AusBonsai

Found these to Banksia serrata in the local Native Plant Nursery.
I am going to put in large pots and grow for a couple of years. What would you suggest for pruning on the trees? to start training.

These are my thoughts of pruning. Any other suggestions ?

I think they will be a good start - you can always take more off later on. Just try and prune to give movement and taper.

Hi Brownthumb,

Nice bases on those banksias, plenty of potential.
It looks to me like there is a bit of yellowing of the leaves (particularly the second one). I would look at sorting that out before going too nuts with cutting back. It could be a nitrogen deficiency, or iron maybe, or phosphorous overdose?? All these things can cause yellowing of foliage. I would want to start with a completely healthy plant before I got dramatic with it ...
Good luck with them, always good to see an Aussie native!

Banksia serrate usually buds all over the trunk when it is pruned so you can cut with confidence wherever you like.
They are definitely hungry which can be a result of being pot bound or sometimes from a cold winter or simply not enough fertiliser. People are terrified of feeding these because we are told they don't like fert so many are underfed and starving.
In my experience banksias grow huge masses of very fine roots which quickly clog up the pot so it becomes difficult to water and feed them I would recommend root pruning and/or repotting these before it gets too hot this spring. I've been repotting most of my banksias every year to overcome this problem. I think it is probably already warm enough to start on them now. I have not been able to rake out banksia roots. Clumps just break off as you try to tease apart the roots so I normally either cut with shears or just pull off hunks of roots with my hands until the root ball is reduced enough.
You can also just slip pot them into larger pots with some fresh mix around the existing root ball and they should just take off again.

echo the root prune and repot first.
All the pot bound nursery specials I have bought similar to this had lots of roots but mostly
growing strait down. Sometimes its one solid lump you have to saw through to reduce.
If you sort that first you won't waist time and energy on it only to risk loosing it down the track.

Get them strong and healthy before too much drastic pruning of roots or branches.

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Yes they where totally pot bound, I had to cut the pots off and pull and cut at the roots to get them so I could repot them. I have just cut about 30cm off the top to start with. I have mixed Osmocote for Natives into the soil mix and watered them in with a good dose of seasol and will seasol them once a week for the next month and powerfeed them as well. Hopefully by Xmas they will be looking healthy and I can make a few pruning cuts to start training them to what I want to see.

Re potted Banksia and fed. Major root prune on both as they where totally pot bound, just starting to get some greener leaves on them. Will be Powerfeeding them again on Sunday and Seasoling as well.