AusBonsai

Species: Melicytus dentata
Height: 250mm
Source: bottom paddock
Cost: free



This is a common bush growing around the Monaro region and sub alpine area to about 1500m in NSW. Air layer started in spring 2012 just started to send out roots.the plan is to remove it when the weather starts to warm up again.

No change here . I haven't checked the roots on the layer . It will be interesting to see if they last the winter. It's had some very heavy frosts on it and a bit of snow.

Snow shot

Chilly

This guy is flowering at the moment . The roots are still not developed enough to remove it . Hopefully when the weather warms up a bit more they will push on . A few more frosty mornings to go .

This guy has been giving me a bit of grief . The cambium layer has joined twice now and some animal (pretty sure it's bird) keeps ripping into it and pinching all the moss . It has roots but not enough to remove it . Hopefully I've animal proofed it ( lots of wire wrapped around it) . Next time I do this species I will tourniquet around the cut ends . I am getting a nice flare around the root base .
Cheers Craig

Not sure how much longer I'll keep this in the competition . I doubt it will have enough root to separate before the end date . It's been a couple of years now since I set the air layer and I'm confident that this year or next it will be ready to separate from the original bush . I will leave it in the comp for now because don't know what it will do . Anyway , wild night last night with more turbulence forecast over the next week .

Unfortunately this tree won't be in a pot for the finish so I'm going to withdraw it from the comp . I'm going to remove it from the mother plant probably in late November when the weather starts to warm up . It amazes me that after nearly 3 years that it still survives , it is actually starting to form flower buds again and the roots are numerous . The roots are quite fine and don't look thick and 'ropey' like they normally look on an airlayered plant . It's growing in the coldest part of the property and in winter it is in a shaded gully which can freeze for days on end due to no sun . I will update when it's in the pot .

Looks like its snowing on your parade Sno. Keep at it, its gotta be worth it.

Thanks for the encouragement Bohdi . So I ended up taking this one off last spring and by the end of summer it has started to push new growth . It took over 3 years and in the end it had very fine roots for a airlayer . Now to work out what to do with it . It is a weird thing with an unusual growth habit . First thing is to find a smaller pot .

Hi Sno,
I came across this thread for the first time today. Really enjoying the journey of this plant Although I am sure you wish things had happened quicker, it has made for a fascinating story and great photos. So different from my environment up here in Brisbane! Good to see a very different species being tried, too. Keep up the pics!

Missed the fine print . Current height is180mm

Thanks Red . This is quite an unusual species and I am enjoying the journey too .
Cheers Sno

This tree hasn't done much . I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it they take a long time to recover from pruning . I have to do something with the apex it's 'too heavy' ( in Regwacs words ) .
They flower in late October ,November so I'm hoping to try and show off that in the final photo . I took this photo yesterday afternoon it still has a bit of snow hanging around from recent snowfall .

Worked on the apex ,otherwise no change . It flowered and it still has a few fruit on it . The fruit is edible and it ripens early autumn when the fruit changes color from white to blue purple .