Bailey's Callistemon

[Bretts]

When Bailey was born we got a number of native tube stock given to us from the hospital. It was meant to be two but as I was so interested they gave me a couple extra
That was 4 1/2 years ago and I only have one left.
After growing it out in the ground for a couple of years I transferred to a pot and have since chopped the trunk and started styling.
That was about a year ago and it received it's first secondary branch wiring today.
Still a long way to go but I thought it was getting interesting enough to post a picture of the progress.
I was a little concerned I had left it too late to put any movement in the primary branches but was relieved when I found they bent quite easily.
I am sure I will find some branches out of whack in the picture but I am happy with the general movement and will now work on finer branching to create a more rounded silhouette.
Hopefully in the future I can learn some techniques that will improve the root base but I think in time that will come.

bottle brush.jpg

Typical of me I did not keep the name of this tree. So an Id and any advice on care, repotting would be great.
I will have to get a picture of Bailey with the tree I am not sure If I have one yet

[craigw60]

Hi Brett,
Nice work , your tree has a lovely soft taper and really good branch placement. I can see the bark starting to mature at the base or the trunk and when that moves up and on to the branches it will be beautiful.
Craig

[anttal63]

A very nice start Brett! They dont mind defoliation and that gets the leaves real small; when the time comes of course and you're ready.

[jarryd]

this is a very nice little tree brett,and is developing very well in such a short time frame i have also been doing a bit of work with callistemon and i am finding them to be great they can tollerate heavy root pruning aswell as heavy foliage, its good to hear from ant they take defoliation aswell. i recently collected two nice ones from a creek on a friends property one will be an exceptionally good tree. thought you might enjoy to know you can find these as yamadori brett as i know you have that love aswell.

this will be a tree you have for a long time due to the sentimental value so take good care of it and one day it can be passed on to bailey for further refinement

[Bretts]

Thanks for the ideas Guy's
Here is Bailey with his tree doing his own thing

bailey.jpg

[Bretts]

After some advice on the weekend I was ready to give the roots of Bailey's Callistemon a good work over and put it in it's first bonsai pot.

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Bailey just had his 5Th birthday so the Callistemon did as well

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I killed the two hospital birth trees of Shelby's so I have decided one of the cuttings that Pup gave me on the weekend can be her new birth tree. Thanks Pup

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[Bretts]

I last posted the update of this tree in Bottle brush pruning and Pup gave this advice

This tree is old enough to flower, however development is more important. So Just prune to shape now, and in March April trim to shape . then leave it have its head.
Feed it with a high potassium fert for flowering. If you do that after you have pruned the flowering possibilities are better.

This was the tree then

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I gave it a trim but it has not responded exactly as I hoped. (sorry no picture after trim)The crown branches mainly sprouted one new bud per branch and some lower branches gave me no new growth.
I did give it a little extra trim at one stage to pretty it up but have since just let it grow.
I would love to get in and give it an all over trim and re-wire but not sure that is a good idea at the moment?
I notice on one of the branches does have an adventitious bud growing strong further back and wonder if I should just remove these hoping the outer part of the branch will start to grow agian?

bbottle.jpg

[Jan]

Typical of me I did not keep the name of this tree. So an Id and any advice on care, repotting would be great.

Have you tried contacting the Admin. Staff at the Hospital?

They may be able to tell you which supplier was being used at the time of Bailey's birth, and the supplier might have on record which variety of Callistemon they were supplying to the hospital at the time.

Hope you get a positive ID (and I love a plant that has a "story"),

Jan.

[bodhidharma]

Well it certainly is growing well. I am going to have a stab Bretts and say "Western Glory" only because it looks exactly like one that i have. They have also been very popular down here in Melbourne with a huge influx in the Nursery's the last few years.

[Bretts]

I forgot all about finding the cultivar. I was thinking good old Captain Cook lately.
I know the local council where supplying the tube stock but the less I talk to them the better

Thanks Guys

[Bretts]

I am still struggling some with directing the growth were I want with this tree. It is a little frustrating because I was really happy with the way I set up the apex with three crown branches. Yet when I trimmed the tree I mostly ended up with only one new bud extending. Often not where I wanted.
Pup suggested about two trims a year above. But as I got limited new buds I have had to re trim at least a few times to stop the limited new growth getting out of hand and spoiling the plan.

