Field Growing

[Chris Di Nola]

Hi all

Thought I would share with you all some pics of field stock that a mate & I are growing. Been in the ground now about 5 years now & have been lifting trees out for about the last 3 years. We where luck to find a friend of a friend who was happy to give us the space & all for free.
We have a little help on the pruning from the locals as seen in the photos however I think some of the JBP are suffering from equine influenza (horse Flu)
If anyone has some tips on keeping the weeds down without using poison, I would be interested to here them.
By the way water restrictions started the month after we put the first trees in so everything was a little slow to get going.

Cheers
Skip

[Steven]

Nice patch of garden there Skip. Is that where my elm came from?

If anyone has some tips on keeping the weeds down without using poison, I would be interested to here them.

Get hold of some felt carpet underlay and cover the ground around them. Water penetrates it and it also acts as a compost. Should last 18 months or so before it breaks down.
Regards,
Steven

[Asus101]

What plants you got in there?

Some nice stuff what ever it is.

Oh on weeds, if you can fence it up completely, guinea pigs are good.
there looks like enough cover from the plants to stay safe from predators, just dig the wire down a little into the ground to help stop foxes.

[anttal63]

good for you guys skip! well done. dont forget to send me some jbp seeds

[DavidN]

Great work, Skip. You are going have some great material to play with over the years. Will you be starting to lift any of these soon as some of them look almost ready, unless you are trying to grow some massive trunks. Love the trident.

DavidN

[teejay]

Awesome Skip! I'm particularly interested in this because I'm set to do the same soon, albeit on a larger scale. My old man has a large property of cleared land and we're setting up rows of field grown bonsai. Mainly doing Trident maples (the tiny leafed variety. Ordered from the states, very impressive!), Japanese maples and assorted natives.

I can't wait for harvest time! A long wait though.

[Chris Di Nola]

Hi All

Steve, that elm was grown at my place if I remember correctly under the kitchen window, thank for the tip on the felt, if anyone know where to get some cheap, let me know.
Asus, I got all sorts of stuff growing, Radiatas, JBP, Junipers, 4 types of elm, Cork Oak, Zelkova, Tridents 2 types of pyrocantha, Ficus retusa, ash, Bougainvillea, parodia & a few others. Some of the species we put in didn’t do to well due to frost & drought, we lost about 25% in the first year but still happy with what’s left, we have learnt allot & will do a few thing a little different next planting.
Tony, I collected all the cones the same day I took these pics so I should have some when they dry out, but you have to visit me to get them, call it blackmail .
Davidn, we have been lifting trees out at varying stages for about the last 3 years so we get varying stock & what we leave in the ground then has a little more room to grow.
Teejay if Bougainvillea grows in your area, may I suggest that you plant the species called smarty pants it has a small leaf & purple flowers, I regret I didn’t put more in when we started, they grow really well in dry conditions & people always want to buy them, just make sure that you cut out all the straight long growth once or twice a year.

[kcpoole]

Very nice Skip

Ray nesci uses Newspaper as a ground cover to stop weeds. Just leaves 'em folded, and lays them on the ground around the trees. Works good a they will decompose over time. As they are left folded over, they do not blow away.

Thy act as a mulch to cut down watering needs, and cost nothing

[Asus101]

I have two ground grown zelkova's, though sadly the owner had a number of years where he was unable to lift the tree's.