Getting Started With Natives - PICS inside

[S.O.P]

Firstly, hello all.

Secondly, on a whim, and after seeing a few of the picture threads here, I've decided to start some Bonsai. Yesterday = No Bonsai. Today = Bonsai.

Thirdly, I apologise for asking questions straight up (I have been doing some reading) and I do realise that time is definitely on my side with Bonsai. If anyone can provide me with reputable links or books, that would be helpful.


Basically, where I work I have access to an extensive Australian Native nursery and have decided to grab a couple of plants that looked interesting to me. I have a 200mm Ficus obliqua into a 300mm pot after straightening and pruning of some roots. A 100mm Banskia aemula into a 200mm pot, no touching of roots. A Ficus sabre (not native) cutting intertwined with a Ficus microcarpa 'Green Island' cutting and a Ficus macrophylla taken from the buttresses of a large specimen in an awkward Y-shape and when I potted it up, the Y ran across the surface so I've wired into the mix and put in hothouse to encourage some root growth.

To my understanding, I just feed and let the figs grow rapidly until I'm happy with trunk diameter and then hack it back (approx 100mm high on obliqua - below junction)? What does one do with a Banksia? I'm kind of lost with the whole thing but have been inspired from some of the galleries here. Credit to all your skills.

I've posted the photos to an external site hosting an album. They are 1024 on the long side and I'm not sure on your image posting rules so I didn't want to include them here as it would be a lot of scrolling. The last picture is the Ficus macrophylla parent tree and if you look carefully at the very bottom right buttress you can see the seedling popping up.

http://sopalop.imgur.com/bonsai - note: I think the profile aemula shot is broken in the gallery (click on view full image in image options).

[Jamie]

hi mate

welcome to the site

the trees you have put up should load up to the site no problems. as for the trees they do need some good growing unless your going for a smaller tree which will still require some growing. whats up with the green island grafted onto the other var. ??

anyways, some good fertilising and a little time will get the puppies growing strong and well. you will have to wait until they have a lot more branching before doing anything. you seem to have access to some decent grow on stock trees, what I recommend is to join a club if you can, and like you said read as much as possible. there are heaps of books that will be good for you, one especially for figs is Leongs book - ficus bonsai in the temperate climate, its a wealth of info.

others will be able to help with the banksia. check out the books by the koreshoffs, they are brilliant for natives. if you can afford it John Y Naka's books -bonsai techniques 1 and 2 are some of the best reading on bonsai around. check out your library as well as they will have some good beginner books

jamie

[S.O.P]

Thanks Jamie, I'll check out the library and some of the books. Are there any superior online sources (and don't say ausbonsai.com)? Someone has suggested to check out Northside Bonsai in Morayfield so I may have a look there.

Edit: See what I mean about the pics, I'd have to resize them next time.

whats up with the green island grafted onto the other var. ??

Why not? No, I have 2 x 8ft Ficus sabre on my deck and they are clean and multi trunked. Since I haven't grown them since young, I thought I'd attempt something different to fill that lower space. I've got 8 other cuttings of the sabre in the hothouse at the moment so I can be 'normal' with them. And it's not grafted, it's just planted in between the two sabre stems.

And our nursery has lots of stock variety, there's got to be 20 more of those obliqua and 50 aemula and 50 serrata amongst a hundred other species so I can keep trying until I get it right. FYI, and for anyone else interested: the obliqua before potting up was $8 and the aemula before potting up was $4 retail.




Thanks again.

[bonscythe]

Hi,
For bonsai Banksia inspiration and techniques/tips you can't get much better than Grant's page - http://asgap.org.au/APOL31/sep03-5.html.
And as Jamie mentioned, the Koreshoff's books on Australian Natives as Bonsai can be very helpful too.
I have a couple of B. aemula that are in a similar shape to yours, one looks as though it has a rolling beer gut, would fit in with the locals quite well.
Cheers

[S.O.P]

Thanks. Still not noob-friendly enough but that was a good read nonetheless.

I updated my aemula with a new piece of stock.





And got a new piece, that a workmate suggested would make a great bonsai.



http://imgur.com/BmNWo.jpg - trunk



It's a Prumnopitys ladei - Mt. Spurgeon Pine.