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Although it was practically bare rooted in spring it has already become root bound in a mostly inorganic soil and I wonder if I could increase the fertiliser to help the issue. It gets a pretty standard fertiliser regime of full strength liquid feed (nitrosol or charlie carp mainly) at least every two weeks and some seasol. It does get back budding on the trunk but I have been getting less of that lately.
It grows in full sun.

[Pup]

Brett I have been watching the progress of this one with interest, you can try approach grafting a branch where you want it. They do this well and quickly in my experience.

I feed my trees with Phostrogen, and also Miraclegro for Azaleas and Camellias fortnightly. You might find Yates fruit and Flower easier to get than Phostrogen, it has the same NPK breakdown. With your weather re heat, you will probably get good flowering, if you do one last prune to shape now. Then leave it alone, this is what I do.
I Use the other as a supplement on the alternate week of fertilising.

Cheers Pup

[Bretts]

Thanks Pup,
I am starting to think it is a little under nourished, if I look at the first post on this thread it is almost exactly one year ago and I see two things.
The foliage looks happier, yet the branches have thickened considerably. But then it has only been in this pot for 6 months and the branches had thickened before it went into a pot.
Being pot bound within 6 months in inorganic soil that still needs watering twice a day even when it is cloudy I guess it is no surprise I need to step up the fertiliser to increase the health and vigor.

I had not used the stuff you recommended before as I thought it was a granular fert. Yes I too am guilty of not reading properly all the time I now see it is dissolved for application if this is the one you suggest.
http://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/Mirac ... ododendron
Debaco Phostrogen Plant Food is stated as being available at Mitre 10 so I should be able to get some of that as well.

I have never been one to use different fertiliser for my natives and now after reading this little snippet from Scotts the natives that have survived my care are the ones not so affected by phosphorus.

Why phosphorus is an issue for some Australian plants
As a general rule, Australian soils are very low in phosphorus.
As a result, many Australian plants evolved to take up as much phosphorus from the soil as possible.
If these plants are fertilised with the standard fertiliser used for most exotic plants, they will take up too much phosphorus, overdose and possibly die.
Not all Australian natives are phosphorus-sensitive
Not all Australian plants are sensitive to phosphorus. For example, Australian natives such as bottlebrushes, lillypillies, melaleucas and most gums respond well to plant food containing phosphorus.

http://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/In_an ... ive_Plants

Edit: Oh and I had considered a graft but I am pretty sure I will reduce the top down to the front branch as the new apex in the future so it doesn't really worry me at the moment. Hmm I guess it would not hurt to do one. Never say never
Edit, Edit: You must have missed it. I did just prune to shape
Thanks again

[Pup]

Yes Brett that is the one. When it comes to our plants not being P sensitive, that is very subjective, as most trials done are on plants established in the ground.

We have in WA one of the best Australian native plantsmen in George Lullfitz. He has said that Banksia and Grass trees can withstand P, again when established in the ground.

Most of the blurbs put out by the Manufacturers is for ground planting. When you read instructions as for dosage, you will always see lesser amounts for pot grown plants.

My trees get it at the full strength recommended on the pack. So why lesser amounts for Bonsai?, because they have not conducted trials on them.
We are doing it for them.

Cheers Pup

[Bretts]

I should have included the list of plants that are stated as being effected

Popular Australian plants that are particularly sensitive to phosphorus include

Grevillea spp.
Banksia spp.
Hakea spp.
Telopea (Waratah)
Hardenbergia spp.
Acacia boormanii
Alyogyne spp.
Phebalium spp.

I got myself a new Banksia the other day and have fertilised it at least once already with normal fert.
I better get some of this stuff before I kill it. I have had a couple of seedlings going. I know one tucked away is somewhat yellow but the other looks ok. I think they have only been getting run off fert hidden under other trees.
Dam I have too many trees

Cheers