Banksia Chop!

[Elias]

Hi All,

I have started purchasing quite a few different native plants to work on, I wanted to hear peoples thought on this tall Banksia before I even think about doing anything..... I guess the big question is to Chop or not... oh yeah and is summer the best time to chop these guys...?

Thanks,

Elias

[anttal63]

elias it looks like a coastal to me? im now up to my 5th one. if youve read my previous threads on these you know i bare root them and trunk chopm down. the 1st one i did in oct 08. it sooked a little but bounced back soon after. mid dec 08 i did the same to another 3, all 3 lifted their skirt and took off with in a couple of weeks and still goin strong now. 2 weeks ago i found a reasonable size one at garden world, great contentender for a cascade. i was thinking ooh it might be too late to do now. ah what the heck makem or breakm i say. so i chopped all the way back to 7 inches from 2.2 mtrs bare rooted and re pot into the cascade angle. bugga is poppin like crazy already.
this is where i would chop yours down to if it were mine.

[Elias]

Hi Ant,
Yeah I have checked out your threads on these and few others on the banksias,they have been a great help, it was these posts that inspired me to try em out. I'm also trying a couple of Banksia serrata and a Banksia marginata.
Anyways I was thinking I could possibly get away with chopping now maybe and then repotting around December... But I trust your experience so what the hell....


Elias

PS: Make or Break em Bonsai....I love it, maybe a new club

[anttal63]

Hi Ant,
Yeah I have checked out your threads on these and few others on the banksias,they have been a great help, it was these posts that inspired me to try em out. I'm also trying a couple of Banksia serrata and a Banksia marginata.
Anyways I was thinking I could possibly get away with chopping now maybe and then repotting around December... But I trust your experience so what the hell....


Elias

PS: Make or Break em Bonsai....I love it, maybe a new club

now thats funny what a club that would be jokes a side it has turned cold here in melb now. choppin now and repotting in dec is a much safer option. maybe slip pot up now feed it loads and keep it watered well.

[Elias]

Ant, I did chop it but a little higher, I thought better to leave a lil more foliage so it would not be so stressed, I also just did a slip pot, but I only fed at about half strength (low nitrogen) and used some osmocote for natives. I thought it might be better to slowly build up the feeding regime, what are your thoughts....?

Anyways I will leave it alone for now, and wait til summer to do further work.
Thanks for the help and advice

Elias

[anttal63]

sounds good elias for now enjoy it pal.

[Elias]

After much debate I ended up chopping this quite a bit lower than I first planned, I didn't want to keep any of the straight part of the trunk, I thought it was struggling after such a huge chop and the cooler weather, but boy was I wrong, I took this pic today Yay!!

[anttal63]

there you go el these pop all over almost anytime of the year here in melbourne. but as grant has warned, now because the new shoots are so young and tender at this time of the year you need to protect them from any harsh cold and frost.