Michelia figo

[MattA]

I recently dug this port wine magnolia from a friends place. It has grown from a 6" nursery pot that was stuck on the ground. The roots went thru the pot into the ground & then over the top & down the sides. It was over 2m tall & almost as wide when I cut it down. Its planted in my usual 50/50 mix of potting soil & 7mm gravel. I didnt have a pot or box big enough to take it so its planted in the only thing that it fit... a laundry tub.

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It has started to pop buds all over the place which makes me very happy. This is the first port wine I have ever dug and because of where it was growing I wasnt able to get much in the way of root. Given the root mass in the centre of the trunks I was fairly confident it would take. Now I have to work out how I bend the trunks out to get some spread & give them all room. The trunk is about 24cm in diameter & theres about another 10cm or so below soil line.

Matt

[NathanM]

Wow, what a monster!! Good luck with it mate

[Jamie]

gday mate

this is a big one for sure! i love the ingenuity, it reminds me of the monster fig i got, i didnt have anything big enough so i had to improvise and punch holes through an old fire pit and plant it in that

you could possibly use turn buckles to spread the trunks, maybe, there are always more than one way to skin a cat and i reckon you will work it out!

Jamie

[Ron]

Just did a Google search on this species and AusBonsai came up first.

I had never heard of these before until I came across some at Kmart for $6 ea. They're only about 30cm high but lush and green.

They look as though they'll be interesting to play with.

[bodhidharma]

I have a dwarf variety i am playing with. I love the laundry tub. whata crackup. Talk about using what is on hand

[bonsai_Dan]

Hey Matt how's the tree going? Is that a sink its sitting in?

Dan

[bonsai_Dan]

lol bodhi you answered my question. The laundry tub would make an excellent stand. I'm wondering how it would go in the cold though. Would it get to cold causing the roots to freeze? Very interesting.



Dan

[MattA]

Just did a Google search on this species and AusBonsai came up first.

I had never heard of these before until I came across some at Kmart for $6 ea. They're only about 30cm high but lush and green.

They look as though they'll be interesting to play with.

Hey Ron,

They are a beautiful small evergreen tree, hey dont really stand out in a landscape except when in flower, then you can smell them but still dont know which tree it is If your thinking for bonsai I say go for it! I have seen a couple grown from nursery stock that were very convincing. The leaves dont reduce very well so bear that in mind with the size you plan for.

I will take some photos & update the thread tomorow. This baby is doing really well with lots of new growth, the internodes are really long but thats normal for new regrowth. I have cleared out alof of the rot from the centre & the remains of the old plastic pot (the size you have seen them in Ron). It had an accident moving the other week & fell over & out of the tub, lost much of the new roots but hasnt skipped a beat since being repotted. I think this is going to be one species that takes many years to become more than a big stump in a pot but I always love a challenge the most.

Matt

LOL the laundry tub was all I had & has done very well as a pot. The stand collapsed causing the need to repot above... with a good layer of gravel it drains beautifully doesnt overheat or too cold etc.

[MattA]

heres a pic of it in its new spot... it now rests ontop of a couple 8x8 hardwood pieces

[Ron]

I'll forward to the pics and update when you get the chance, Matt.

I bought four of the littlies in 14cm pots - two are going into the garden around gardenias - if the Michelias ever flower it will be interesting to see which has the strongest perfume.

The other two I'll pot up as they look a bit pot bound and see how they go till this time next year.

I really like finding unusual plants (at least unusual to me) for a few bucks.

Ron ...

[Ron]

heres a pic of it in its new spot... it now rests ontop of a couple 8x8 hardwood pieces

Hey, it really has powered on since the first pic in the thread. Nice.

[MattA]

Ron go hard on the roots, you may as well sort them out & get them set up right from the start than always have to stuff around. I would say now is the best time for your climate, I think this is going to be one species that is best worked when actively growing.

I remembered I had this pic from the guessing thread. This is the base now that i have removed the extra gravel around it. Most of what can be seen is not trunk but root that had escaped over the sides of its original pot. These guys have a really strong and vigourous root system.

R0014134.jpg

More pics tomorow.

Matt

[bonsai_Dan]

Looking good

[kcpoole]

Nice Matt, I love the nebari now
Going to be nice in a few years once you sort out the trunks and top

Ken

[MattA]

Nice Matt, I love the nebari now
Going to be nice in a few years once you sort out the trunks and top

Ken

There is more to be revealed yet..... If you know of Kimura's 'The Hidden Surprise'..... "It did not occur to him to think (becuase it is not usually so) that a part of it might be buried, as it indeed was. This buried part possessed the essential character of the tree"... when ever i am looking at potential new stock i always find the true base... i want to know what the roots do in relation to a trunk, its the final decider on collection/purchase or not.

This was a knockout offer that i couldnt refuse.... "Oh Matt if you could be a dear and remove that while your at it... its too big & in the way & I never really liked it or wanted it there, it just escaped the pot & I couldnt move it after that." (literaly how it was offered)

As with all my trees this one receives its daily allotment of time & attention. I am continually amazed by the way this plant has come to be how it is and ever perplexed as to what I shall ever do with it... No matter I have decades to work it out, take me that long too

Matt