AusBonsai

Thanks for the input watty.
I think I'm going to leave in the ground till next season and lift in early spring.

So this one has been growing steadily for a year and a bit. Starting to take shape.
I’m wanting to dig this soon as we are moving out. Iv read online that the colder months are the time to dig natives, can anyone confirm?
Also if I dig this after the heavy pruning will this affect it?

Following this thread now....I also have a Callistemon to dig.... Good luck Ben

melbrackstone wrote:Following this thread now....I also have a Callistemon to dig.... Good luck Ben

I’ll let you know how it goes
Cheers haha

The ideal time to dig this would be October, November and December. From my experience natives like to be dug during the warmer weather. However, if its dig it or leave it, I would dig it and take the risk.

Cheers Ben and Watto.

Watto wrote:The ideal time to dig this would be October, November and December. From my experience natives like to be dug during the warmer weather. However, if its dig it or leave it, I would dig it and take the risk.

Thanks watto
Unfortunately i think I’ll have to dig in the coming months.

melbrackstone wrote:Following this thread now....I also have a Callistemon to dig.... Good luck Ben

Me too! I am following this, even though I don't have a Callistemon to dig! This is a very interesting thread and I hope all goes well with the dig when it occurs. Exciting potential.

I think I will dig sooner than later as I don’t want to invest too much time in it to have it die when I finally dig it.
I do hope it makes it cos it is a nice specimen.
Fingers crossed

Hi BenBonsai,
Maybe this will give you some hope and encouragement.
Last year in June I rescued a couple of Little John Callistemon that had been ripped up by the council from a median strip as they were changing the landscaping. I planted them in a styro box. As the council had ripped them up with a backhoe the roots as well as many branches were damaged, so I pruned both roots and branches. Then they lost all their remaining leaves so I cut them back to quite short stumps. I was about to pull them out after four months, but then they started to shoot out again and have now recovered well. I've attached pics of their progress. Tough little buggers.

Hi raging bull
This does bring hope indeed as this happened late yesterday afternoon haha
I’m hoping I was able to dig enough roots.
Now we wait

Raging Bull, you have done very well as Little John are usually a bit less resilient than other bottlebrush.
Benbonsai - As you live in a warmer location than me your chances of success are better, and there look OK at this stage. Good luck.

Thanks watto

That's a good result Frank, well done.

Good luck with yours Ben!

The one I want to dig is a monster, so I'm thinking I should start by cutting roots in three places, close to the trunk, and then try the same technique again six months later? Guess since it's starting to cool down here, (at last,) I should leave it til Spring?

Thanks
Honestly I’m not too sure what to do, this is my first collected tree.
And everything I read online about aus natives says to dig in the cooler months so it can slowly grow/recover before spring.

I’m just going to give it some good after care and see what happens.