Callistemon - Now What?

[shibui]

I have had my eye on this callistemon growing in the lawn at one of the gardens where I work. It was relatively small - about 1.5m tall with small leaves and a wide, buttressed base with a hollow like you see in many forest eucalypts.

callistemon yackatoon stump before.JPG

A couple of weeks ago I was told it had to go to make room for a new clothesline
Last week I lopped the top and today I dug the stump.
On closer inspection the base flares out even more under the grass.

callistemon yackatoon stump base.JPG

The base of the trunk is completely hollow. Need to be careful that it doesn't split in half.

callistemon yackatoon stump 2.JPG

Not sure yet what species this is but I suspect it may be adapted to dry areas because it has a large lignotuber and very few surface roots. Most of the main roots went straight down and it took some effort to extract the stump.

callistemon yackatoon stump 1 - Copy - Copy.JPG

Now that I've dug it I have a problem.... What do I do next The base is too big to fit in any poly boxes I had to shorten roots even further to fit it into this plastic storage tub where I have it soaking while I try to find a container large enough to house it while it decides whether to grow or not.

callistemon yackatoon stump 5.JPG

This last picture will give a better idea of the scale so you can appreciate what I'm up against.

callistemon yackatoon stump 4.JPG

[peterb]

Hi Shibui, that is an awsome trunk. That really is a nasty dillema you have
peterb

[regwac]

Since I have access to a cabinetmakers workshop on the property I would build a box . A big box . Cheers . Graham

[Nate.bonsai]

Shibui, no helpful comments, but nice work on the unfolding photos and narrative. You had us in suspense.


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[Mount Nasura]

that is a thumper!

[kvan64]

Very nice stump.

[dansai]

If you are so unsure what to to do with it I'll pm my address and you can post it to me ..........

[shibui]

I'm not sure the posties would deliver this one Dansai. Probably weighs more than 20 kg after removing the excess soil from the roots and well over 1m long. How can I pack it Guess it will just have to stay here

However I have solved the problem A look around the resources yard (sometimes referred to as 'junk pile' by others ) turned up a large black plastic pot 45 cm diameter. Just large enough around after shortening a few more roots and also plenty of depth to accommodate the current vertical roots.

P1140498.JPG

Now just the waiting game to see if it will recover

[Steve B]

Will you try a tray underneath to keep the moisture up? I got one to stay alive off very little rootage by submerging the pot in a bucket of water/seasol for the first month. Couple of days in the bucket then an hour or two draining and then back in the bucket. The shear scale of this beastie could be a challenge though!
Most of the callistemons I have lost through repotting I put down to drying out - through not completely submerging them when I was still worrying about root rot. Seems to be "the wetter the better" with these guys.
Be interested to hear if anybody has managed to root rot one of these? Thinking their swamp dwelling background minimises the chances?


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[GavinG]

It might seem perverse, but would you consider putting it back in a grow bed after a season of recovery? The trunk is so thick, it's going to require some serious growing out to get the next stage in proportion with the stump. Just a thought. Also interested on your view on keeping it wet after the attack.

Gavin

[bodhidharma]

A look around the resources yard

I will pinch that line for myself shibui that is up there with "Waterless toilet". I hope it survives for you as i am a tad jealous.

[Sammy D]

Jelious is about the only word i can find to describe the situation. Well done. Nice find:-)

[shibui]

It might seem perverse, but would you consider putting it back in a grow bed after a season of recovery? The trunk is so thick, it's going to require some serious growing out to get the next stage in proportion with the stump. Just a thought.

That's a possibility Gavin. Any new shoots are going to need some real growth to match up to the trunk so it will indeed need some growing to get there. How to do that is yet to be decided however I think we might be putting the cart before the horse. Before I can start developing a tree on this trunk it has to survive the brutal transplant and radical root reduction

Also interested on your view on keeping it wet after the attack.

Not sure 'wet' is what I aim for. It will get 2x nightly watering from the auto system same as everything else. With the mix I use that should keep it nicely damp. I certainly won't be letting the mix dry out at any stage.

It can take some time for shoots to grow. The last callistemon I rescued was a 'Little John'. Not quite as big as this one - it did need a large poly box though and roots were reduced about the same amount. It was over 9 months before new shoots started to grow this spring but now it has started to take off.

I hope it survives for you as i am a tad jealous.

Me too bodhi. As you know, trees like this are about and do come up very now and then. It is just a matter of letting others know that you are on the lookout and being patient.