AusBonsai

As it happens I trimmed and repotted this tree a couple of weeks ago.

It had grown a lot the last year or so and was in need of a trim; the base had sprouted lots of buds and the top had gone berserk.
I repotted it to raise it higher in the pot and for extra mix in the pot. I left the top to elongate quickly to establish a trunk line.
After the work it is back in my compound where it gets maybe 10% shade from the mesh. The weather has been mild except for one day last week when it was 38 degrees and really windy. Hasn't skipped a beat.

Grant

Great development Grant. I have a banksia I need to chop (my first) ...wish you were looking over my shoulder cheers, Peter

Hi Grant what do you feed all your natives with also what sprays if any do you use for pests ect
Cheers John

Peter Hobbs wrote:Great development Grant. I have a banksia I need to chop (my first) ...wish you were looking over my shoulder cheers, Peter

This is a safe time of year to do a major chop to Banksia. Even if something goes wrong and it partly dies back I am sure it will survive. I have a B integrifolia that has had some deadwood on it (trunk both front and back) where it died back a bit a few years ago but it is also doing fine. The living wood, although it is soft, doesn't seem to deteriorate when dead if kept dry. I haven't used lime Sulphur on a Banksia ever so I don't know if it would make a difference; good or bad.

Grant

John Henry wrote:Hi Grant what do you feed all your natives with also what sprays if any do you use for pests ect
Cheers John

I haven't sprayed this year for anything as everything looks fine; however I usually do a spray of Confidor, Mavrik and Pest Oil as a preventative for everything.

I also have not applied any Anti Rot stuff for root rot or Di-Pel for caterpillers as it has just not been necessary.

I fert with Native Osmocote when I repot and Powerfeed and Seasol through the season; but i have been a bit erratic with Ferts this year I must admit. Because my mix is not totally inorganic it seems to be doing fine if I am a bit erratic.

I have added a small amount, about 10 %, of Akadama to my mix this year. I found my Trident Maples and Chinese elms were drying out a bit too quick so I have added 5% of the finest Akadama and 5% of the next size up, to all my mix for now.

Grant

This tree still about? Or in another thread now?

DangerousDave wrote:This tree still about? Or in another thread now?

Sold a while ago but working on a B serrata Green Cape which is doing OK but a few damaged leaves at the moment.

grant