[craigw60]

I don't know much about figs but do grow a few banksia. I don't have any aemula but do grow serata they look pretty similar.Chop your banksia way down low and wire up a new leader, repot/rootprune it and put into a flat pot. Orchid pots or poly boxes are ideal. Use a very free draining potting mix I use 50% 2-7mm diatomite sieved to remove the fines mixed with 50% potting mix also sieved to remove the dust, you could mix a handful of osmocote for natives in the mix. A 1mm sieve is ideal. When the tree started to move after the rough treatment then begin a heavy feed regime, contrary to popular opinion banksia love to be fed. I use blood and bone, seasol and seasol power feed. If you follow this advice you will get a reasonable size trunk in a couple of years. Banksia wire easily when the wood is young but once it has set you won't move it. Serata has large leaves and although they reduce it still is better grown as a larger tree. Don't worry about the leaf size while you are growing the trunk. If you want any further advice feel free.
Craigw

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all,

Banksia aemula; AKA Wallum Banksia and Swamp Banksia(Wallum is aboriginal for swamp).

Very B serrata like; but with smaller leaves and buds back ferociously. Does well even here in Canberra but is native to coastal NSW and on up into QLD.

Slightly weeping habit here. Have to trim and thin it out frequently.

Grant

Banksia Aemula8 - AC - 2010-5-19 800x600.jpg

[craigw60]

So does the trunk swell up like serata ?
Craigw

[S.O.P]

I couldn't tell you about bonsai swelling but aemula is often multi-trunked, a slightly smaller tree and very similar in appearance to serrata. In the nursery, it's tough to tell them apart (need to look at the leaves closely). I have a serrata and an aemula in 200mm pots and the aemula is more open, more branched.

serrata is known for the gnarled trunk though, not aemula.


Went to Northside Bonsai today, in the pouring rain, and browsed the book Ficus Bonsai in temperate and I may be getting donated the Aus Native Bonsai book (she wasn't sure if it was by the koreshoffs) as a favour. Got to see some pretty good stuff, one decent obliqua in the private collection and only one tiny intergrifolia (similar to my stock). Not many natives there in relation to the exotics but it was very educational. Maybe next time I'll take photos if it's allowed, and if anyone is interested.


By the way craig, thanks for your helpful post.

[S.O.P]

Hi all,

Banksia aemula; AKA Wallum Banksia and Swamp Banksia(Wallum is aboriginal for swamp).

Very B serrata like; but with smaller leaves and buds back ferociously. Does well even here in Canberra but is native to coastal NSW and on up into QLD.

Slightly weeping habit here. Have to trim and thin it out frequently.

Grant

Thanks Grant.

I read that Banksias are your favourite natives, are there any links to photos of your collection?

[S.O.P]

A few more. Ficus is most probably obliqua that was cut down a few weeks ago and I dug it out in one go, so fingers crossed. Others are Claret tops.

[S.O.P]

A new one. A Ficus obliqua that's been whippersnipped for a while, at the base of a 38 year old Grevillia robusta that was removed. The 'pot' is one of the branches that bonded with another and left a hollow. The larger section was chipped before I could get to it. I drilled 3 holes through it so there is some drainage but will probably have to keep an eye on it for now.

[Jamie]

nice work mate!

you will probably find the fig in the "trunk pot" will be fine, if you use a mdeium that has a larger grit component it will be fine.

the mela clarets will make a nice little group setting if you want to play with them now or are you going to grow them on for a few years? they are quick so either way would work!

[S.O.P]

I potted the Clarets into 150mm's for now. Will probably try one of those windswept scenes, or those natural groves. I cut one into a lean and will do more research on where to buy wire etc at some point. They were 'topped' in the nursery so I'm formative pruning into a couple of leaders too.

I've 'borrowed' a small amount of the general potting mix from work, may have to add a larger grit, like you say. I haven't watered it since I gave it a hit of 'Kelpak' at the transplanting rate so I will keep an eye of the drainage when I water it again.

The obliqua in the polystyrene box is just starting to take root too.


Quick question: Have you heard about ethylene gas/polystyrene boxes and defoliation? Just someone mentioned something to me about it.