Reducing flowers

[Pup]

G,day guys been absent for a couple days other than browsing. Health has not been nice so sit for 5 then back to bed. Today is better so I have done some pottering around and saw this.

Thought who said flowers do not reduce. This is the standard Callistemon x Captain Cook bottle brush. The top part of the large tree. (Which by the way is for sale if any one is interested PM me. )

Any way as you can see that the struck cutting, from the top of this tree is a nice Shohin with a nice size flower. I am as surprised as any one.

Cheers Pup

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[Pup]

I wont bight if you make a comment promise.

[stymie]

Thought who said flowers do not reduce.

Probably me Derek but I'm a long way away and have no fear of your bite.

[Bougy Fan]

Hey Pup sorry to hear about you health woes. I had no idea the flowers would reduce. I am guessing you have not "done" anything to make them reduce ?

[Bretts]

Hey Pup
I heard this agian the other day and it had me wondering agian. Not long after I started doing bonsai I had some Pansie accent plants and I noticed the flowers had reduced alot when I grew them in small pots. So I thought that flowers not reducing was a myth but was wondering the other day if maybe only certian plants flowers will reduce?

[Jarrod]

I always thought these were groups of little flowers, and what you have is a small group, rather then a large one?? Could this be the case?

[Jan]

Glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better; hope you continue to improve. What a nice surprise to discover the reduced flower on this little one.

I don't imagine that this is the first cutting you've taken from the top of a callistemon, Pup, so that can't be the "trick" to flower reduction. Whatever happened a flower that size looks perfect on the shohin.

I was hopeful re learning how to reduce a flower, still, the Callistemon sieberi subsp. polystachyum, (that I'm waiting for signs of new growth on - I'm watching them like a child waiting for Christmas), already have a small flower in shades of cream with a pink blush, so they will go well with the plant size.

Always looking to learn, that's why I'm here,

Jan

[Pup]

I always thought these were groups of little flowers, and what you have is a small group, rather then a large one?? Could this be the case?

Jarrod, I think you might be right there, as this is the first time this has flowered. But it is a lot smaller than the normal flower. So I am hoping by the reduced size, and nutrient supply to the plant has helped this reduce.

As we are still learning much from our natives, I have noticed this on trees that have been reduced to around the 40=50 cm the flowers are some what smaller.

I have also noticed that the street trees where I walk Pup, in the mornings the flowers are larger than mine on the mother tree, by at least 1third.

So I will be watching future flowerings with interest.

Cheers Pup

Ps thanks for the well wishes guys much appreciated, just bronchitis anti's are starting to kick in now.

[LLK]

Jarrod wrote:
I always thought these were groups of little flowers, and what you have is a small group, rather then a large one?? Could this be the case?

That's it. Flowers don't reduce, but inflorescences do. According to the dictionary, an inflorescence is the "flowering part of plant: a flowering structure that consists of more than one flower and usually comprises distinct individual flowers " I've also noticed it on the crepe myrtle and the Buddleia, when these are grown as bonsai. Mind you, I don't have any explanation for Brett's reduction of pansies! Are you sure they weren't violas, Brett? It would be nice to see photos of the pansies in the ground and in small pots, so we can compare.
Did you catch that bl..dy virus while you were in the East, Pup? It's doing the rounds here. Hope you feel better soon.

Lisa

[dennismc]

Hi Pup

Hope you are feeling better.

When trees have multi unit flower heads, especially brush type flower heads, their reaction to being restricted in either a pot or in nature for that matter is to reduce the number of individual flowers in the head. With any luck by as much as 75%. This is very convenient for bonsai.

The size of the individual flowers will generally remain the same, it not being a good idea for the plant to interfere with the reproductive cycle.

regards
Dennis Mc

[bonscythe]

Jarrod wrote:
I always thought these were groups of little flowers, and what you have is a small group, rather then a large one?? Could this be the case?

That's it. Flowers don't reduce, but inflorescences do. According to the dictionary, an inflorescence is the "flowering part of plant: a flowering structure that consists of more than one flower and usually comprises distinct individual flowers "
Lisa

Very interesting, makes perfect sense too!
Got me wondering now if anyone has noticed a Banksia reduce it's inflorescences in size due to bonsai techniques?
It would be awesome to see some small Banksia cones (infructescences).
Great thread..

[Bougy Fan]

Speaking of callistemon flowers what do you do with them when they are past their best ? Is it advisable to remove the dead flowers or can they be left ?

[Pup]

Speaking of callistemon flowers what do you do with them when they are past their best ? Is it advisable to remove the dead flowers or can they be left ?

G,day mate if you wish for a compact tree, it is best to cut back behind the finished flower. This stops it from setting seed, and keeps the tree in shape, so in March I can give it another prune so to get a better flowering.
Callistemons flower on new growth so to keep the tree compact and a nice shape this what I do.

There are a couple of threads here in the Natives section showing what I do.
Cheers Pup

[Pup]

Its been a while now but the inflorescence, on this lttle tree which is 25cm high have reduced this is acutting I struck from one of my other Callistemons. These pics were taken about an hour ago.
As you can see they are somewhat smaller, than normal.

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Looking at the infloresence on the street trees, and these as Bonsai mine have reduced. Quite well so it is possible

Cheers Pup