Red Gums

[Paul B]

Hi Guys and Gals.
I have access to some red gum saplings on a property that is earmarked for redevelopment in about 6 months from now.
My question is do I remove these plants now, shorten and root prune or do I cut back on site and remove them once they have recovered somewhat and are showing signs of new growth.

These saplings are about 8 feet tall and have a trunk girth of between 1 and 2.5" with some nice tapers.

[kcpoole]

according to our wiki, you can collect anytime of the year, but if possible, avoid the hottest weather
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... hould_I%3F

Depends on where you are too.

Ken

[FlyBri]

Gday Banksiaman, and welcome to AusBonsai!

Now would be the ideal time to collect your River Reds, in that there is enough of Summer left for them to re-establish before Winter. Try to get as much root as reasonably possible, but don't fret too much if you only get what seems like a feeble crop of roots. Now is also a good time to chop, as total defoliation is said to relieve the stresses on a compromised root system. With River Reds, you could probably trunk-chop as low as you like and still be guaranteed of getting buds to break below. (With a trunk of 2.5"(~625mm), I would be tempted to chop at about 4"(~100mm), but that might just be me... )

Of major importance when collecting is the soil mix you use, as well as general aftercare. For my Eucs (well, most of my trees, really) I use soil components (gravel, coarse sand, potting mix, etc) which has been sifted so that there are virtually no particles smaller than 2-3mm, as the small particles seem to hinder drainage, and thus prevent air being drawn into the soil. With such an open mix, your collected Eucs may require watering more than once a day, especially if it is windy or the temperature gets above 25-30°C.

Anyway, let us know how you go - preferably with some photos. Please feel free to ask any other questions: that's what we're here for!

Thanks, and good luck!

FlyBri.

[Paul B]

Thanks guys,
As i live south of Adelaide, I might wait for this heat spell to go away. Maybe a project for the weekend.