Callistemon sieberi - waterswept

[Pearcy001]

Can't believe you lost the original thread Neil! I came searching for this tree so I could see the early transition and can only imagine how annoying that must be. I am using this tree for some inspiration with the one I got from your nursery at Christmas time

I've said it before but I'll say it again, lovely tree Neil. Photos really do not compare to it in the flesh.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[shibui]

Time to repot this callistmon bonsai. In some areas these can be repotted any time of year but it seems to get a bit cold here in winter and they always do better for me when root pruned when it is warmer. This species flowers quite late - mid December here. I don't think it is good to root prune either just before or during flowering so I've followed the advice of Wisteria and azalea growers and now repot this one after it has finished flowering. It is often in active growth at this time of year but that does not seem to matter.

waterswept callistemon repot 2017 12 01.JPG

Just after the flowers finish I cut the whole tree back quite hard, almost to the base of the previous shoots, even into older wood if it has grown a bit long because I know it will reliably shoot from older wood.

waterswept callistemon repot 2017 12 03.JPG

After the roots have been pruned the tree is returned to the pot with fresh potting mix then watered well.

waterswept callistemon repot 2017 12 12.JPG

I then put the freshly repotted tree back in its normal position. This one gets full sun for most of the day. If I lived in a really hot, dry area I'd consider giving freshly repotted trees some additional shade for a week or so after repotting in summer but I have not found that necessary here.

waterswept callistemon repot 2017 12 13.JPG

More photos and words now on the Shibui Bonsai blog - http://shibuibonsai.com.au/

[Max]

muscles galore on her

[jarryd]

beautiful! I have always admired this tree and its unique styling true to the riverside growth. I spent a lot of time fishing for bass and cod on rivers and some gorge country in northern NSW when I lived up that way and this tree is certainly great to bring back the nostalgia of those times.

Good to see the summer repot to

Great work.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Shibui,
Have been developing a callistemon also & after "hit & miss" with the amount of flowering I had been getting over the last few years - I too stumbled upon Pup's thread on correct pruning techniques.
I have a question regarding the new growth once the plant has been cut back hard after flowering.

This week new buds have started to develop in the leaf axils and also along the bare parts of the branches (pruned 18-12, new buds 8-1 = 3 weeks). Now, according to the master , we just let the new shoots grow so they will set flower buds next spring.

Am I understanding correctly that once new branches shoot, they are not touched. I have done the hard cut back after mine flowered around November (very sporadically).
I have now got good strong grow back for most part, but have also got a bit of juvenile fuzzy stuff that I don't really know what to do with?
If I cut if off, will this impact my even spread of future (hopefully millions!!) of spectacular flowers. Do I just leave it?
Like most, I really want an even, all over blaze of colour & fear if I start trimming some areas again, future flowering mass will be jeopardized.
Any advice on what you have done with this growth?

DSCF2720.JPG

DSCF2721b.jpg

[shibui]

I believe there is a cut off date some time in autumn where shoot tips must be left intact for flower buds to form. This is also the case with azalea where shoots must not be cut after a certain date - February?

Unfortunately I have not yet had enough experience with different Callistemon species to be able to give definitive times. I'm not even sure whether early flowering types need to be left earlier the season before. So far it looks like you can, and should, trim new shoots through summer but leave them to grow later.

It would be great if lots of us could try different trimming cut off dates and report the results.

Leaving unpruned tips is only one factor affecting Callistemon flowers.
I've found that they definitely respond to high K fertiliser just like other flowering exotics so I use thrive 'flowers and fruit' from about mid summer. Any fert aimed at flowering or fruiting plants can be used - tomato, azalea, rose, citrus, etc should all be suitable.
Masses of buds started to develop on this callistemon this spring. By the time it flowered only 2 shoots had just a few buds left. I'm pretty sure the rest of the buds aborted because the tree was stressed a couple of times through spring from lack of water. My aim now will be to monitor watering much more closely for this tree in future to see if I can get a better show.

If anyone has any other tips or ideas about callistemon flowering I'd love to hear.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Thanks Shibui,
I think I will pinch back the fluffy stuff & will definitely now increase the K fertilizer as suggested.
Hope you don't mind, but I feel the link below should also be attached to this thread...just shows how much of an icon you are. http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2013 ... 857218.htm

[GavinG]

Leigh from the NBPCA has been kind enough to forward their pruning regime for the two red-flowering Calls there (sorry, can't remember the species)

"My aim here with our Callistemons is to prune very hard after flowering. Then feed well and allow elongation and strength.
Usually trim these elongations back to a nice shape by the end of January, then pinch prune till the end of February.
I feed with bloom booster (or equivalent) during Summer and Autumn.

The flowers set on growth during this time, not on subsequent Spring growth. I generally trim the extended Spring growth back after it is obvious where the flowers have set. This allows for an uninterrupted display of flowers."

These Calls flower around November/December, so cut back by New Year.

Hope this helps.

Gavin

[NBPCA]

Here is the most recent flowering of Derek Oakley's Callistemon viminalis "Captain Cook"

Enjoy
Leigh

Callistemon.jpg

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Thanks for this GavinG & Leigh,
This info is exactly what I was looking for & extremely helpful!

"As God is my witness.....I'll never have a non-flowering bottlebrush ever again!!'

[shibui]

"As God is my witness.....I'll never have a non-flowering bottlebrush ever again!!'

2 old adages immediately spring to mind - Don't count your Callistemon flowers before they open and There's many a slip between buds and flowers

[shibui]

My callistemon has coped with a couple of hot days and some recent cold nights since the root prune without any problems. New shoots just kept elongating and will need trimming again.

callistemon after repotting 1.JPG

and now the buds are starting to grow where I pruned the long shoots back.

callistemon after repotting 2.JPG

Also plenty of adventitious buds sprouting from older, bare wood,

callistemon after repotting 4.JPG

even right down near the base of the trunk.

callistemon after repotting 3.JPG