AusBonsai

I've just bought my first natives (I don't count figs - they're weeds) - 5 $1 mulga tubes, rejects from Forestry. Small grey needle-like leaves, bit of texture on young trunks - seemed like a good idea.

I'm assuming a free-draining mix, cut back to the last few leaves before they shoot in spring and see what happens.

Two questions: can they be bare rooted, and can they be ground-grown? Has anyone tried them?

Gavin

Only just found this tonight
I have no idea but maybe a bump wil prompt someong who has tried them

I assume that ground growing will be no problem, and treat them the same as any other Acacia
Root prune in the warmer months after flowering and Trim back at the same time

Ken

Mulga tubes, first repot:

Branches were cut back to last two leaves, shot back well into last year's wood but not further. Half the root-ball chopped , repotted 50/50 diatomite and native mix, now powering on. The tube stock in ground (clay+spent potting mix) don't appear to be quite as keen to get going. Fertilising with Charlie Carp. I'll probably treat them much like junipers, and repot when the buds swell.

Leaves seem quite fine. The coarse bark on slender stock suggests that they should make interesting trees. I'm probably looking for a rough and twisty, spare form, not lush with pom-poms. They appear to be quite long-lived in the bush. Dubbo Forestry and a couple of others have tube stock on mail order.

Gavin

Nice bark
Seems to be cracking up quite young

Ken

Runs in the family,

G

Hi Gavin
Gerat to see mulga being tried as bonsai. Should do well. I've tried a couple other dry inland species and they responded well to bonsai treatment.

I found that adding calcium to the soil (eg garden lime) has been important for the inland species. Quite often they are growing on a layer of calcrete and seem to like the higher pH. It helps to keep them healthy green looking.

Roger

Thanks, Roger, I will test lime.

After the first surge of growth they've not done a lot, compared to mels, grevilleas and lepts. . They may just be slow growers, and my non-existent grandchildren will enjoy what I have started... The bark and leaf size should make an attractive tree at some stage.

Gavin

They are slow growing out where they grow naturally. I'd expect new shoots to extend quite well, though the trunk would thicken slowly. But you never know in pot culture till you try.

Root growth may be slow as it adapts to the new regime.

As for the non-exitent ones, it's always amazing what the dimensions of the extended family are ...

R

Update on a season's growth - they didn't do a lot until autumn, and then went steadily. Some thickening, and good texture. Big cut back, to get the skeleton started, and a slip-pot up a size. I'm not sure how the leaves will sit on the branches in a small tree, and I'm also not sure how they look in the wild. Another year, another bit further forward.

Gavin

Another season, another vicious hacking...

These grew well through the year, aided I think by lime that Roger recommended. This was one in June - it grew even further in the next three months.
Now both have been pruned hard. They continue to thicken well. I'm not so much "planning" as getting rid of anything ugly, and keeping possibilities.
I thought so much of these that I bought some tube stock by mail order. I got bit of a shock when I saw this at the ANBG a week ago - NO barking up at all!
It seems that there may be a LOT of seedling variation. I may end up taking cuttings from my barky ones this year...

Gavin

Hi Gavin

Any updates on your mulga?

Eddie