A couple of weeks ago I showed you how I repotted my Callistemon sieberii bonsai.
Despite removing quite a lot of roots this tree has just continued to grow without any apparent setback. The shoots that were left intact have continued to grow and will need trimming soon.
Summer has proved to be a good time to repot banksias and a couple of the shibui bonsai banksias were due for it this year.
When I first started to grow banksias for bonsai they were not very successful. Most just lasted a year or two then suddenly died. Given that banksias have a reputation for being quite sensitive I just thought the genus was not suitable then I started to see some great banksia bonsai and gradually pieced together a couple of important facts about banksia bonsai. Continue reading
I usually repot any native plants in November or December. There were plenty that needed doing this season because I had not repotted for a couple of years. I find that many native plants grow lots of fine roots in the pots and quickly get to the stage where there is no room in the potting mix for water or air to penetrate. This mans that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep the mix hydrated and I have lost quite a few trees because I have not repotted often enough. Continue reading
For a while during the real heat of summer my trees slowed up and gave me a rest from pinching and pruning that is so constant during spring and early summer. The weather has started to cool a little and we have had a few light showers of rain. This is the time of year that the Australian natives just love and they have started to grow strongly. Continue reading
I usually wait until November and December to repot banksias but this year is warmer than normal so I have started to re-pot my Aussie natives a bit earlier this year. First up were banksias because they were not root pruned last year and the root balls were getting pretty solid. Continue reading
The 4th annual Australian Plants as Bonsai symposium was a great event. The fledgling Native bonsai club in Melbourne did a great job organising and scheduling and the venue worked well. As well as the speakers and workshops for symposium delegates there was a display of native bonsai with some awesome trees on show. I didn’t have time to take any photos but Gerard has posted both photos and descriptions of all the trees on Ausbonsai – http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19796 You’ll have to sign in to view the pictures. Continue reading
The callistemon I pruned a couple of weeks ago has new buds emerging from the leaf axils.
You can see them at the base of the leaves in this picture. You can also see a smaller, red bud on the bare wood of the branch to the left in the photo.
Late Spring and Summer is when I prune and re-pot most of my native bonsai at Shibui Bonsai. Continue reading
The flowers have finished on the Callistemon so it is time to prune. Follow this link to an article about how and why to prune Callistemon bonsai.
This year’s flowers have just started to open on this tree during the week so I thought I should share it with you.
The branches look a bit untidy at the moment. Callistemon flower on the tips of the shoots that grew last year. For many years I kept it well trimmed but, of course, was cutting off all the potential flowers every time I pinched the shoots. With advice from Derek, a master with Aussie plants as bonsai, I learned to allow the shoots to grow and mature so it can produce flowers. After flowering it is pruned quite hard then new shoots are again allowed to grow and mature for the following year’s flowers.
You will note that the flowers on this species are rather less impressive than many we see in gardens but I think the pale pink blush is nice on this bonsai. Flowers are also smaller than many which fits in well for a bonsai sized tree.