Bottle Brush Pruning

[kcpoole]

When I take cuttings and cannot pot them up, I wrap the end in a paper towel and wet that.
My recent callistimon from steven I had wrapped till I go home then dropped into a bucket of water till the next night before potting up.

Keeps them fresh for a few hours at least. If longer then I will put in a plastic bag too.

I have take bougainvillea can hibiscus cutting from a trip to QLD and kept them for 3 days before being able to put them up.

Just recut the bottom before potting up but probaly not necessary.

Ken

[Elmar]

Wow, OK.
I have a few branches I can practice on …

Thanx Ken

[lackhand]

So I was just reading on Peter Tea's blog (which hasn't been updated in a sadly long time ) where he talked about sacrifice branches on a trident maple.

http://peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/201 ... ent-maple/

In that article, he mentioned that if you leave all the side branches on the sacrifice branch, the base will not thicken as quickly. He removed all side branches, leaving only the strongly growing tip.

Does this hold true for bottle brush too? I have one with a big fat sacrifice branch on it just kicking on for the year, but it's currently growing a bunch of side branches too. If the same logic holds, then I should take them off, but if not then it might be better to leave them. I know, trident maples are different than callistemon, which is my reason for asking. If anyone has any experience, I would love to hear it.

[Jason]

So I was just reading on Peter Tea's blog (which hasn't been updated in a sadly long time ) where he talked about sacrifice branches on a trident maple.

http://peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/201 ... ent-maple/

In that article, he mentioned that if you leave all the side branches on the sacrifice branch, the base will not thicken as quickly. He removed all side branches, leaving only the strongly growing tip.

Does this hold true for bottle brush too? I have one with a big fat sacrifice branch on it just kicking on for the year, but it's currently growing a bunch of side branches too. If the same logic holds, then I should take them off, but if not then it might be better to leave them. I know, trident maples are different than callistemon, which is my reason for asking. If anyone has any experience, I would love to hear it.

Good question, I'm curious about this too. Have a couple of tubestocks that I'm letting go nuts, but not sure how I should be treating the sacrifice braches either Very curious to hear the answer to this one

[GavinG]

As I understand it, the longer it grows the thicker it gets. There's a case for taking off side shoots (they take energy from the lengthening growth) and a case against it - (they increase activity in the branch, so thickening it up - so you'd keep them). I have no idea which is correct - the only way to find out would be to test one option against the other. It's an interesting point. Some trees, like Eucs, will keep making side shoots whatever you do, and cutting them off will just discourage growth in general. A test would be interesting.

Gavin

[Elmar]

...
Good question, I'm curious about this too. Have a couple of tubestocks that I'm letting go nuts, but not sure how I should be treating the sacrifice braches either Very curious to hear the answer to this one

Sounds like you're in the perfect place to experiment

...A test would be interesting.

[trident76]

Trees know what they are doing better than we do. Just let it grow...

[Jason]

...
Good question, I'm curious about this too. Have a couple of tubestocks that I'm letting go nuts, but not sure how I should be treating the sacrifice braches either Very curious to hear the answer to this one

Sounds like you're in the perfect place to experiment

...A test would be interesting.

All mine are different varieties of Callistemon's, so might not give the most consistent results. Will still give it a shot though, have two that are in a similar state at the moment

[Pup]

Like most trees the Callistemon is apical dominant, more so than a lot of trees so keeping it in check to keep the taper is important. I have found they to respond well to in ground growth very quick.
From tube stock to 10cm in 4 years. shaping as it grows.
Any thing in a pot is slow, in a shallow pot even slower. They also strike well from decent size cuttings, air layer well and also graft easily. If you leave a sacrifice branch on leave all the foliage, as you need to push energy to the trunk, after all that is what it is being used for.

This is my experience, in growing them, for 25+ years for what it is worth.

Cheers Pup

[Jason]

Like most trees the Callistemon is apical dominant, more so than a lot of trees so keeping it in check to keep the taper is important. I have found they to respond well to in ground growth very quick.
From tube stock to 10cm in 4 years. shaping as it grows.
Any thing in a pot is slow, in a shallow pot even slower. They also strike well from decent size cuttings, air layer well and also graft easily. If you leave a sacrifice branch on leave all the foliage, as you need to push energy to the trunk, after all that is what it is being used for.

This is my experience, in growing them, for 25+ years for what it is worth.

Cheers Pup

Thanks Pup, your experience is certainly worth a lot

So are you saying that if we're going to have a sacrifice branch, we should just let it go, and not trim that sacrifice branch in anyway?

Would love to put mine in the ground, but don't have the space have them in large nursery pots at the moment to give them a bit more room to grow. Am actually overdue in repotting them now that I think of it

[Pup]

. If you leave a sacrifice branch on leave all the foliage, as you need to push energy to the trunk, after all that is what it is being used for.

This is my experience, in growing them, for 25+ years for what it is worth.

Cheers Pup[/quote]

I think that is what I meant by this mate

[lackhand]

Like most trees the Callistemon is apical dominant, more so than a lot of trees so keeping it in check to keep the taper is important. I have found they to respond well to in ground growth very quick.
From tube stock to 10cm in 4 years. shaping as it grows.
Any thing in a pot is slow, in a shallow pot even slower. They also strike well from decent size cuttings, air layer well and also graft easily. If you leave a sacrifice branch on leave all the foliage, as you need to push energy to the trunk, after all that is what it is being used for.

This is my experience, in growing them, for 25+ years for what it is worth.

Cheers Pup

Thanks, Pup. Your input is much appreciated. I'll just let it grow then. With all your experience and great results too, I consider your advice on these priceless (which is why I asked here in the first place).

As I understand it, the longer it grows the thicker it gets. There's a case for taking off side shoots (they take energy from the lengthening growth) and a case against it - (they increase activity in the branch, so thickening it up - so you'd keep them). I have no idea which is correct - the only way to find out would be to test one option against the other. It's an interesting point. Some trees, like Eucs, will keep making side shoots whatever you do, and cutting them off will just discourage growth in general. A test would be interesting.

Gavin

Thanks, Gavin. I would love to do a test, but I don't have enough callistemon to try it out. Interesting point about the eucs though, and really this pretty much answers what I was curious about - Peter's method seems specific to tridents, and maybe other maples, but not generally applicable to all trees. I think one of the classic rookie mistakes is treating all trees the same.

[witchstreet]

This question is mainly directed at Mr Pup but I also know from this forum that Ray M uses it as well and other members might like to comment as well.
Now that Miracle Grow for Azaleas and Camellias is not available anymore (I cannot find it anyway) what is the fertilising regime now for Bottlebrushes.
I also find Phostrogen hard to find as well,what are the alternatives, would any high K fertiliser be OK that I use on my Native Orchids
THanks

[Pup]

This question is mainly directed at Mr Pup but I also know from this forum that Ray M uses it as well and other members might like to comment as well.
Now that Miracle Grow for Azaleas and Camellias is not available anymore (I cannot find it anyway) what is the fertilising regime now for Bottlebrushes.
I also find Phostrogen hard to find as well,what are the alternatives, would any high K fertiliser be OK that I use on my Native Orchids
THanks

Searles flourish, for all plants as they are a Queensland based company they have to put a sticker over the phosphate when it crosses the border.

It has the same NPK as Phostrogen and dissolves better than Yates product.
They have one for Tomatoes, Azaleas Camellias and the general purpose one. I buy mine from Masters, have not seen it in the big green shed.

Cheers Pup

[Paul W]

Hey Mr Pup is that the Searles Flourish for Native Plants 16N 0.5P 20K that we have over here in the east where it rains too much.