AusBonsai

But wait! Theres more. It was a very sunny day and the left side is a bit over bright.

Grant

AWSOME

Pat

Looking great fellas! A real credit to Pup and the NBPCA team.

Grant, are the flowers smaller than last year?

Regards,
Steven

Steven wrote:Looking great fellas! A real credit to Pup and the NBPCA team.

Grant, are the flowers smaller than last year?

Regards,
Steven

Hi Steven,

It didn't flower prolifically last year and I don't have a photo.

I have inserted the picture from 2 years ago under the new one above for you to compare.. The season has been milder and growth slower(on all trees) this year I feel and the photo was taken equivalently two weeks later so that could make a difference.

It is just starting to get hot here the last few days and so I imagine the flowers will come out and fill out from now on.

I don't think there is or will be much if any difference in the size of the flowers from year to year.
Grant

Grant I have notice some reduction in flower size. Although it could be another variety, as a lot were sold as Captain Cook and were in fact other cultivars.

So when you collect them and are told they are Captain Cook you have to believe the person. When they flower a little different, then you can say.
Having said that, the top of that tree was taken as a cutting, and the one flower it had this year was notable smaller.

It is looking good in your care mate.

Cheers Pup

Ps she likes it too that is Mrs Pup

Pup wrote:Grant I have notice some reduction in flower size. Although it could be another variety, as a lot were sold as Captain Cook and were in fact other cultivars.

So when you collect them and are told they are Captain Cook you have to believe the person. When they flower a little different, then you can say.
Having said that, the top of that tree was taken as a cutting, and the one flower it had this year was notable smaller.

It is looking good in your care mate.

Cheers Pup

Ps she likes it too that is Mrs Pup

Gooday Mr and Mrs Pup,

Glad you like it.

We will repot the tree this year and can see how the flowering and flower size goes next year. I suppose I could measure the size of the flowers this year but of course can't go back two years to do it.

It seems deeper in color this year but as I said it is only starting to get warm now and may become washed out(color wise) with the intense sun. Its in the same position from year to year.

Grant

I bought a Bottle brush from Riverview nuesery yesterday. It is 1 meter tall and I was wondering wether you can ariel layer it or is if is best to cut the top off and put directly in a pot. Also read on this website that is good to put honey on the cutting.
Is now a good time to try this ?
Any other hints ?
Fiona

You can layer the top off if you wish to get another tree out of it, but I would wait until it shows positive signs of recovery if yo do any root work on it.
If you are going to repot, you will most likely be doing some root work as I have several Riverview trees myself and know what you have

Ken

hi all,

with all the heavy rain recently the flowers have finished for the year.

We have removed all the remnant flowers and then done a very hard prune in its new more upright position.

I will do a new thread to follow the tree over the coming season as well as the past work.

As it has now been about 3 years in the current portting mix we will repot the tree in about 7 to 10 days time.(Once the new buds start to form is how I like to handle natives)

How it looks now after very hard prune at new angle. Grant

a vast improvement! love it

I notice that you experienced early flower, finish this year due to the fact that you had a lot of rain. Which undoubtedly wet the flowers and caused this.

When I mentioned this once before as I had let them get wet,( not this year ) but a year when we went on holiday down south. We left the trees to be watered by a friend. Who did a fantastic job. It was just that the Bottlebrush flowers got wet, and did not last as long. When I pointed this out, in an article I had written. I was questioned, I pointed this out as it does happen.
Both when the flower's get wet, and when you have been growing them for awhile, and make notes, for future reference.

Just another observation, Cheers Pup

Pup wrote:I notice that you experienced early flower, finish this year due to the fact that you had a lot of rain. Which undoubtedly wet the flowers and caused this.

When I mentioned this once before as I had let them get wet,( not this year ) but a year when we went on holiday down south. We left the trees to be watered by a friend. Who did a fantastic job. It was just that the Bottlebrush flowers got wet, and did not last as long. When I pointed this out, in an article I had written. I was questioned, I pointed this out as it does happen.
Both when the flower's get wet, and when you have been growing them for awhile, and make notes, for future reference.

Just another observation, Cheers Pup

Hi Pup,

Your experience previously of the flowers getting wet and shortening their display life was certainly proven this year at the collection.

We put shade and rain protection over a Satsuki azalea this year to prolong flower life and it worked nicely; but couldn't do it with the bottlebrush.

And its still raining! Flooding at Queanbeyan, Goulburn etc. Its just amazing.

Grant

My Bottle Brush (although growing vigorously) failed to flower this year.

Waltron wrote:My Bottle Brush (although growing vigorously) failed to flower this year.

Flowering for this year depends on having done the correct things last year.

Flowering for next year depends on us doing the right thing now. This will vary depending on where you live, fertilizing and trimming regime, repotting or not, plus knowing when to stop doing things.ie fertilizing and trimming again.

Pup has explained earlier in the tread what to do and when. You need to follow this advice but adapt to your climate for timing. We have ceratinly had to adapt Pups techniques for his tree in Canberra.

Grant