Conversation on Leptospermum

[Pearcy001]

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My only mature Lepto, "Mesmer Eyes", bought as something big and reduced over a number of years. I strip leaves off branches to stop it getting too thick and blobby. Great bark, blue-grey leaves with scarlet new tips, and thickens quite quickly. You need to get trunk shape in early. The flowers, like a number of Leptos, can be large and gaudy.

Loving the wild look of the Master Eyes Gavin!

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[terryb]

And make sure you trunk chop low early on. Some Leptos are really good at back budding, while others are a bit more prone to die-back. So choose your material well and try to keep as much branching on the material down low as possible, because inevitably as you develop the stock, you'll change your mind on the direction and wish you'd kept certain branches below etc etc.

@Rory and @Gavin, would be keen you hear your opinions/experience on how well L. rotundifolium back buds. I assume with all Leptos that you should leave some green behind when trunk chopping?

[Rory]

And make sure you trunk chop low early on. Some Leptos are really good at back budding, while others are a bit more prone to die-back. So choose your material well and try to keep as much branching on the material down low as possible, because inevitably as you develop the stock, you'll change your mind on the direction and wish you'd kept certain branches below etc etc.

@Rory and @Gavin, would be keen you hear your opinions/experience on how well L. rotundifolium back buds. I assume with all Leptos that you should leave some green behind when trunk chopping?

Gavin might know. My trials on this species were only on material 1 - 3 years old... so not old material. I would always leave green under the trunk chop if possible. As with all material I would only trunk chop if its very bushy and in excellent health, and in the strong-growing warmer months of late Spring.

[Gerard]

So many it is hard to remember without going for a look,
best developed are my
l. lanigerum
l. laevigatum
l. mesmer eyes
l. petersonii

[GavinG]

Still no damn photos...

I don't have experience with mature L. rotundifolium, and haven't really noticed back-budding after routine pruning back to the last few leaves. I assume most Leptos won't bud back reliably on old wood, and prune accordingly - occasionally there's a nice surprise, but nothing you can rely on systematically.

Rory, which Leptos back-bud reliably for you?

I'm wondering whether my "L. grandifolium" is actually a mislabelled L. lanigerum - certainly the grey-green leaf colour is right.

Generally, cut to interesting angles, and get rid of the boring bits. Wire early, if you must (but cutting gives crisper shapes). I believe, or suspect, that you can bend thicker branches a little easier in very hot weather - (around 38degC?) - it's worth giving it a try.

Gavin

[Rory]

Generally, cut to interesting angles, and get rid of the boring bits. Wire early, if you must (but cutting gives crisper shapes).

Yeah well said. I've not attempted to bend thick branches, meh.... I just cut them, and/or anchor them early. The growth you get from cutting branches is beautiful. You can usually tell the development from cutting to produce a more natural look as it .... just looks more natural.

Rory, which Leptos back-bud reliably for you?

With all Leptos, they need to be cut in the strong growing months, which for me I find is usually at the start through to late Spring, depending on the Lepto.

Disclaimer: You will not get backbudding on a Lepto if you trunk chop and remove root at the same time... thats when you get 'die-backbudding' ..... hahaha


Leptospermum flavescens cardwell, will back-bud directly at the point of the chop like clockwork. Its really hardy and grows like a weed... I always got mine to easily back-bud after a trunk chop, to the point that it would produce so much excess growth I would be continually trimming it.

Leptospermum scoparium 'pink cascade' usually backbuds very well.

Leptospermum brachyandrum is hit and miss. Sometimes it would backbud really well, and other times it would back bud further down low but not directly at the point of the chop

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Gavin,

I saw on one website L grandifolium listed as a (variant?) of L lanigerum.

Re back budding; it seems to be a 50/50 deal and you never know which will bud back. Rorys’ advice on not cutting both roots and foliage at the same time is wise. In fact you need to stamp out completely doing both at the same time.

Cheers,

Grant

[GavinG]

Grant: What, no Wholesale Mayhem?!?! MY LIFE IS RUiNED!!!

Would you cut the top back hard say four weeks after root work, when you see new growth? I want to get a full season's thickening each year.

