Banksia integrifolia as small bonsai.

[kcpoole]

Great topic Mojo
I have 2 at home that i am developing and one is a small Shohin size that I potted up the other day.
It is a Airlayer off a larger tree that i am developing.

Both have short Internodes and leaves from being tip pruned as normal. No defoliation needed.
The first 2 leaves on any branch will be small, and when the shoot extends and starts to oopen the second set of leaves, i pinch out the tip back to the first leaves ad they stay small.

Ken

[anttal63]

Hi Mojo,

I wont classify myself as experienced enough to give opinions on the cultivation of B.integrifolias but I do have a natuarlly dwarfed variety here called "sentinel". It grows naturally to about 2.5 metres and without doing anything at all, the leaves are about 30 to 40mm long. I imagine you could reduce that more. It has very short internodes and it seems extremely vigourous. It might be worth a look?

Squizz

Chances are its a cracker up there but not so in our winters ??? would be interesting to also hear about it from people down here if any are growing it.

[craigw60]

Tony,as long as we rely on the general nursery industry for pre bonsai stock the trunks will be mediocre at best, their goal is straight trunks thats what the general public want.
The problem with dwarf forms of any tree is the speed of growth and they often take much longer to develop thick trunks, when you have a species like banksia integ who's foliage reduces so easily why bother with these forms.
Craigw

[Matthew]

Mojo
I have several serrata in the ground 3 years now . All cut back twice now . I invision one to finalise under 30cm. Its currently around 18cm tall with the trunk almost 3 inches. Ill get pics next weekend as ill be in canberra this weekend. I know serrata have larger leaves but with hard cutting back and defoliating at appropiate times i reckon they could be a winner. The trunks FATTEN up very quick when in the ground

[anttal63]

Tony,as long as we rely on the general nursery industry for pre bonsai stock the trunks will be mediocre at best, their goal is straight trunks thats what the general public want. Craigw

Agreed Craig i buy nursery stock for the girth, then chop to low leader and start again !!!

[squizzy]

For your reference in this thread these are the 2 promising species I have with the exception of the straight B. Integrifolia I have.

P1300005.jpg

P1300008.jpg

I had killed my first marginata but as someone already suggested on here I think it was from lack of water for a day or so. I wasnt sure of the durability of this species so I have on partially cut back on this one. My next step will be to cut right back to the cracking bark section.

Cheers

Squizz

[kcpoole]

Saw this thread tonight and is it was still light, grabbed a couple of photos for you.


Ken

[Boics]

Great example Ken.

Leaves look fantastic.
So just to be clear this is a standard integrifolia that you have posted?

[Mojo Moyogi]

For some reason this thread hadn't come up in the list of new posts, so I only just realised there had been replies.

Hi Mojo, I don't see any advantage in using dwarf forms as the leaves on standard integ will reduce easily with defoliation and regular leaf pruning, you will get a much quicker result with the tree forms. I have a few of the prostrate form here and they seem to have much longer internodes This species would work really well for all but the smallest shohin and could make great chuhin but it takes a long time for the bark to crack.
If you are field growing them you need to prevent the roots wandering off too far by using a spade and when you lift them leave the tree undisturbed for a couple of seasons to settle down and fill the pot with roots.
I have never seen an old bonsai marginata in my experience they are very touchy.
Craigw

Thankyou Craig, this is the sort of information I need. I have a couple of questions: How often would you dig them to work on the roots and replant, or would you just spade cut them and leave them in the field for however long it takes to reach the desired trunk caliper? Would you suggest I use raised beds like you do, or do you think that they would be fine in the mountain soil here that is similar to yours, with a little gypsum, compost etc. to open the soil up - keeping in mind that it is not unusual for us to exceed 150-200mm in any given month in winter, spring and during even summer?

Must run back to work.

Cheers,
Mojo

[Scott Roxburgh]

There is a great little shohin in that first branch ken

[kcpoole]

Great example Ken.

Leaves look fantastic.
So just to be clear this is a standard integrifolia that you have posted?

Yes boics as far as I know it is.

Ken

[kcpoole]

There is a great little shohin in that first branch ken

On which one? Teh taller stock tree or the smaller one in the blu pot?
if the latter then it will probably Q as Mame

Ken

[Matthew]

Mojo ill see about getting some pics up in the next day or 2 for you. They are all still in the ground but are due for a prune so once i do that pics will follow. I think you will be suprised at there development from tube stock to what there are in 2 full seasons.

[Matthew]

Craig
I too would be interested in when you lift your bankias out of the ground and what prep work do you do b4 if any and root reduction. I was thinking out of the ground october and into a black nursery pot for one season too recover than possibly shohin pots depending on development etc. Should i be spading them now to reduce root mass, how much do you usually take off. I find they take to hard pruning very well, especially the serratas

[Mojo Moyogi]

Mojo ill see about getting some pics up in the next day or 2 for you. They are all still in the ground but are due for a prune so once i do that pics will follow. I think you will be suprised at there development from tube stock to what there are in 2 full seasons.

Cheers,
Mojo