Callistemon taken from garden

[Ron]

Three or four years ago I planted half a dozen Callistemons of various types. Three of them are going well (about 2m high) and are covered in bottlebrushes and bees this morning.

The following is one of the other three which I've taken out to make way for a hedge of Acmena smithii (Lilly Pilly) - the 'neighbours-be-gone' cultivar. Rather than mulch it, I thought I'd try and save it with perhaps bonsai in mind in the future.

Pics 1 & 2 show it in the ground this morning:

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Pic 3 after root pruning

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Pics 4 & 5 in a grow box

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Pic 6 is part of the cut-off top portion which I though I would try and grow from the cutting

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Pic 7 is one of the others I pulled out, trimmed and put in a box. That's the l-shaped angle it was growing in the ground and which I decided to keep!

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After a good dose of Seasol, I can only sit back with fingers crossed. I think I read on this forum recently that they shouldn't be touched now (if they survive) for a couple of years.

[MelaQuin]

The trunk does not have great character at the moment. Why not plant it back in the garden and let nature work on it over the next couple of years with you guiding the branch development. Then dig it up and start working in it. I think you will get more and better faster this way... and not have another tree to daily tend to.

[Ron]

Thanks for the suggestion, MQ. I'm stuck for garden space so have to stick with the white boxes. Why oh why didn't I buy those 100 acres back in the 80s when I had the chance?

This is the first time I've ever done something like to it's kind of a practice experiment as well.

[Ron]

One question if I may: I'm leaving the boxes under a tree and out of the sun for two weeks. Is that the right thing to do?

[Jamie]

i give any tree that has been dug up part shade untill it starts pushing growth, then i will move it out ot morning sun and then get it out to full sun eventually where it can boom

[kcpoole]

I keep new ones out of the sun too
Under trees are a good place

[Kunzea]

Ron
I'll be interested to see how this one responds. Not sure of the species, but my experience with C. pallidus (similar looking but there a other broad leaved species) is that it responds very differently than the more commonly reported C viminalis (including 'Kings Park Special), C Little John. C.p. took many months to recover from strong root pruning and top pruning, but it got there. The bark is very thin, flakey and hard, compared with the ridged softer and thicker bark of the other species. One I repotted in mid summer is alive, lost few leaves, but the rest are still healthy green; no new buds though, probably not until spring.

Looking forward to your results.
Cheers
Kunzea

[Ron]

I'll keep this topic updated, Mitchell over the next 12 months or so.

I wish I had kept the species labels but the trees I bought all had different coloured bottlebrushes - red, champagne, pink etc - and that was why I bought them. Of three remaining one's red, one's pink and other seems to be reverting to red. I pruned for them for the first time about a month ago and it did wonders for them - certainly more brushes (and bees) than they ever had.

I'm always annoyed that the Callistemons that the NSW RTA uses along highways etc always seem to be so lush and covered in brushes despite their proximity to traffic fumes.