Digging Kunzea

[Max Jenkem]

Hi all,
I've had a couple of Kunzea ambigua growing in my native garden for a few years and am redesigning a section this year. They have some potential for bonsai and was wondering what success people have had collecting them from being ground grown?
My soil is quite clay based but we've had a shitload of rain this year and a milder Winter so wondering if it'd be worth trying to collect them now rather than mid-Summer?

Cheers

[dansai]

Pretty sure Hugh Grant collects Kunzea in September from quite poor soils and has very high success rate.

[TimJ7]

I have had success with Kunzea in August and September, I kept them out of frost and wind and did not lose any.
Well worth a try.
Good luck
TimJ

[Max Jenkem]

Forgot Hugh was on here, I remember him joining around the time I did before losing access to that email address and subsequently every online account affiliated with it. Is he still around?

[dansai]

I don't think he checks in here much anymore. He is still active in the community though. You can find him at treemakers.com.au and on instagram. He uses a mix of potting mix and pumice or perlite to pot up into a fairly small pot, leaving some original soil in close to the trunk. Generally leaves them for a year then either replaces the outer edge with new bonsai mix or the centre removing original soil. Styling can them happen 6 months later, and following spring will replace the other half of the soil not done the first time.