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root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 10:21 am
by nealweb
G'day

I have an irish strawberry (Arbutus unedo) that needs to have its roots reduced and go into a smaller pot. Just wondering what time of year would be best to do this. Does anybody have any ideas or experiences with this?

Thanks heaps

neal :D

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 3:04 pm
by nealweb
No advice for me?? Think i'll go with spring then, as it warms up a bit again :D

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 4:08 pm
by craigw60
Hi Neal, I have one that I literally ripped out of the ground in summer and it has come away nicely. It was quite an old plant and I didn't get too much root and fully expected it to die. So given that experience I would suggest you wait until the weather warms up a bit.
Craig

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 4:51 pm
by nealweb
craigw60 wrote:Hi Neal, I have one that I literally ripped out of the ground in summer and it has come away nicely. It was quite an old plant and I didn't get too much root and fully expected it to die. So given that experience I would suggest you wait until the weather warms up a bit.
Craig
Thanks Craig I think i will, maybe october or so... :D

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 4:55 pm
by craigw60
I don't think your'll have any problems Neal my tree is still throwing out lots of buds and its starting to get quite cool here.

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 5:26 pm
by nealweb
Good to hear. Ta ;)

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 5:30 pm
by banksia
Definately wait till Spring Neil. I've had one for just over 2 years now, and have root pruned on both years in Spring. Incidently..mine is flowering right now, so if yours is, it would be a definate no-no..wouldn't it?

Cheers!
Anthony

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 5:37 pm
by nealweb
banksia wrote:Definately wait till Spring Neil. I've had one for just over 2 years now, and have root pruned on both years in Spring. Incidently..mine is flowering right now, so if yours is, it would be a definate no-no..wouldn't it?

Cheers!
Anthony
Thanks Anthony. I have two, the one that needs the root prune has no flowers because i pruned the top back hard no long ago. It had a burst of new growth which seems to have slowed now. I'll wait for the repot. The other one is covered in flowers, looks great. Now i have to try and keep a few berries on it, in previous years they have mostly shrivelled and dropped before colouring up.

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 5:46 pm
by banksia
Exactly my experience too. When I initially got it it had beautiful fruit all over and these stayed on for some time. However last years crop did exactly as you say ...shrivelled and dropped of before maturing :cry: . If I could ask...where did you purchase it?. Sometime ago I found a guy in the Quokka selling rather advanced specimens ( 6 inch diameter trunks) but he was asking too much.

Cheers!
Anthony

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 5:59 pm
by nealweb
banksia wrote:Exactly my experience too. When I initially got it it had beautiful fruit all over and these stayed on for some time. However last years crop did exactly as you say ...shrivelled and dropped of before maturing :cry: . If I could ask...where did you purchase it?. Sometime ago I found a guy in the Quokka selling rather advanced specimens ( 6 inch diameter trunks) but he was asking too much.

Cheers!
Anthony
Hey i just noticed your from perth, not 'Ant' from Lancelin maybe??? Anyhow i got mine from Lena at Advanced nursery, Dundebar rd, Wanneroo. You probably know it but if not should check it out. Its a huge mess. You can't find anything if you don't ask, and only Lena knows where everything is but she has some unusual stuff that you can't find elsewhere and loads of overgrown, underpotted, fallen over etc stuff. Mine were in 200mm pots and full of bends in decent sized trunks. She did have some bigger stuff too and you can usually bargain a bit with her.
All the best,
neal.

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 6:08 pm
by craigw60
Hi Neal I would love to have a look at it, I am quite interested in this species now after my unexpected success. They are on the weed list here so I am on the look out for more.
Craig

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 6:22 pm
by nealweb
craigw60 wrote:Hi Neal I would love to have a look at it, I am quite interested in this species now after my unexpected success. They are on the weed list here so I am on the look out for more.
Craig
Alright, I'll try and take some pics tomorrow, its pissing down right now. I did actually put some pics up on your old thread about them but i didn't know the right size and they are too small. They are a nice tree i reckon, very nice bark, flowers, fruits, if the leaf was a bit smaller they would be perfect.
Cheers Craig
N.

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 9:04 pm
by banksia
Yeah , that's me Neil...except I'm in Yanchep....way north metro all the same. Haven't been to any meetings for a while as life is very hectic at the moment but I'll try and get down soon. Lena's hey...I know it well, will have to check it out. There's a Vietnamese guy at Wanneroo Markets and he has an exceptional one...where talking like the 'Plum of Plums" dimensions, and it's absolutely beautiful. On "The International Bonsai Forum" there is a (I think) Croat woman who has some and are very impressive. Check it out!

Cheers!
Anthony ;)

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 11:36 pm
by nealweb
banksia wrote:Yeah , that's me Neil...except I'm in Yanchep....way north metro all the same. Haven't been to any meetings for a while as life is very hectic at the moment but I'll try and get down soon. Lena's hey...I know it well, will have to check it out. There's a Vietnamese guy at Wanneroo Markets and he has an exceptional one...where talking like the 'Plum of Plums" dimensions, and it's absolutely beautiful. On "The International Bonsai Forum" there is a (I think) Croat woman who has some and are very impressive. Check it out!

Cheers!
Anthony ;)
Yes ofcourse its Yanchep! oops. I don't get to all the meetings myself, anyway be good to see you there one day maybe. I haven't seen the waneroo markets, i get along to the subiaco market occasionally, Jimmy down there has some nice stuff. I'll have to check out the other web stuff you mention too :D
Thanks Anthony,
All the best!

neal.

Re: root pruning irish strawberry

Posted: May 28th, 2010, 1:23 pm
by nealweb
G'day Craig, here a couple of pics...