BANKSIA INTEGRIFOLIA AS BONSAI

[Grant Bowie]

Photos attached

Banksia integ 001.jpg

Banksia integ 002.jpg

Banksia integ 001.jpg

I'm watering regularly but not terribly heavily. The potting medium it was in smelled really rotten when I took it out of the nursery pot.

If the potting mix smells rotten then that is not good. Probably could do with a root trim and repot. Check for curl grubs if its wobbly, treat with Fongarid if the roots are rotten.

Are you wanting to cut the tree down to the first branch and then put into the small pot?

Grant

[Hector Johnson]

No, it's just come down from 1800mm to about 600mm (current photo).

I left the growth on the end of the branches that I've kept but I'm chasing your view on whether to grow them out from there or take them off and allow it to put its strength into the new leader.

Soil is now fine, after getting rid of the swampy goo it was in when I bought it.

[Grant Bowie]

Grant, I love this article of yours, and have read it several times previously! I do, however, have a few questions.

How old does the wood on a Banksia integrifolia need to be before the bark becomes gnarly and flaky like the informal upright in your pic? I have the start of what will hopefully be a really beautiful tree, and its trunk it approx. 11cm diameter, but the bark seems to be a lot smoother than yours. Also, any tips for covering up large scars, or helping them roll over? Ever done any deadwood work with banksia?


JayC

The wood on the Informal upright is rough because of its age; it is somewhere around 40 years old. It is the smoother barked variety of the two I grow. The other is naturally corkier and I grew them from cutting only.
Good question on how long, maybe 10 to 15 years depending on conditions?
Lots of growth directly above the scar but it is slow to heal over. Use the usual sealants and putty.
Never done work with deadwood. They are a very soft wooded tree.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

No, it's just come down from 1800mm to about 600mm (current photo).

I left the growth on the end of the branches that I've kept but I'm chasing your view on whether to grow them out from there or take them off and allow it to put its strength into the new leader.

Soil is now fine, after getting rid of the swampy goo it was in when I bought it.

Allow the lower branch to elongate and thicken always, trimming back occasionally to keep somewhat compact; the apex of a bonsai is easy and will take care of itself.

Grant

[Hector Johnson]

Thank you. That's the sort of info I needed.

[Joel]

Grant, I love this article of yours, and have read it several times previously! I do, however, have a few questions.

How old does the wood on a Banksia integrifolia need to be before the bark becomes gnarly and flaky like the informal upright in your pic? I have the start of what will hopefully be a really beautiful tree, and its trunk it approx. 11cm diameter, but the bark seems to be a lot smoother than yours. Also, any tips for covering up large scars, or helping them roll over? Ever done any deadwood work with banksia?


JayC

The wood on the Informal upright is rough because of its age; it is somewhere around 40 years old. It is the smoother barked variety of the two I grow. The other is naturally corkier and I grew them from cutting only.
Good question on how long, maybe 10 to 15 years depending on conditions?
Lots of growth directly above the scar but it is slow to heal over. Use the usual sealants and putty.
Never done work with deadwood. They are a very soft wooded tree.

Grant

Thankyou very much for the quick and in depth reply! I think the wood is about 6-7 years old on the trunk. I will post a thread on it sometime in the future. Thanks again

JayC

[jarryd]

does anyone have expeience collecting these trees. i have found a nice specimine while i was bush walking one day, practically natural bonsai which is rare haha. getting permission to collect may be a whole other problem however. but before i bother looking into that might aswell find out if it can be done succesfully without killing the beautiful tree. ive had good success collecting trees majority of times but sometimes i have found some species very touchy.

[Grant Bowie]

Here is a photo I took yesterday of my Banksia in its new pot and with the lower left hand branch shortened. You can compare with the photo from a few years ago.

Banksia integrifolia var integrifolia. 90cm high.JPG

B integrifolia in new pot Feb 2009.jpg

[Grant Bowie]

does anyone have expeience collecting these trees. i have found a nice specimine while i was bush walking one day, practically natural bonsai which is rare haha. getting permission to collect may be a whole other problem however. but before i bother looking into that might aswell find out if it can be done succesfully without killing the beautiful tree. ive had good success collecting trees majority of times but sometimes i have found some species very touchy.

Sorry Jarryd but I haven't tried to collect these from the wild. I have dug up field grown stock and had no problems and they were virtually bare rooted and cut back very hard with hardly any feeder roots. Collecting from the wild is a whole different ball game.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Hi everyone,

I was sent this photo of the day I last worked on one of my Banksia integrifolia( the Ides of February). On this day I lightly trimmed the foliage all over and removed a heavy chunk of the lowest branch. You can just see the pile of trimmings at the back of the turntable.

I thought the photo showed off well the movement of the trunk, the aged bark and the spreading base. (the tree not me) Unlike the tree my apex is getting a bit sparse these days.

Grant.Banksia integr.150209.jpg

Cheers,

Grant

[aaron_tas]

my apex is getting a bit sparse these days.

i like the way you accentuated your apex with your shiny chin too

but serously, you have very much turned my attention to these trees, thank you

[Steven]

I love the matching texture of bark and pot Grant. You have a great eye for detail!
Thanks for sharing,
Steven

[Grant Bowie]

With my native bonsai I have mostly been using pots made by Pat Kennedy or Roger Hnatiuk as they seem to suit best.

The red and black pots that are aound at the moment are very striking and very strong but do seem to compliment the old banksia.

[craigw60]

I had my big integrifolia up in Canberra for 12 months and it came back with foliage smaller than I have ever achieved. I am curious to know the kind of work Grant did on this tree to get the leaf size so small.
Its going into a nice handmade Japanese pot the summer
Craigw

[NBPCA]

I will put my NBPCA Curator hat on to answer this question.

Ahem. Well Craig it was easy.

First, about 5 years ago, you get a state government interested in funding a national collection of bonsai.
Second, you get the project to completion, and borrow or aquire the best bonsai in Australia.
Third, you get a large base of volunteers to man(person) the collection.
Fourth, you get a full time Curator.
Fifth, you get an assistant Curator.
Sixth, Fluke getting a Curator whoses speciality is Banksia.
Seventh, borrow the best Banksia integrifolia in Australia. etc etc

Top dress fertilise the Banksia with native Osmocote once or twice per year
Liquid fertilize every two weeks with Maxicrop and occasional Seasol during early spring and late autumn
Liquid fertilize every two weeks with Nitrosol or Powerfeed and occasional Seasol the rest of the growing season
Pinch, Pinch, Pinch,trim, trim, trim using a vast army of Curators and volunteers (see above for recipe).
Keep in almost full sun and repeat.

Ahem; as I said; It was easy.

Grant, Leigh, Roger, Jim, Ken, Ruth, Lorraine, Peter, Frank, etc, etc ,etc.