AusBonsai

I have two different eucalypts in colanders and these sit in a water tray ( terracotta plant saucer) full time. Even though it hasn't been that hot here in Adelaide yet, these still empty the tray in less than a day.

Hi Mark,
I have five of these and they have sat all winter in a tray that has had water in it. It has surprised me just how resilient and thirsty they can be. So keep up the water, especially when windy.
Cheers
Kirky

You lot are bloody ace. Trees are already looking better ... 3 waters today alone... and they know they are loved by the general community.

Here's some shots now... a little less droopy or am I just imagining thing?

Yeah, that looks like it has picked up already ... with any luck the drying out was just superficial, keep up the water!! (grab yourself some of your own 'hydration' while you're at it.... )

Add me to the “standing River Reds in a tray of water” club. Been doing it for years, especially over summer.

I’ve also found that aggressive pinching will reduce the leaf size, but it can take a season or two and you can’t let up. You might want to start it soon, the trees will take it even after the slight wilting.

Really happy to see people using this species. Yours are looking good, with small leaves it’ll be a great little group.

Matt.

Like they said. Water tray, grow them long to get some body to the trunks, then hack without mercy next year. My Eucs all take a lot of water, and grow solidly right through winter as well.

Gavin

This group has definitely picked up in the past month ... and feels like the water tray has super powered the growth just this week!! The trunks are now over an index finger thick too. Loving this group .... progressing with shape, style and speed better than I could have hoped. Cheers for the guidance.

PS - Also, proving MattM’s point in his recent update re: ease of uploading photos with Tapatalk ... this whole post, including getting off my butt, getting into garden, take a couple of photos and then back to type and attach photos took less than a few minutes. Good to have Tapatalk functionality back.


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Wow they have put on some size since this thread started. Keen to check them out tomorrow

Keels wrote:Wow they have put on some size since this thread started. Keen to check them out tomorrow

Looking forward to catching up Keels! Trust me - it’s no National Arboretum but I make a mean chicken roll.


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Ok, as per Rory's prompt - here's my update on the River Gum Group.

They bounced back from the period they dried out with renewed vigour. Since that time I have kept them in a tray full of water and they have not looked back. I broke some of the tops in mid summer to see what would happen and understand (for myself) how the trees react. I found it interesting that the most vigorous growth was from around the break point; it did not really push growth back down low. Perhaps that is obvious to some but I found it helpful for future decisions.

The trunks bigger trunks are now over 2cm in diameter.

Where to from here. I am not sure and I would love advice but here's what I think I will do. Rory's prompt has made me look closely at the trees for the first time in a while. I noticed some new growth heading straight up. I think I will remove all of those shoots this weekend. They look sh!t. Apart from that - I think I left it keep going?

In terms of ramification and reducing leaf size, I anticipate that process will begin in earnest next spring/summer with substantive breaks early and pinching all through the growing season.

You'll see that roots have exploded through the bottom of the pot. I think I should wait until next spring/summer to repot?

There's a lot I like about this group, particularly the movement of the trunks together and I feel it could evolve into the vision I had at the start .. even with limited knowledge.... that said, it's really just a young group of trees, not a bonsai's bum. So much will depend on whether I can develop meaningful ramification - in the context of the trunk and the dry river setting and I'll need a lower and more expansive pot to create negative space on one side of the setting .... good fun... loving learning.

Here is a photographic update.

Watch in photo 2, there looks to be parallel trunks, that stand out really clearly in the relaxed range of movement of the rest. It may take somewhat drastic measures to correct - I suspect they're well beyond wiring by now.

Good luck,

Gavin

Thank you for taking the time to provide the observation Gerard. What’s the saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees”. I hadn’t noticed the parallel curves of those two trees which do distract from the overall feel.

Looking back at the start of the thread - these are the two ‘parents’ overlooking the children.... it’s seems I gave the parents too much synchronicity... time to fracture the relationship!

I think I do have options - initially, I’ll push one of the trees off the current grow line - in effect tilting it back and removing the parallel alignment. More exciting - I might snap one... not right through - a crack that rips a new angle ... I’ll have a morning coffee and ponder.


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I've decided to provide another update for this group. I ended up going pretty hard at them (cutting back) a month of so back and they've gone nuts again. A month is a long time for some natives!!

It may be hard to see - but they are shorter, the leaves are more prolific, smaller and and there are more adventitious buds where I would like them. But... in trying to rectify Gavin's observation about two tree looking similar... I may have inadvertently made them all look similar!!

Anyway ... really enjoying this competition and the continual care of these group plantings. I am liking the multiple trunks starting low... to me this is representative of the way these trees seem to get strong multi-trunks in some natural settings.
Also - I am pretty confident I can drive ramification and leaf reduction following some of MattS's advice.

Not so much an update but inspiration for where I might take this group... if I have the guts... I
might push (purposely) one tree over ... like a fallen tree but so it survives. I am not convinced I know how to pull it off but I think it might take this group to the next level (or completely stuff it up...)
Not until Oct/November (I think) but a thought that is growing ...

The five pictures at this link are a tad inspirational. https://trusttrees.org.au/tree/VIC/Dunk ... ndish_Road

Great post Mark ,what a fantastic tree .That movement is inspirational {great wiring } ,I hope you do have a go. Could you wire a smaller tree down to ground level instead of pushing one down ? Next question ,side tree or one in the centre ? Interested to see how this one pans out . John.