The Three Amigos [Keels]

[Keels]

I popped past Cool Country Natives in Pialligo on Sunday. I was there checking out ground covers for a patch of dirt at my front yard. When i noticed they had Banksia Integrifola seedlings. I thought i better grab at least three and bring them home for future experiments I thought i would record these future experiments here.

Amigos (3).jpg

Amigos (2).jpg

Today i gave them a quick wire and twisted them up into a couple of odd shapes. I made sure i grabbed the skinniest seedlings so they had a fair bit of flexibility.

Amigos (1).jpg

My aim is to create some interesting shohin banksia trees with these seedlings in a couple of years.

Next step in the plan will be to repot them in Summer into a bit bigger container.

[MJL]

Looking forward to watching the 'experiments' Keels.

[Watto]

I was in Cool Country Natives on Sunday too, and donated a little bit of my wife's hard earned on a couple of new plants (as if I need any more). So I will also be watching this post over the coming years.

[boom64]

Recently visited a native nursery and came home with a few to many starters ,including three Integrifolias. Looking forward to future updates Keels. Good luck, cheers John.

[Grainer]

you may find they will reshoot and ignore your wired part in my experience,,, I use cut and grow technque on them.

[Keels]

you may find they will reshoot and ignore your wired part in my experience,,, I use cut and grow technque on them.

i have seen that they back bud really well. I'm pretty flexible and will work with what ever the tree presents itself. It's been working well with a couple of other banksias ive got.

[Grainer]

Yes they back bud prolifically

[Phil Rabl]

Good luck, Keels. Have a look at Grant Bowie’s landmark article on AusBonsai on B integrifolia (https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... f=69&t=812). Grant makes the following point that may be very relevant to your experiment: “You can wire B. integrifoila at any time, but wiring a B. integrifoila has a few interesting foibles. If you wire a branch down below horizontal it tends to lose vigour, it only thickens at about one third of the rate as a branch wired up then out. If you must for artistic reasons wire a branch down, leave it long and untrimmed and wire the very tip upwards. This allows the branch to stay vigorous as it thickens and when it has set you can unwire and trim it back the growing tip. Once the branch is set in the downward position it then allows the side growth to grow and thicken as normal.”

Also, I did a summary of AusBonsai articles on B integrifolia that might be helpful. (https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... 69&t=27698)

[tinto]

yes fatten them up in a pot, good idea

[Keels]

Good luck, Keels. Have a look at Grant Bowie’s landmark article on AusBonsai on B integrifolia (https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... f=69&t=812). Grant makes the following point that may be very relevant to your experiment: “You can wire B. integrifoila at any time, but wiring a B. integrifoila has a few interesting foibles. If you wire a branch down below horizontal it tends to lose vigour, it only thickens at about one third of the rate as a branch wired up then out. If you must for artistic reasons wire a branch down, leave it long and untrimmed and wire the very tip upwards. This allows the branch to stay vigorous as it thickens and when it has set you can unwire and trim it back the growing tip. Once the branch is set in the downward position it then allows the side growth to grow and thicken as normal.”

Also, I did a summary of AusBonsai articles on B integrifolia that might be helpful. (https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... 69&t=27698)

Thanks Phil. I have read the article of Grants. He definitely creates marvelous banksia bonsai.

Now i have wired one tree past horizontal so i will monitor it's progress to the others