AusBonsai

As anyone that knows me cann attest, I am usually ready and available to help out and teach / guide younger people and encourage them in their endeavours where possible.
Maybe that's why I am involved in Little A's and scouting so much .

I went out today to my spot and met up with young coocarh, to show him how I collect trees and to hopefully let on some things I have learn't along the way.
Any way we found a few trees to dig up and he went home with about 5 ? in just a few hours.
He now has a few natives in his care

The ground is very sandy and tends to fall off the roots, so quite hard to keep the root ball intact. Hopefully they have enough roots to recover with

I think he grabbed another Crepe myrtle as well, and few smaller Kunzea as well

Ken

I potted them all up as soon as I got home. When I had finished I just fell asleep so no pictures tonight, most likely tomorrow afternoon. Great day and also a wonderful learning experience! Thanks Ken!

Nice one guys

A couple of nice pieces for your efforts Coocarch. The Persoonia is possibly pinifolia from what can be seen of the foliage, it occasionally comes up in nurseries so I will be keen to hear of your experience with it.

I hope it survives, really nice tree.

I did not come home empty either

Had to duck out and just got home and finished posting

One more tree for today.

Ken

Thats a good days work fellas !!!

So just a quick update from me during my free period, over the last months only one tree survived. That was the mother of a crepe myrtle. It has shoots everywhere and I am dying for it to hurry up and grow so I can style it
The personia went fet up about a month or so after repotting, and the kunzeas were just dead in the week. I was sorta crushed but it may have had to do with me forgetting to water on the days I had work. The personia grew a little but then dried up, I miss its puff pastry bark
The camera that had all the photos of the trees before they died got lost; thank you younger brother.
Next chance I get I will try to post a photo of the crepe myrtle for you guys.

THat was timely update
Missing waterings will not help We all make that mistake so not alone there.

As for mine I was looking at them all this weekend.

The persoonia has not survived, but someone posted that they are impossible to collect Oh well nothing lost as they wil be buldozed anyway. I willgo nad have look fo rsome seedlings to start them and see.
The Crepe Myrtly are all doing real well for me. Being deciduous they could cope with missing waterings before they shot, but not now until they get good root growth.

As for the Kunzea, all mine are doing exceptionally well. I cut back 2 on the weekend to remove the long bare stems above where they are back shooting.

Will have to take updated photos when i remeber.

Ken

Hey Guys,

I had a persoonia pinifolia i collected in July. It put on strong growth and I thought I might have cracked it (managed to keep it in its original soil and watered only sparingly). But alas mine has gone the way of all the others in the last week. Its starting to die off from the top down. Growing from seed may be the only way as the bark on this species is amazing. I'm a bit perplexed as to what you would do witht the foiliage though. Maybe style it like an English Yew???

Ken,

How are the Casuarina's?

Yes Ken, did you finally crack the code and get a cas to survive collection for the first time?
I don't have access to Persoonia but I would like to see someone set an air-layer in the field and let the roots develop for longer than usual, and then collect it to see if it makes a difference in the poor survival rate for this species.
Water crystals could be added to the mix but obviously watering would have to be done regularly which could be an issue.
Cheers, Dario.

Coocarch,
Sorry to hear of your losses, the missed waterings would definitely be a factor, its important with established bonsai but critical with collected stock. I dug a load of trees a few years ago & because they were so crowded on the bench a couple at the back didnt get as much water as the rest, they died.

Ken,
I discussed Persoonia & collecting with my local native nursery a while back, the owner has had a fair bit of luck transplanting Persoonia seedlings but any with mature bark simply go belly up, she also said early autumn was the best time but had been successful all year round.

Dario,
I think layering (air or ground) could be the way forward with collecting Persoonia & I plan to start a few experiments very soon, developers have gained permission to bulldoze 70acres of bush right behind my house, the close proximity means I will be able to keep water up them as well

Ahh the Cas wqas a failure it seems
So far I have not had any sucess colleting them, except for a raft that come out with the entire root mass intact.

I will keep trying and crack it one day
Ken

a few updated pics from tonight

Ken