really a small shrub in nature, so large trunks are not be expected. 'Birthday Candles' comes from a selection of the coastal form where the low growing habit can be found near coastal cliffs. These coastal forms can be lignotuberous, though I've seen no hint of shooting from the base in mine. The height is around 350 mm, so the smaller trunk diameter is not really a problem.

I have not seen it shoot back readily on old wood. I'll have to check my notes to see if I have ever recorded it for this plant. I cerainly am worried about this every time I prune it. I've always pruned it back to a few green leaves. This has managed to keep it pretty much the same size thoughout most of its 'mature' life.

I've taken to more regularly fertilising my trees these past few years, and low and behold the plants look much better. Strange that! But seriously, I'm sure it has been the main reason why I'm getting good flowering now. In the early days, when I used a misting watering system, I never had flowers on banksias. Then when I changed to variable flow drippers, I suddenly started to get a few flowers. I put this down to the fact that the misting system really wasn't getting most of the root ball wet, whereas the drippers did this very effectively. Now with water and fertiliser in hand, the results are good. These days I use Charlie Carp, Maxicrop, various seaweed mixtures, occassionally Osmocote. I used to always use at 1/2 strength, but now it is closer to 80% to 100% full strength, and no problems. One does need a bit of care with banksias and others in that family, as they can be set back if not killed by sudden doses of phosphorous when they have not been having that regimen in the past. So be careful.

Just in case you don't know, and my apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but if you want flowers on banksias, then you have to adjust what might be your standard pruning system. Banksia flowers are produced at the ENDS of branches (from 'terminal buds'). If you carefully tip prune to get a nice compact shape, then you will not get flowers, except where you missed pruning a branch. Flowers develop from last year's apical buds, or sometimes from such buds that are several years old. New branches form around the base of these terminal buds. The end result is that your 'style' for a flowering banksia may be rather 'freer' in mood, a bit larger in size, more open than would be the case if you prune regularly to produce compact 'pads' of foliage.

If I can get the time and be organised enough, I'll try to post a picture. Now that would be a first!

Cheers
Kunzea