Gavin

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Gavin, I did a light trim just 2 or 3 weeks after a heavy root prune; but I would not do a heavy prune for about 6 months, depending on time if year, vigour etc.

If you pot now you could cut back hard in about December or January.

Grant

[Pearcy001]

If you pot now you could cut back hard in about December or January.

Grant

Are you still happy to repot Leptos this time of year? I was considering it with my L.laevigatum but then decided against it in Melbourne. I'd need to remove 40-50% of the roots to fit it into the new pot.

Cheers,
Pearcy

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[Grant Bowie]

I’m about done now with repotting Leptos till November or so.

Best to delay now for best results,

Cheers,

Grant

[shibui]

A few contributions from North East Vic.

I only have one Lepto actually in a bonsai pot. i am still not sure of the species. Seed was collected along the Great Ocean rd near Port Campbell because the plants had compact growth. They have turned out to flower profusely with white flowers in spring at the right time for local flower shows. Cuts from plants in the garden inevitably win a prize so it has become known locally as 'Neil's winner'
It can bud on older wood but usually only if the entire plant is cut back at once.

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Someone else mentioned L. grandifolium. This species grows along creeks in my area so I have grown a few. My plants bud reliably on bare wood if the whole plant is pruned hard. Responds well to trimming and tolerates root pruning.

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Like many wide spread species L. grandifolium has slight differences in different areas. This clone from Mt Buller area is sold in nurseries because it has
blue green leaves and more compact growth habit. This one has not grown as fast as my local form.

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note those lower branches have died from lack of light, a common thing in many natives and especially leptos.

It has already been noted that some leptospermums are reluctant to bud on bare wood but a few do it really well.
This was grown from seed collected at Smoky Cape on NSW coast. Trees were growing in cracks in a huge slab of rock so they were small and twisted. Initially the seedlings were a little frost tender and I thought they had died during the first winter but spring saw new shoots all over the trunks. either they have adjusted to cold or we have not had weather quite so cold because they now seem to survive winter with just a little browning of leaves.
It has been identified by Roger Hnatiuk as L. petersonii even though it does not have the characteristic lemon scent in the leaves.

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These bud reliably after pruning. Sometimes produces lots of unwanted suckers from the base of the trunk. May be more tolerant of low light than some others.

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Really good trunk shapes and bark. Responds well to trimming and root pruning.
I recommend this species, especially for those where winters are milder.

[shibui]

Some more of my experimental Leptospermums.

L. rotundifolium:
I have found this to be a frustrating species. It has lovely flowers and nice small leaves but trunks thicken very slowly and controlling shoots is difficult.
L. rotundifolium also has different forms available. The most common form seems to be 'Lavender Queen'

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Seems to suffer from dieback in low light and lower branches often die for me. Some individuals have been slow to recover from root pruning.
L. rotundifolium 'Julie Anne' is a much smaller, low growing form but seems to be quite weak. This one takes ages to recover from root pruning and pruning. The specimen here is around 10 years and I would not bother trying again with this form.

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A few years ago Bywong nursery at Bungendore NSW released a number of new cultivars and hybrids with L. specatbile as a parent. These have showy pink flowers with a green centre. L. 'aphodite' is one that I have trialed for bonsai.

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It responds reasonably well to trimming but does not always bud on bare wood. Suffers from dieback of shaded areas so lower branches are usually weak. No problem with root pruning.
This one has been cut hard recently to try to force new shoots closer to the trunk.

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[shibui]

Just one more from me at this stage.
This is a Tassie selection of L. scoparium called 'Jim's Rocky Rambler'. It is normally completely prostrate. Young trunks can be wired vertically to get an upright trunk line like this one. Without assistance growth dives vertically down the side of the container.

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Really good weeping habit and reasonable growth rates. Quiet dense foliage if trimmed regularly. Root pruning has been OK so far. Definitely not tolerant of dry. These are always the first to die on the benches when the watering system plays up. I have not tried pruning to bare wood. very susceptible to webbing caterpillars. This is always the first to be attacked here.
Probably worth trying just for the weeping habit and really great if you would like to try cascade Leptospermum.

[melbrackstone]

Are you selling any pots of Neil's winner?