Five assorted natives

[BirchMan]

Hi all,

A couple weekends ago I picked up five different needly leaved myrtles from the Kings Park sale.

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Just thinking the Kunzea ciliataa looks ready for a bigger pot - with temps in the high 20s pushing into the 30s next week is it still ok to repot? Will wire a little at the same time.

[melbrackstone]

I'd pot on the Kunzea definitely. Spread the roots out to give it a good start.

[BirchMan]

Thanks mel, consider it done.

[Rory]

Strong heat has never been an issue for me with repotting natives. I've done them in high 30's with no issue. Pushing 40 too.

The main problem is not letting the roots dry out. Just keep the roots wet and you shouldn't have a problem.
Don't let the mix dry out for a month afterwards (not continually saturated, but just don't let it get bone dry).

Repotting in high temps kills natives, is a myth.
Yes, the new foliage will struggle obviously, but if you do it right, you shouldn't have a problem with most natives.

I don't place them into shade afterwards either. Rambo.... Rambo.

The only problems I sometimes have is if a native has really new foliage, like a few days old.... those might die off... but they tend to die off no matter if the temp is average or high anyway. Really new foliage usually doesn't do so well after a repot.

[shibui]

My experience is the same as Rory. I have occasionally lost a native after repotting but probably not due to timing or heat as the vast majority have grown well after severe root pruning, sometimes just before a week of 40C

[BirchMan]

Yep as I thought. I've also taken on an approach of watering using the 'flood' mode on my hose (if I don't use rainwater with a 9L can) whereby it rapidly floods through and out the bottom with great results. So they definitely won't dry out this summer.

[Mickeyjaytee]

Nice plants mate I went again this year but, got there a little late and the line was phenomenal. Always next year. Love the friends of kings park sales and rare west Aussie natives they have. Keep us posted on how they go!

[GavinG]

Yep, they're all nothing I recognise from the East Coast - I will be interested to see how they shape up, year by year. The small-leaved natives can give a lot of very fine detail in a small tree, compared to, say, a trident or a juni. Good score, please keep posting them.

Gavin

[BirchMan]

Nice plants mate I went again this year but, got there a little late and the line was phenomenal. Always next year. Love the friends of kings park sales and rare west Aussie natives they have. Keep us posted on how they go!

Will do Mickey. I actually set a reminder on my phone haha.

[BirchMan]

Yep, they're all nothing I recognise from the East Coast - I will be interested to see how they shape up, year by year. The small-leaved natives can give a lot of very fine detail in a small tree, compared to, say, a trident or a juni. Good score, please keep posting them.

Gavin

I’m realising now as a bonsai practitioner scale is everything to me. If one of my plants has too coarse branches or too big leaves i get the urge to move it on.