AusBonsai

One of my Managers is cleaning out his front courtyard. He has 5 Lilly Pillys to come out. Are there any tricks to collecting these? They stand around 1.5m tall, straight trunks but nice girth, about the size of an aluminium can. I have told him to lop the tops off, and leave me about 500-700mm to work with. I will be digging these on Sunday morning. Any advice will be gratly appreciated

I am by no means knowledgeable on this, but when I dug mine out I found the roots very brittle and broke off easily. So be gentle with the roots, although perhaps mine just wasn't in very good health at the time... It's still alive though!

Yes again very careful on the roots but I am bound to ask why and if you have the patience/ time.
At 5-700mm and straight trucked it will be many years before these can offer any taper to look like a tree, not saying don't do it, just be prepared for a long haul
Watty

I recall Koreshoff books saying to re-pot Lilly Pilly anytime between a growth spurt.
Considering that LP's almost seem to be eternally growing this advise has never really been much help to me.
(And now likely you too!).

Boics wrote:I recall Koreshoff books saying to re-pot Lilly Pilly anytime between a growth spurt.
Considering that LP's almost seem to be eternally growing this advise has never really been much help to me.
(And now likely you too!).

. I have the same book, and you made that sound funny, but I have definitely noticed a dormant period with them though. They should be growing now, so probably not the perfect timing, but what have you got to lose.

After reading Koreshoff I was always waiting for the elusive time between growth spurts as well.
I now root prune natives any time during warmer season whether they are growing or not and that does not seem to be a problem.

Just because something was published does not make it right or the only possible solution.